Shore Leave in Central Park

A couple of young sailors making the most of their time on leave-- with girls, of course. New York City, 1943, shot by Peter Stackpole for LIFE (though apparently unpublished). 

Peter Stackpole, LIFE © Time Inc.

Source

Peter Stackpole, LIFE © Time Inc.

Source

Peter Stackpole, LIFE © Time Inc.

Source

A Proper Send-off

When a ship sets sail, it's important to say goodbye properly. And how do you do that? With streamers, of course!

George Jackman, State Library of Queensland

The Stratheden, Hamilton, Australia, 1930s-50s. Source

Sam Hood, Australian National Maritime Museum

The S. S. Ceramic, Sydney, c. 1925. Source

Sam Hood, Australian National Maritime Museum

The S. S. Ceramic, Sydney, c. 1925. Source

Home on Leave

A series of photographs following a young sailor home on his first leave. Columbus, Montana, 1942. Photos by J. R. Eyerman.

Our sailor packing up on board his ship, with crewmates watching. Source

An enthusiastic welcome home at the airport. Source

Driving with girlfriend and parents, in the days before seatbelts. Source

Our sailor shows off his new muscles to his parents. Source

Joking around on the front porch with adoring sisters. Source

Waking up in his own bed. Source

A visit to the grandparents. Source

Our sailor with his father and grandfather. Source

A luncheon held in his honour by the Columbus Civic Club. Source

Hanging out with friends (on the front porch, of course). Source

Playing in the water with girlfriend and friends. Source

Hanging out at the soda shop. Source

Visiting high school coaches. Source

Walking the dog. [if those place names mean anything to anyone, do let me know, I'd love to know where this is!]. Source

Mailing a letter (why this mailbox, who knows). Source

Helping with some machinery. Source

Hanging out with shaving friends (why not). Source

A bit of fishing (Hemingway's "Big Two-Hearted River", anyone?). Source

Quiet time with the girlfriend and radio. Source

Bugging mom and sis in the kitchen. Source

Buying movie tickets for a Yank in the RAF. Source

Dancing with the girlfriend. Source

And time in a dark car with the girlfriend... (I assume the photographer left for a bit after this ;) ). Source

Goodbyes at the end of leave. (let's hope he came home again). Source

Ships of Sail

Because we love tall ships. 

The docks at Leith, the port town of Edinburgh, Scotland, 1840s. Source

Soldiers aloft on the ship Garthsnaid, off New Zealand. 1920. Source

Ships in the South West India Docks, London, c. 1880. Source

A ship grounded on a small island off Florida following a hurricane, 1899. Source

The Discovery in Antarctica, 1901. Source

The winner of the last race of sailing ships carrying grain from Australia to the UK, c.1950. The winning time was about four months. Source

Ships on the Thames at Greenwich, c. 1890s. I love the 'ghosts' of moving people in the foreground. Source

Letters From Home

Photographs of soldiers writing letters are quite common among official photos of the First World War-- it was in the interests of officials to reassure those at home that it wasn't so bad, after all, and seeing the boys on the front writing and reading letters from home was tremendously reassuring. Soldiers did, of course, write plenty of letters...even if the worst parts were usually omitted from correspondence,  by individual choice as well as by official censorship. I find these types of photographs very moving, knowing just how much it must have meant to the poor men at the front to hear from home, and to those at home to know their loved ones were still all right, for at least another day. 

All but the last are from the World War One Official Photographs collection of the National Library of Scotland.

Officer writing on sandbags. Source

Gas sentry writing a postcard. Source

Gunners. Source

Soldiers with letters in a captured German dugout. Source

Gas sentry. Source

Source.

Scottish soldier writing on a staircase to nowhere. Source

Portuguese soldiers writing. Source

Letters in the trenches. From the Dutch National Archives. Source

Sightseeing Sailors

I'll never tire of the wonders to be found in the collections of the Library of Congress. I was looking up an unrelated photograph by photographer Esther Bubley-- and discovered what a wonderful eye she has for all sorts of apparently ordinary subjects. I found this series especially swell-- photographs of sailors and soldiers on their way through Washington DC in World War Two, taking the chance to sightsee, and naturally to take their own snapshots. The quality of these photos isn't terrific, but I feel they're endearing enough to be worthwhile nonetheless!

Taking pictures in front of the Capitol. Source

A couple sitting in front of the Capitol building. Source

Soldier taking a picture of his girlfriend in front of the National Gallery. Source

Sailors and civilians on the Capitol grounds. Source

Soldiers looking at the statue in front of the Federal Trade Commission Building. Source

Taking pictures on the Capitol lawn. Source

Sitting in the grounds of the Capitol. Source

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Soldier taking pictures of his girlfriend. Source

On the steps of... the Capitol Building? I'm not sure. Source

Sailors sitting in front of a monument. Source

Posing for a picture under the cherry blossoms. Source

A sailor at the Lincoln Memorial. Source