During their service on Intrepid sailors liked to express themselves in unexpected ways, sometimes going to great lengths to decorate their spaces in the ship itself. There are numerous examples of drawings or paintings done by sailors throughout the ship. Many of these examples likely date from the 1970s. Nature scenes, like this window, feature heavily in sailor art.
This painting, found in the V-2 Division Office on the Gallery Deck, is of the V-2 Division’s duck mascot and motto. Their green jersey and helmet would have identified them as flight deck crew that maintained and operated the catapult launching and arresting gear a position that required you to be bold.
These decorative red stripes on the ship’s pipes in this compartment mimic barber shop poles allowing one to realize that this compartment was a Wardroom Barbershop for Officers on the Main Deck.
Intrepid has always been a busy place, with coffee being a popular theme. The firerooms, where this Goofy cartoon is, were constantly working to propel Intrepid around the world.
Cartoon characters are a recurring theme in sailor art. The road runner was a popular choice since on board Intrepid everything needed to be done fast!
This sailor art incorporated many elements in this multicolored psychedelic bunk painting including cartoon characters, pink lips, and rainbow ribbons.
Fo’c’sle: Two examples of sailor art are visible in this image from the fo’c’sle next to the anchor chain, a Roadrunner cartoon, and an anchor against the bulkhead. Both are covered with a protective cover and frame to keep them safe. There are other examples visible to visitors in the fo’c’sle and the nearby junior officer bunkroom, can you find them?
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