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WW2 PHOTOS IN COLOR: Thirty-six amazing large-format Kodachromes taken for the U.S. Office of War Information in 1941-1943. More vintage photos here.

Old Reliable: 1942

June 1942. Fort Knox, Kentucky. "Infantryman with halftrack. A young soldier sights his Garand rifle like an old-timer. He likes the piece for its fine firing qualities and its rugged, dependable mechanism." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information. View full size.

June 1942. Fort Knox, Kentucky. "Infantryman with halftrack. A young soldier sights his Garand rifle like an old-timer. He likes the piece for its fine firing qualities and its rugged, dependable mechanism." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information. View full size.

 

Hollywood's Loss: 1942

June 1942. Lockheed Vega aircraft plant at Burbank, California. "Hollywood missed a good bet when they overlooked this attractive aircraft worker, who is shown checking electrical sub-assemblies." View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by David Bransby for the Office of War Information.

June 1942. Lockheed Vega aircraft plant at Burbank, California. "Hollywood missed a good bet when they overlooked this attractive aircraft worker, who is shown checking electrical sub-assemblies." View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by David Bransby for the Office of War Information.

 

B-25 Over California: 1942

October 1942. North American Aviation B-25 medium bomber 41-12823 over the mountains near Inglewood, California. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Mark Sherwood for the Office of War Information. View full size.

October 1942. North American Aviation B-25 medium bomber 41-12823 over the mountains near Inglewood, California. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Mark Sherwood for the Office of War Information. View full size.

 

Riveting: 1942

October 1942. Riveter at work on a bomber at the Consolidated Aircraft factory in Fort Worth. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Howard Hollem.

October 1942. Riveter at work on a bomber at the Consolidated Aircraft factory in Fort Worth. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Howard Hollem.

 

Ready to Roll: 1942

May 1942. Motor detachment at the New River, North Carolina, Marine base. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer, O.W.I.

May 1942. Motor detachment at the New River, North Carolina, Marine base. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer, O.W.I.

 

Inglewood: 1942

October 1942. B-25 bomber nose wheel and landing gear assembly at the North American Aviation plant in Inglewood, California. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information.

October 1942. B-25 bomber nose wheel and landing gear assembly at the North American Aviation plant in Inglewood, California. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information.

 

On the Edge: 1942

June 1942. An M-4 tank at Fort Knox, Kentucky. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information.

June 1942. An M-4 tank at Fort Knox, Kentucky. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information.

 

Miller Time: 1943

June 1943. Workers leaving the Pennsylvania shipyards at Beaumont, Texas. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by John Vachon.

June 1943. Workers leaving the Pennsylvania shipyards at Beaumont, Texas. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by John Vachon.

 

American Pineapple: 1942

November 1942. "An American pineapple, of the kind the Axis finds hard to digest, is ready to leave the hand of an infantryman in training at Fort Belvoir, Va." View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer.

November 1942. "An American pineapple, of the kind the Axis finds hard to digest, is ready to leave the hand of an infantryman in training at Fort Belvoir, Va." View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer.

 

Langley Field: 1942

July 1942. Servicing an A-20 bomber at Langley Field, Virginia. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer.

July 1942. Servicing an A-20 bomber at Langley Field, Virginia. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer.

 

Memorial Day: 1942

May 1942. Patriotic display at the Beecher Street School in Southington, Conn.  View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Fenno Jacobs.

May 1942. Patriotic display at the Beecher Street School in Southington, Conn. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Fenno Jacobs.

 

Mustang in Flight: 1942

October 1942. P-51 "Mustang" fighter in flight near the Inglewood, California, plant of North American Aviation.  4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer. View full size.

October 1942. P-51 "Mustang" fighter in flight near the Inglewood, California, plant of North American Aviation. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer. View full size.

 

Made for Each Other: 1942

Preparing a model of the B-25 bomber for the wind tunnel at North American Aviation's plant at Inglewood, California. October 1942. The model maker holds an exact miniature reproduction of the type of bomb the plane will carry. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer.

Preparing a model of the B-25 bomber for the wind tunnel at North American Aviation's plant at Inglewood, California. October 1942. The model maker holds an exact miniature reproduction of the type of bomb the plane will carry. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer.

 

Mustang by the Tail: 1942

October 1942. A painter cleans the tail section of a P-51 Mustang fighter prior to spraying with olive-drab camouflage. North American Aviation plant, Inglewood, California. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer.

October 1942. A painter cleans the tail section of a P-51 Mustang fighter prior to spraying with olive-drab camouflage. North American Aviation plant, Inglewood, California. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer.

 

War Machine: 1942

October 1942. Cowling and control rods are added to motors for B-25 bombers as they move down the assembly line at North American Aviation, Inglewood, Calif. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer.

October 1942. Cowling and control rods are added to motors for B-25 bombers as they move down the assembly line at North American Aviation, Inglewood, Calif. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer.

 

J.D. Estes: 1942

J.D. Estes at the Naval Air Base, Corpus Christi, Texas. August 1942. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Howard Hollem.

J.D. Estes at the Naval Air Base, Corpus Christi, Texas. August 1942. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Howard Hollem.

 

Muscle Shoals: 1942

Furnace man at phosphate smelter, TVA chemical plant near Muscle Shoals, Alabama. June 1942. View full size. Photograph by Alfred Palmer.

Furnace man at phosphate smelter, TVA chemical plant near Muscle Shoals, Alabama. June 1942. View full size. Photograph by Alfred Palmer.

 

A Full Tank: 1942

June 1942. M-3 tank and crew at Fort Knox, Kentucky. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information.

June 1942. M-3 tank and crew at Fort Knox, Kentucky. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information.

 
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