Vintage wartime technology illustrations
February 27, 2005 10:53 AM   Subscribe

Unusual technical images of equipment used in World War II - vintage public information illustrations from the pre-computer graphics era.
posted by madamjujujive (16 comments total) 4 users marked this as a favorite
 
Great post. It's sobering to see (once again) how much the world has changed since the decade before I was born...
posted by 327.ca at 11:12 AM on February 27, 2005


Fascinating. This is the sort of thing that made me fall in love with these Internets in the first place.
posted by adgnyc at 11:16 AM on February 27, 2005


Excellent! Much thanks madamjujujive.
posted by Steve_at_Linnwood at 11:23 AM on February 27, 2005


What's supposed to be so unusual about these images? I can walk through the stacks of Iowa State University and find thousands of books full of similiar images.
posted by berek at 2:00 PM on February 27, 2005


There are two scans referring to"Armour on a Battleship." The first one is actually what the US Navy called a cruiser (as does the caption in the book). Did the British apply "battleship" more generally?

Thousands of books full of similar images, berek? Somehow, I think that's an exaggeration.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 2:22 PM on February 27, 2005


Cool...I was just thinking about the legendary Bren light machine gun this morning. I've handled one at a an air show that featured WW II static displays of infantry equipment, armor, etc. and can't believe British paratroopers used to jump out of airplanes carrying these immense things.
posted by alumshubby at 2:26 PM on February 27, 2005


I can walk through the stacks of Iowa State University and find thousands of books full of similiar images.

you may find this rather stunning, most of us are not you.
posted by quonsar at 3:11 PM on February 27, 2005


you may find this rather stunning, but most of us are not you.
posted by quonsar at 3:12 PM on February 27, 2005


Yes, berek, but now you can enjoy these images while clothed only in your underpants! Aint't the internets grand?
posted by madamjujujive at 3:53 PM on February 27, 2005


yes! allow your pantsfish to breathe a little!
posted by quonsar at 3:56 PM on February 27, 2005


I can walk through the stacks of Iowa State University and find thousands of books full of similiar images.

Awesome! Next time you're online, could you please post them?
posted by 327.ca at 4:54 PM on February 27, 2005


There are two scans referring to "Armour on a Battleship." The first one is actually what the US Navy called a cruiser (as does the caption in the book). Did the British apply "battleship" more generally?

I think it's just sloppy civvie usage. The pictured ship HMS Ajax is a light cruiser in Royal Navy parlance as well. With a displacement of 7000 tons, it's a third the size of its predecessor HMS Ajax, which was a true battleship of 23000 tons displacement. The only difference is that the Royal Navy termed its modern battleships "dreadnoughts"; since there wasn't an actual battleship class, the word may have taken on a broader meaning.

Today, of course, there are no active battleships in any navy.

I love these; cutaway drawings seem to reflect an era when having this kind of broad mechanical knowledge was important. Today, so many devices resist this sort of learning by burying functionality in electronics.
posted by dhartung at 8:40 PM on February 27, 2005


Great stuff, thanks!
posted by .kobayashi. at 9:31 PM on February 27, 2005


What's supposed to be so unusual about these images?

It's an organized collection focused about a coherent theme - public information leaflets sent by the government and others to the relatives of those in the armed services, presumably in order to reassure them in some way; although I'm not sure if The Size of Bombs is reassuring or not ... Thanks once again, mjjj!
posted by carter at 7:42 AM on February 28, 2005


Great post! Thanks!
posted by dazed_one at 10:18 AM on March 1, 2005


This reminds me a great deal of some of the Home Guard instruction manuals my grandfather owned - I was the only 8 year old on my street who knew how to field strip a water-cooled Vickers gun.

Also reminds me of COMBATO! featuring Bill Underwood instructing the citizens of England how to manhandle the evil boche.
posted by longbaugh at 10:31 AM on March 1, 2005


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