Mr. Charles Bittinger

Summary

Image of Charles Bittinger, official artist for the 1937 National Geographic Society-U.S. Navy expedition to Canton Island and for Operation Crossroads in 1946, is seated and wearing a white suit.

Subject

Bittinger, Charles 1879-1970

Category

Historic Images of the Smithsonian

Notes

• This image was taken by Ruel P. Tolman, former Director of Smithsonian National Collection of Fine Arts and is included in a scrapbook of photographs of Smithsonian staff, grounds and buildings, exhibitions, and Washington, D.C. scenes (Section B).
• Charles Bittinger was an American artist who explored the use of scientific techniques for artistic purposes. He studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and l'Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. Bittinger worked as a camouflage painter in both world wars. He was the official artist for the 1937 National Geographic Society-United States Navy expedition to Canton Island and in 1946 was invited by the United States Navy to witness and to paint the first atomic explosions at the Bikini Atoll (Operation Crossroads), Marshall Islands..
• See Negative Numbers SIA2011-0256 and SIA2011-0258 for additional images of Bittinger.

Contained within

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 7433, Box 3, Folder: Scrapbook A-N

Contact information

Institutional History Division, Smithsonian Archives, 600 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20024-2520, SIHistory@si.edu

Date

c. 1935

Restrictions & Rights

No restrictions

Topic

• Art
• Artists
• Art--American

Form/Genre

• Photographic print
• Person, candid

ID Number

SIA2011-0257

Physical description

Number of Images: 1; Color: Black and White; Size: 2.5w x 2.5h; Type of Image: Person, candid; Medium: Photographic print

Full Record

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