History with its flickering lamp stumbles along the trail of the past, trying to reconstruct its scenes, to revive its echoes, and kindle with pale gleams the passion of former days. ~Winston Churchill

04 April, 2011

Pilots of World War Two

Oh, the Library of Congress....! Always new and wonderful things to discover. My most recent discovery is their collection of colour photographs from the 1930s and World War Two (here). I always find it especially fascinating to see colour from decades when colour wasn't yet predominant; it brings it all closer, in a way. 

This selection is of pilots and student pilots in World War Two-- some of them are with the Navy or Marines  learning/teaching glider piloting (though I confess to not being sure what you would use gliders for in this context).  



Marine lieutenant pilot with plane. Source





Marine Corps lieutenant pilot with glider plane. Source


Student pilots. Source



Cadet L. Deitz of the Naval Air Force. Source




Bomber pilot captain. Source

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I find it so interesting- as you say- the different emotion or reaction that colour photographs elicit. I've often wondered what it would be like to watch video footage of the second world war in colour- if that would change the way that we perceive the conflict, or the people who were swept up in it. Black and white distances.

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