Large WWII Pacific Theater 380th Bomb Group Photo Album with over 70 Nose Art Photographs

A truly extraordinary World War II photograph album that was assembled by an airman of the 380th Bombardment Group who served 3 years overseas during the war. The photograph album is approximately 10 1/4 inches by 12 3/4 inches by 1 1/2 inches thick. The album contains approximately 324 photographs, of which approximately 78 are images of nose art of the bombers of the 380th Bombardment Group. Most of these nose art photos depict classic pin-up artwork, including such famous names as “Sleepy Time Gal”. There are also some comical examples of nose art such as “What’s Up, Doc?”, featuring Bugs Bunny, and “Sad Sack”, with the well known pathetic G.I. of the same name. The album also includes an almost unique photograph of bomber nose art in the process of being painted on the bomber, with a caption which identifies the painter as “Hafner the Artist” (the website of the 380th Bombardment Group identifies this man as Raymond A, Hafner of Rochester, New York. He was an armorer in the group and he was the individual who painted the Group’s nose art). The album also includes a candid photograph of General Douglas MacArthur sitting in a jeep, wearing his iconic embroidered cap and with a pipe in his mouth. The caption of that photograph reads “Dugout Doug”. There are also several photographs of paratroopers making an airborne parachute drop; a photograph of Japanese soldiers, holding their swords, and with a caption identifying the source of the image as “Captured film on Jap and developed”; an aerial photograph which shows a number of railroad freight cars on a railroad siding with Red Crosses marked on their roofs and a caption which reads “Jap [railroad] cars full of ammunition. Note deceiving Red Cross on top of cars”; photos of a USO show, which include Jack Benny and Eddie Cantor; and, or course, numerous photographs of pretty young women, including one who is featured in a number of “pin-up”style photos and who was presumably the girlfriend of the airman who assembled the album. The album also includes a few commercially produced, colorized photographs as well as a signature page with the names and addresses of men in the unit. Presumably the airman who assembled the album was an aircraft armorer, for the album includes the Army Air Force uniform “Armorer” sleeve insignia, as well as a photograph of the interior of the armorer shop. In that photo there can be seen a number of examples of pin up artwork, almost certainly done by armorer Raymond Hafner as studies for future nose art. The cover of the album has affixed to it the shoulder patch of the Army Air Force. The pages of the album are intact, and the paper is of a relatively better quality which has not decayed and chipped as so often is seen in period photo albums. Overall the album is in excellent condition, and it constitutes a unique document that extensively illustrates one of the most famous facets of the Second World War: the pin-up nose art that adorned the American bombers of the Army Air Force.