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  Trip to Cracow

  Trip to Cracow

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  Book & Painting

  Morning

  Leon Granacki’s favorite outdoor scenes were of rippling Minnesota streams, towering pine trees, and flocks of Canadian geese. His watercolors were exhibited widely and sold at local art fairs from the 1970s through 1990.

  An Artist Goes to War: Leon Granacki in the South Pacific WWII

  Like so many others who served in World War II, Leon Granacki was an ordinary guy from a working-class immigrant family drafted into the US Army and thrust into the horrors of war in the South Pacific. But through sheer luck and pluck, he leveraged his art talents to survive and thrive, catapulting himself from private infantryman to Master Sergeant and mapmaker for General MacArthur in the Americal Division’s Intelligence section. Inspired by the Southern Cross as his troop transport crossed the equator, he designed the Americal Division patch for the Army’s only named division, created in New Caledonia. Overseas for three-and-a-half years without any stateside furlough, he labored over maps of enemy positions in a primitive tent in the steamy, mosquito-infested jungles of Guadalcanal and Bougainville.

  In An Artist Goes to War, author Victoria Ann Granacki paints a portrait of her father, Leon, through his original maps, jungle watercolors, journal illustrations, scrapbook photos, and letters home to “Dear Gang”—his extended Polish American family crowded together in a Chicago “six-flat” apartment building. Despite only slyly alluding to awful conditions to evade the censors’ scissors, his indomitable optimism always comes through. The Polish-language letters directed to his beloved parents are filled with childlike tenderness as he tries to reassure them he’ll be safe. His plaintive longings for family, holidays home, fishing, and a woman to love are poignant reminders of the personal effects of war on reluctant soldiers.

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  First Mate Hat

  First Mate Hat

  The first mate’s hat, also known as the mate’s cap or officer’s cap, is a distinctive piece of headgear often associated with maritime culture and nautical fashion. It is worn by the first mate, who is the second-in-command on a ship, assisting the captain in the management and operation of the vessel.

  Similar in style to the captain’s hat, the first mate’s hat typically features a flat-topped, visorless design with a shiny black peak and a gold or silver emblem on the front. The emblem may include symbols representing maritime themes, such as crossed anchors, a ship’s wheel, or other nautical motifs. This emblem often distinguishes the first mate’s hat from other crew members’ headgear.

  The first mate plays a crucial role in ensuring the smooth operation of the ship, overseeing various duties such as navigation, crew management, and cargo handling. As such, the first mate’s hat symbolizes authority, responsibility, and leadership within the maritime hierarchy.

  In addition to its functional purpose, the first mate’s hat has also become a symbol of maritime tradition and seafaring heritage. It is often worn as part of a uniform by maritime professionals, including officers on commercial ships, naval vessels, and yachts. The hat’s distinctive appearance has also made it a popular accessory in nautical-themed fashion and costume attire.

  Overall, the first mate’s hat represents the rich history and traditions of seafaring culture, evoking images of adventure, exploration, and life at sea.

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  The Mushrooms

  Pair of custom wood side tables – “The Mushrooms.”
  Dimensions: 24×24″ tops, 22″ tall
  Tops are Honey Locust rimmed with Black Walnut. Each top also has a brass cross inlay.
  Bases are live edge trunks of White Cedar with a dark stain.

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