Open by appointment only. Call us at (619) 692-3566

Post WW2 US Airforce Pilot Hand Drawn Art "Ace of the Base" Cartoon USS Leyte

$440.00
Shipping calculated at checkout.
We are offering...

A post WW2 original hand drawn cartoon of an American Airforce Pilot,
with the text reading: "Ace of the Base SEZ...". This whimsical drawing portrays 
a pilot smoking with a big smile and red eyes. He is wearing a flight cap
with the words up and down written on either side, with directional arrows. 
His wrist cuffs also have the words right and left with arrows. 

His uniform has some patches and a medal. One patch reads "Ace of the Base". 
Another reads "Buz (Cdr) Sawyer Club" in reference to the cartoon character
Buz Sawyer. His belt buckle reads "USS Leyte" . A badge on his chest reads "zoom"
and has a small jet on it. 

He is standing with a string attached to a blimp in the background.
In the background are three fighter jets. The text at the bottom reads:
"Ace if the Base SEZ...". There is an empty speech bubble next to his face. 

USS Leyte (CV/CVA/CVS-32, AVT-10) was one of 24 Essex-class aircraft carriers 
built during and shortly after World War II for the United States Navy. The ship was
the third US Navy ship to bear the name. Leyte was commissioned in April 1946, 
too late to serve in World War II. She spent most of her career in the Atlantic, Caribbean, 
and Mediterranean, but also saw service in the Korean War, in which she earned 
two battle stars. She was reclassified in the early 1950s as an attack carrier (CVA), 
then as an Antisubmarine Aircraft Carrier (CVS), and finally (after inactivation) as an aircraft transport (AVT).

Unlike most of her sister ships, Leyte received no major modernizations, 
and thus throughout her career retained the classic appearance of a 
World War II Essex-class ship. She was decommissioned in 1959 and sold for scrap in 1970.

This drawing is done in colored pencil, and graphite and is on artist drawing paper. 
The frame has a sticker on the back for Alves Photo Finishing Service in Massachusetts.
The drawing sits behind glass in a black frame. 

Condition:
There is a slight tear next to the right ear flap of the flight cap, it is almost unnoticeable. 
On the "ace" on the bottom  is a small tear as well. 
This paper was extended on the left side to create more room for the drawing. 

Approx. Dimensions:

Frame Height: 20"
Frame Width: 16" 

Image Height: 19"
Image Width: 15"                     LOC. F               ID: 135