Moore Art Gallery opens “All Hands on Deck” WWII naval images exhibit

By Andrew Granger, CGC ’26

In “All Hands on Deck: Edward Steichen and the WWII Naval Photographic Unit,” the latest exhibition within the Moore Art Gallery, guests are invited right into a up-close view of World War II informed by means of the eyes of one of many twentieth century’s most influential photographers and his staff from contained in the U.S. Navy.

The black-and-white images instantly impress on their viewers the lifetime of sailors and aviators throughout WWII: the curve of a service deck within the solar, sailors resting of their cots, Marines shifting by means of scorched terrain, a Japanese torpedo bomber aircraft bursting into flame and shrapnel as it’s hit by a 40 mm shell launched from the USS Yorktown. These are the sorts of photos that decelerate the viewer and pull them into the exhibit. The crisp particulars, dramatic compositions, and weird views provide a number of ranges of interplay and data.

Edward Steichen understood how a single picture may carry potent emotion and which means. Having served in WWI within the Army Signal Corps in reconnaissance images, Steichen was finest recognized for his profession in trend images, shaping public notion of glamour at Conde Nast publications like Vogue and Vanity Fair and as a curator of images on the Museum of Modern Art. At 62, regardless of his age, he was recruited as a lieutenant commander within the Navy to supply photos that might draw consideration to the Navy’s aviation program. What started as promotional work didn’t keep that method.

The exhibition makes obvious the tone Steichen explored by means of the medium of his digicam. His instruction to his staff was clear.

“Don’t photograph the war, photograph the man… Photograph the sailor,” Steichen informed his crew.

That philosophy, when practiced, turned meticulous and environment friendly. Photographers despatched their movie again to Steichen; he had it developed and printed to skilled requirements; after which, with a grease pencil, he marked prints with directions on how the photographs ought to be cropped and reproduced for main information shops.

One of the compelling components of the exhibit is attending to see that course of. Visitors can see the prints with notes made by Steichen earlier than sending in for modifying, feeling the method of editorial alternative: somewhat tighter on the face, deepen the shadows, pull the attention towards the road of movement.

In the Charleston City Paper, author Maura Hogan described how Steichen’s wax-pencil interventions reveal “a rare look under the hood” of this visible archive, and the way the exhibition pairs photos to focus on Steichen’s compositional brilliance from the start to the top of a images’ expertise.

The story shouldn’t be solely about one celebrated identify. Navy rules usually prevented particular person photographer credit score, however data establish members of the unit whose work seems on this exhibit: Charles Kerlee, Horace Bristol, Charles Jacobs, Victor Jorgenson, Wayne Miller and Dwight Long, amongst others. The exhibition attracts from a number of sources to inform that broader story — together with supplies from Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum, and a current present from MoMA to Patriots Point that helped put extra Steichen-related holdings into public view.

Curated by Tiffany Reed Silverman, director of fantastic arts at The Citadel, the exhibit additionally highlights how Steichen’s affect prolonged past the warfare years.

“Steichen and his unit expertly captured stunning moments of history that bring into sharp focus the bond between generations of those who serve,” stated Silverman. “With deep appreciation to Patriots Point, this exhibit has allowed our cadets to look into the faces of the past and reflect upon their own present.”

For Charleston, and for campus guests who could also be seeing these tales for the primary time, “All Hands on Deck” affords one thing uncommon: a wartime document that doesn’t flatten or simplify its focuses. It retains pulling you again to the people – the sailor on watch, the pilot readying for flight, the crews working on the fringe of hazard – and asks you to look lengthy and to acknowledge a shared humanity.

Allison Hunt, Executive Director at Patriots Point, is worked up to assist show these works to The Citadel group.

“It’s incredibly meaningful for us to be able to bring these remarkable artifacts from Patriots Point to The Citadel campus and share them with a new audience. These photographs by Edward Steichen and his Naval Photographic Unit are more than images – they are powerful, firsthand witnesses to defining moments of World War II,” stated Hunt. “Having them on display here allows students, faculty and visitors to connect directly with the courage, sacrifice and humanity captured through the lens of those who were there.”

The exhibition is free and open to the general public, on view by means of May 8 throughout gallery hours Monday –Friday, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., on the Moore Art Gallery in Capers Hall on The Citadel’s campus.

Andrew Granger of Atlanta, Georgia earned his bachelor’s diploma from The Virginia Military Institute in English, Rhetoric and Humanistic Studies. He is at present working as a graduate assistant within the Office of Communications and Marketing whereas pursuing a grasp’s diploma in Project Management.