uss texas

hi,
so this isn't really my posting, but that makes it all the better for me.

it's a bunch of really dope shots from the uss texas, a battleship that my friend doug went to visit out in, well... texas.

i'm going to give a little rundown of what in particular i dig, then doug is going to chime in and say a little something about something. it's funny, he sends me so much good shit that i never would have found myself, and somehow, some way, i always fail to say thank you.

so doug, thanks for sending this my way, and for all the other excellent little tasty bits that you've shared with me.

on to the type!

ok, so i'm a sucker for all of this old packaging and painted on hand done type.

i love how someone took the time to paint the type in the arrows in a vaguely art deco style. it truly warms my heart. and anyone who's ever read anything else on this blog knows that i'm a sucker for a beautiful script, so that hearts dice box is a thing of beauty to me. not to mention that i find it more than a little surprising to see dice and condoms and smokes so easily available on a 1940's american warship.

sort of like the ATF, you know... alcohol, tobacco and firearms.
dice, smokes and condoms... NOW we've got a party! i wonder if it's like that today?

doug, what's your favorite? did i post it?

from doug...

The Battleship Texas was built in 1912 and served in both World Wars. It's now a floating museum on the outskirts of Houston. The cigarettes and combs come from the ship's store, which they keep stocked with period pieces to give a more authentic flavor during the tours. Being a sucker for penguins, I naturally loved the Kool cartons. The condoms were on display in the medical supply room, along with a chemical prophylactic kit that was too far away to photograph well. The chemical kits involved what looked like a small tube of some gel-like substance and a needle. Not sure where you were supposed to stick it and I am not
too keen to find out.

I love all the directional arrow signs painted on the walls of the ship, though I was slightly disappointed that I never found an "UP" arrow. One of my favorites (not posted -- it's at
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/3106539434_e56643b6b3.jpg) shows the hand-painted signage directly next to stenciled lettering. "Officers' Country" refers to the front section of the lower deck, where all the officer staterooms were located.

My other favorite is the "Hand Off!" sign (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3069/3105712721_75d3bf9e96.jpg). It was done freehand, it's unusually phrased (most people just say "Hands off!", to relieve the potential offender of any doubt), and it's located right in the middle of a wall. Still, there is a nice flow to the lettering, and someone thought it was important enough to preserve it through the many, many times the interior of the ship has been repainted.

The dice game wasn't actually on the battleship. It was in a display inside the San Jacinto Monument, which is directly across from the battleship. I took the picture for both the great packaging and the fact it was manufactured in Brooklyn (right around the corner from
Hank's Saloon).