‘The air bites shrewdly; it is very cold.’
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
The bone-numbing cold labor of Bluejackets in an Alaskan winter is aptly conveyed in “Scene Onboard Ship,” a 1943 watercolor by illustrator and muralist Edward T. Grigware (1889–1960).
A successful illustrator before the war, he worked for the Navy’s recruiting section and was assigned to cover life in Alaska. He also worked from the USS Enterprise (CV-6), and some of his work was featured in LIFE magazine.
This and other photographs and artwork are available as prints through the Naval Institute Photo Archive. You may place orders or leave messages 24 hours a day at 1-800-233-8764, contact [email protected], or visit our website, www.usni.org.