From collection Kosti Ruohomaa Collection
LB2017.19.13189
One of the triptychs made to send to troops overseas features a scroll and gilt lions of Judah. This is very similar to another made by Hildreth Meier and gilded by Louis Ross. Kosti Ruohomaa photographed artists working on triptychs for servicemen abroad in February of 1944. He wrote up a pitch for an article entitled, “Triptychs for the Fighting Forces” “Ideas for the designs of these portable altar-pieces come from the servicemen themselves after conferring with their chaplains. Application is made to the Citizens Committee for the Army and Navy, which is headed by Mrs. J. P. Morgan, who then commissions the artists and sends the finished product to the camp, ship, or fighting front, which has put in the request. Alaska, Midway, Sicily, Trinidad, Persia, Iceland, Newfoundland, Canada, are but [a] few of the locales outside of the country which have asked for and received triptychs. They are also carried by battle-ships, [and] troop-ships, and are placed in Army and Navy hospitals.” (From Kosti Ruohomaa’s notes)
