The Battle of Britain - St Paul’s Survives

Searching the Northwestern University Library digital collections for potential creative content, I stumbled upon an Amtrak menu dated 1976. A beautiful illustration collages the company brand colors with loosely drawn American landmarks. Immediately the composition reminded me of an iconic photograph by Herbert Mason titled ‘St Paul’s Survives’. Taken in the early hours of December 30th 1940, the scene is considered an iconic symbol of the London Blitz, St Paul’s surviving a night of bombing untouched as all the buildings surrounding were destroyed.

Even though a still image, the black-grey tones of the smoke floating creates a sense of timeless movement. Again using the transcription of Ray Harris Jr podcast The Hardest Day. I used the text to create an illusion of movement (a poem of sorts). Sitting St Paul’s among these uncontrolled marks was complicated – along with introducing silhouettes of destroyed buildings. In the end I’ve produced several versions of this composition though I don’t quite know which one I prefer?