Education
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Research
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USS Bowfin Submarine Museum maintains an extensive collection of submarine-related photographs, manuals, and monographs, covering topics such as World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, naval history, underwater archaeology, submarine design, and general submarine history. We also have a nearly complete set of World War II submarine war patrol reports, both in the original hard copy and in digital format. Each of the nearly 700 submarines commissioned by the U.S. Navy has a file in our archives.Secrets of the Sub
| Vargas Girls |
Vargas Girls
Artist Alberto Vargas became famous for his WWII watercolors depicting beautiful pin-up girls. "Varga girls" were so popular that many different artists immitated Vargas’ technique and approach to the female figure: an idealized female form eliciting sensuality and seduction. During the 1940’s his work was a hit amongst enlisted men who drew inspiration from them which inadvertently created high morale. The military was so influenced by this art that they adorned their vessels with it. Many military aircraft had Varga style girls decorating the nose of their planes, Varga girls were even printed on greeting cards and sent to enlisted men by their sweethearts. Inside the engine room aboard USS Bowfin, the crew posted a 1943 Vargas calendar, on which they doodled, wrote notes, and recorded their conquests of the sea. |
