10 TIMES ANTIQUES ROADSHOW PROVED WW2 ART IS THE BOMB


By rfisher
10 Times Antiques Roadshow Proved WW2 Art is the Bomb (2022 Edition)

Introduction

Hand-painted plane nose art and matching bomber jackets, comics and posters, Disney-designed insignia, folk art, and more – artwork from America’s Greatest Generation is bad*ss. WW2 nose art often includes custom bombs or other symbols from successful missions. And so did the A-2 bomber jackets that pilots and crew wore. Owners are sometimes surprised at the value of art from World War II when there is an appraisal of a family heirloom on PBS’ Antiques Roadshow. One family on this list was surprised to learn the real meaning of a carved “pirate” and “surfer!” We know you guys are total suckers for facts and trivia about our nation and military. So we’ve gathered some interesting tidbits about WW2 art from our military for you to enjoy and share with your friends and fellow service buddies!

10 Times Antiques Roadshow Proved WW2 Art Is the Bomb

1. “E’Z Goin” Bomber Jacket

Appraisal info:

  • Value: $3,000 to $4,000 at auction (2012)
  • Item: A-2 jacket with custom paint
  • Origin: John Burke, B-17 Radio Gunner

Check out the bombs representing Munich and Berlin missions on the back of the jacket! This bomber is literally da bomb.

2. “Hadda Do It” Flight Jacket

Appraisal info:

  • Value: $2,000 to $2,500 retail (2018)
  • Item: A-2 jacket custom paint
  • Origin: H. Dwayne Stratton, B-17 Pilot 490th Bomb Group

Evident in this Eighth Air Force insignia, they were one of the hardest-fighting groups in WWII.

3. WWII Aircraft Nose Art

Appraisal info:

  • Value: $2,000 to $4,000 at auction (2005)
  • Item: Insignia from a P-40 airplane, flight jacket patch painted on leather and photos of shark’s teeth on plane noses
  • Origin: Stanley Schirro, 26th Fighter Squadron

This aluminum cut from the cowling of a P-40 aircraft depicts a hybrid of a reindeer and a P-40 airplane. The artwork, on the other hand, is something we can all get behind (for the spectacular script font and shading, of course).

4. WWII Comic Art

Appraisal info:

  • Value: $2,000 to $3,000 at auction (2014)
  • Item: Comic Art
  • Origin: PFC James F. Brown with Gen. Patton’s Third Army

The artwork is undeniably bit dark and tragic, as the artist uses comics to deal with the atrocities of war.

“When a war poses for its picture, it leaves to the artist the selection of the attitude in which the artist may desire to draw it,” World War I Soldier-Artist J. Andre Smith.

5. Disney Insignia WWII

Appraisal info:

  • Value: $3,500 to $4,325 at auction (2012)
  • Item: Cartoon art
  • Origin: Disney Studios
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Fun Fact! Disney artists played a huge role in WWII insignia art, all with no licensing fees! More like this:12 of the Best Military Museums for History Buffs (2022 Edition)

6. A-2 Bomber Jacket and Photo

Appraisal info:

  • Value: $3,000 to $4,000 retail (2012)
  • Item: A-2 bomber jacket and photo
  • Origin: Eighth Air Force

A whopping 30 bombs on the jacket’s chest indicate many successful American missions.

7. World War II Folk Art

Appraisal info:

  • Value: $10,000 to $15,000 at auction (2013)
  • Item: Carved Figures
  • Origin: Duluth, Minnesota

Pirate or Mussolini? Surfer or Stalin? Hand-carved from the Minnesota forest representing WWII world leaders, these are a Swedish immigrant’s political statement. Keeping Art Alive: Life magazine hired 17 civilian artists to embed as WWII correspondents. And Abbott Labs paid a daily wage to more than two dozen Associated American Artists to serve as official combat artists in the field.

8. World War II Submarine Kill Flag

Appraisal info:

  • Value: $2,500 to $3,000 retail (2015)
  • Item: Flag with Disney-inspired vessel insignia
  • Origin: USS Plaice, Balao-class submarine

In 1943, the USS Plaice conducted war patrols in the South Pacific towards the end of World War II, and the flag is a record of the ship’s service. U.S. Army Historical Properties Section: In 1944, the Army’s art program returned. Today, the artwork of more than a thousand soldiers, from WWI to War on Terrorism, is part of the Army’s Historical Properties Section.

9. World War II Posters

Appraisal info:

  • Value: $1,600 to $2,400 at auction (2019)
  • Item: Poster Series
  • Origin: Arthur Rothenberg

This series of posters, found in the artist’s mother’s closet recently, earned a letter from two brigadier generals thanking him for the artwork. This just goes to show that your dust-filled attics and skeleton-laden closets could hold some fascinating secrets and histories. Time for some spring cleaning! Connect with local museum info for the military installation of your choice in MyBaseGuide’s community info.

10. A-2 Flight Jacket

Appraisal info:

  • Value: $3,500 to $4,000 retail (2019)
  • Item: A-2 flight jacket
  • Origin: 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment

The 507th’s black and orange jumping spider, with his lightning bolt and lit bomb, is one of the most distinctive and memorable of all the Airborne patches of World War II.

Conclusion

Even after surprising appraisals like those listed here, many military families consider their WW2 art priceless. You’d be cold-hearted to get rid of such deeply historical pieces that hold massive significance to both your own family and the nation at-large.As time marches on, WWII’s sights and sounds disappear. But we can still see the courage exemplified by the Veterans of the war in these artifacts. OF COURSE many Americans choose to keep iconic pieces in the family to honor their loved one’s legacy of securing global freedom. You would have to be heartless not to.More like this:U.S. Military Dress Uniforms: What Each Branch Wears To Look Their Best

The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.


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