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| 01 - Eagle, Globe, and Anchor 1775-1975 |
Colonel Charles H. Waterhouse, USMCR
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Acquisition Number: 2012.1026.453
Medium: acrylic on illustration board
The eagle has long represented freedom and strength, featured in many official and unofficial American symbols. In 1782, with wings spread in flight, the bald eagle was depicted on the Great Seal of the United States. The uniforms of early Marines were embellished with a variety of symbols, including a fouled anchor (1776) and an eagle (1805). In 1868, all three elements of the eagle, globe, and anchor were prescribed in a design by 2d Lieutenant George Croghan Reid: with the eagle symbolizing the nation; the globe reminding us of the Marine Corps' readiness to serve around the world; and the anchor reminiscent of the Corps' naval traditions.
In 1955, the Marine Corps adopted the eagle, globe, and anchor, which artist Colonel Charles Waterhouse later incorporated into this work, marking 200 years of Marine Corps history. A Continental Marine with his musket at the ready is joined by a Marine armed with an M-16 rifle as they both guard the official Marine Corps symbol. This painting was published as a poster, was on the cover of Leatherneck Magazine, and inspired a life-size re-creation of the scene at the Pentagon.
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