Champions of Flight: Clayton Knight and William Heaslip: Artists Who Chronicled Aviation from the Great War to Victory in WWII - Hardcover

Fiegel, Sheryl; Hamady, Theodore

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1612007791 ISBN 13: 9781612007793

Publisher: Casemate, 2019

Synopsis

Champions of Flight celebrates the work of Clayton Joseph Knight (1891–1969) and William John Heaslip (1898–1970), the two preeminent American aviation artists of their time, as they chronicled the golden age of aviation―from Charles Lindbergh's epochal transatlantic flight through the most devastating war in world history (1927–1945).

Champions of Flight celebrates the work of Clayton Joseph Knight (1891–1969) and William John Heaslip (1898–1970), the two preeminent American aviation artists of their time, as they chronicled the golden age of aviation—from Charles Lindbergh's epochal transatlantic flight through the most devastating war in world history (1927–1945). Knight and Heaslip were experienced military men and formally trained artists who, combining an authenticity of experience and an artistic mastery of illustration, produced powerful artwork that influenced a generation of Americans, creating air-minded adults and youngsters, many of whom flocked to US military service after Pearl Harbor.

Aviation became deeply embedded into America’s culture during the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. Americans became fascinated by aviation celebrities, watched air spectacles, aviation movies and newsreels, and devoured books, aviation industry ads, magazine articles, and Sunday comics featuring pilot heroes. Artists Knight and Heaslip—both of whom were adept as draftsmen, painters and printmakers—fueled the imagination of these Americans through prolific illustrations and artwork that appeared in many diverse publications of the time. Over a period of almost twenty years, Clayton Knight and William Heaslip championed their love of flight through their art, and they did so with enthusiasm, integrity, and generosity. This book, featuring over 400 illustrations and photos, is a tribute to their legacy.

Table of Contents

Introduction by Dom Pisano, PhD, Curator Emeritus of Aviation and Popular Culture, Smithsonian Institution, National Air and Space Museum
Chapter One: Clayton Knight: The Formative Years
Chapter Two: William Heaslip: The Formative Years
Chapter Three: Boom, Bust, and Recovery
Chapter Four: Aviation Fine Art
Chapter Five: Aviation Art for America’s Youth
Chapter Six: U.S. Military and Commercial Aviation 1926-1939
Chapter Seven: A New World War on a Distant Shore
Chapter Eight: All-Out Support for the War Effort
Chapter Nine: For God and Country
Appendix

About this title

About the Author

Sheryl Fiegel is an art historian with a BA degree in Art History and an MA degree in Fine Arts (Art History) from Tufts University. She has had a varied career, including gallerist, fine art appraiser (ASA), independent curator and corporate art advisor. She served as head of the Air Force Art Collection, during which time she organized a five-day multi-service tribute to honor the combat artists who served in uniform during World War II. This was done under the auspices of the 50th Anniversary of the World War II Commemoration Committee. It was through her research on this project that Fiegel first came into contact with the work of Clayton Knight and William Heaslip. Her husband, John, is a retired Air Force officer, and her late father-in-law was the commanding officer of the 93rd Bomb Group of the Mighty Eighth Air Force during World War II. Her collection of fine art prints from World War II was recently exhibited at the Cosmos Club in Washington, DC.

Theodore Hamady holds degrees in Modern European History and Business from the University of Michigan and an MBA in International Business from George Washington University. He is a historian and published author of the highly acclaimed historical book The Nieuport 28: America’s First Fighter, reviews of which can be found at www.nieuport28.com. He has also contributed to books on aviation history and aviation art; and he has published numerous articles, one of which was named Best Article of the Year by the editors of Air Power History, published by the USAF Historical Foundation. Hamady is an avid collector of aviation art and associated memorabilia. He recently contributed artifacts and assisted in the production of the World War I American Expeditionary Forces art gallery exhibit at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum (NASM). Recognized as an “outstanding volunteer” by NASM, he is presently completing his 29th year of service there as a research historian.

Edition details

• Publisher: Casemate
• Publication date: 2019
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1612007791
• ISBN 13: 9781612007793
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 304