Evening star., 1945-12-23
Pearl Harbor to Tokyo
In Phofosrabhs

Pe0rI Har60r 10 ORy0
In Photographs
Here is the war in the Western
seas and here are the men who
fight it," says the opening an
nouncement of Naval Power in the
Pacific" a Photographic record OF
the United States Navy's progress
from Pearl Harbor to Tokyo Har-
Dor, .on view at the Corcoran Gal
lery of Art through next Saturday.
This collection of combat photo
graphs was compiled by Capt. Ed
ward J. Steichen, U. S. N. R., and
furnished by the Navy to the Mu-
scum of Modern Art Of New York,
which prepared them for travel
| ing exhibition to be shown In prin-
cipal cities Of the United States.
About 80 new photographs were
added to the display when it opened
here, in order to bring it up to
date. The collection now COM
prises nearly 100 of the best photo
graphs of the war in the Pacific,
taken by Navy, Marine Corps and
Coast Guard combat photograph
erS.
Capt. Steichen, who was at the
Corcoran Gallery for the opening
of this exhibition, is himself an
outstanding photographer, who has
been serving in an official capacity
in his second war. During World
War I he was the chief of the
Aerial Photographic Service for the
A.E.F. He made his home in France
for some years thereafter. ID,
Var Photography
4 Photographs have an indispensable
place in the records of this and
earlier wars. But it is interesting
to reflect that although the In
7 vention Of photography is consid.
cred by many persons In the ART
field to have dealt a body blow tc
; painting of an illustrative, natural.
tstic type, examples of the latter
have been produced more extensive.
ly In the war just over than in any
) iprevious conflict.
In addition to the combat pho
tographers of the services, who took
these Naval Power" photographs
combat artists were appointed by
the same branches of the service
The first 10 days of the present
: show coincided with the last days
of 1t. Mitchell Jamieson's exhibi-
tion of paintings and drawings OF
battle areas in the Pacific and Eu.
rope. The two shows, across the
atrium from each other, afforded
vivid illustration of the respective
excellences of the two media.
The major impression this re.
viewer received, however, was thai
the paintings and drawings were
far more varied and arresting, gen.
orally speaking, than the photo.
graphs. The artist, although sketch.
ing from nature, was able to choose
what he thought most effective anc
to eliminate details which clutterec
the scene and lessened its impact
whereas the photographer had tt
accept" whatever came withir
the range of his camera.
Outstanding Examples
This writer found the simples
photographs the most effective item.
In the exhibition. Outstanding /.
one called Navy Fledglings"-a yer.
liable sea of boys laughing faces
illuminated against a dark back.
ground. "Seabees at Holy Services
is excellent, too, with a single ef
feet. The boys, heads bowed ane
; eyes closed, are seated on sandbag.
in canvas chapel; a strong con.
traSt has been secured between thu
authentic religious spirit in the
young worshippers, and the make.
shift character of their setting.
| The photographers have caught
a number of incidents of human in.
|. terest, involving only two or three
figures; tired Marine and his do,
sleeping on a bed of rocks, anc
"Leathernecks and a Native Bo,
) Share Foxhole in Okinawa" Ont
simple photograph of stark TRACED,
is that entitled Battle Station"
. OF the many scenes of aircraft
. submarines, f1at-tops, battle ship
/. and what not, the majority are in
j, teresting primarily as documents
, A smaller number have an additiona
!. pictorial appeal-such photograph
S as "Aleutian PATROL" depicting tw,
5 dark ships on a night sea, illumin
: ated by large cloud-crossed moon
and "SB2C's Circle Carried TO
/ Landing" on beautiful sunny sea
+ The transfer of wounded from tn
I Bunker Hill to the Wilkes-Barr
is dramatically impressive.
r Two photographs of Kwajaleir
3 before and after bombing, present
|, shocking contrast. No painter coull
. equal the camera for such detaile,
! panoramas.
\ Photography
, Fellowship
: The Museum of Modern Art an
D nounces what is, so far as is known
the first fellowship devoted ex
n clusively to photography. It wi
t consist of $1,000 to be awarded up
6 on applications sumbitted befor
February l, 1916. The FELLOWSHIP
: is given to enable the succeSsfu
: candidate to carry out an oripina