American Historical Ephemera and Photography

Oil on canvas of a C-54 Skymaster dropping care packages onto an Arctic base, signed by Leydenfrost at bottom right (very minor cracks and abrasions). Visible area 29 × 21 in. Frame: 32 1/4 × 24 1/4 in.

Alexander Leydenfrost was a Hungarian-American industrial designer and illustrator whose artwork during the Second World War brought the immediacy and drama of the conflict into the homes of millions of Americans. Throughout the war he produced dozens of images of American military prowess for Esquire magazine; this work was reproduced on page 133 of the December 1943 issue. The Douglas C-54 Skymaster was a transport aircraft which, like the C-47 Skytrain, was originally a civilian aircraft whose design was modified for military use. It was famous for being one of the first aircraft to carry an American president, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and served similar roles for various diplomats throughout the Second World War. After the war it was deployed for use during the Berlin Airlift, carrying food and coal supplies into West Berlin during the Soviet blockade.