News
Family gives art treasures to museum
Monday, 18 February 2013 by Berneta Peeples
The grease pencil drawings that Harry Sweet's mother, the late Emma M. Kolius Sweet made in 1944 as a morale builder for employees at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, have found a new home. Her son, Harry Sweet, Jr., of Belton and Temple, has placed the 12 treasures with the Admiral Nimitz Museum in Fredericksurg. "They belong there" he feels.
Sweet said "I called the museum to learn if they might be interested. A museum representative was at my door the next day." Mrs. Sweet created 11 of the monthly pictures and the front cover.
Created in 1943, the 1944 calendar was created for distribution among civilian employees at Pearl Harbor Navy Yard and could be mailed to relatives and friends.
Mrs. Sweet became a Civil Service employee when her husband, Harry, was transferred from Jamaica to Hawaii.
The calendar presents scenes and people vital to the US Navy in the early 1940s and portraits of commanders at Pearl. The calendar cover depicts an aircraft carrier, based on the USS Enterprise. The portrait of Admiral Chester William Nimitz draws special attention. Every picture painted had to be approved by the Admiral's office.
Mrs. Sweet presented the portrait. An aide said the eyes see to the right and to redo them. Mrs.Sweet sharpened a grease pencil to a tiny point and touched a point to the darkest area of the left eye. An hour later the aide pronounced the portrait "perfect."
Each picture portrays a vital area of the WWII War effort, but not one portrays any real information concerning any real place
January carries that redone face of Admiral Nimitz. February the portrait of Admiral William E. "Bull" Halsey. March features the periscope of submarine, April a cartoon of the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard with not a real location in it and June features the crane that moved all the heavy equipment around.
July flies the 48-star American flag, August a conglomeration of "Articles of Defense."
September is the universal favorite - six pretty girls representing the people that made Pearl Harbor run. They are Chinese, Hoali or Mainlander, Korean, Portuguese, Hawaiian and Filipino.
September is Pineapples, representing all types of transportation. November is a launch of an aircraft carrier and December features the traditional palm trees at sunset.
A native of Fort Worth Mrs. Sweet taught art at Sacred Academy in Wichita Falls.
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