A gorgeous noir-like cutaway of an atomic pile by Alexander Leydenfrost. But why does the drawing look so vague and devoid of details? Partially, that was the Leydenfrost style. His Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel cutaway drawing shows that he emphasized moody shadows and light over the cool and the technical. But mainly, at the time of this… Continue reading Atomic Pile Cutaway Drawing, 1950
Category: Illustrators
Ship-Based Anti Submarine Defense Cutaway, 1950
Illustration by Ray Quigley shows an anti-sub device from 1950 termed “the hedgehog.” It lobbed multiple depth charges all at once at the presumed submarine location. Charges were slightly angled so that they would land in a spreadout, scattershot pattern, covering a wider range. Click to Enlarge to 695 x 768 px: Source: Popular Science… Continue reading Ship-Based Anti Submarine Defense Cutaway, 1950
Deep Diver “Ferry” Submarine Cutaway, 1967
A gorgeous late 1960s cutaway from Pierre Mion for the “Deep Diver,” a ferry submarine designed by Edwin A. Link and built by Perry Submarine Builders, Riviera Beach, FL. This 22-foot, 4-man craft was meant for work, not play–underwater construction or research. Interestingly, Perry Submarines is still around and making submersibles, one of which is… Continue reading Deep Diver “Ferry” Submarine Cutaway, 1967
Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel Cutaway, 1950
The Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel was new in 1950, when Alexander Leydenfrost drew this cutaway. At 9,117 feet, it is the longest continuous underwater tunnel in North America, according to Wikipedia. Click to Enlarge to 818 x 771 px: Source: Popular Mechanics May 1950
Pierre Mion: Illustrator of Many Talents
In writing about the technical/cutaway illustrators of the 20th century, I am accustomed to seeing dates of death in the 1950s and 1960s. Some, like the great Rolf Kelp, managed to live into the 1980s. Imagine my delight at seeing that Pierre Mion is still alive and quite kicking. Mion’s biography indicates that his magazine… Continue reading Pierre Mion: Illustrator of Many Talents