BOMBER JACKETS: The Painted Jacket Art of World War II

The Military Aviation Museum announces opening of new exhibit on Nov. 18 – BOMBER JACKETS: The Painted Jacket Art of World War II

An icon of World War II, the hand-painted Bomber Jackets, known more formally as the Type A-2 Flying Jacket, are some of the most celebrated artifacts of the period. Designed at first as protective clothing for aircrews, the jackets became a status symbol, an opportunity to exercise creativity in a sea of green clothing, and a way to chronicle wartime feats of courage and bravery.

Photographer John Slemp has sought to catalog those which have survived, traveling the nation, visiting museums and attics alike. Bomber Jackets: The Painted Jacket Art of World War II represents the first time the pieces have been shown as an exhibition in a museum, and while there are more to be seen in his book, the exhibition format allows visitors to enjoy the jackets in a larger-than-life immersive space.

Join us on Saturday, November 18, 2023 for the opening of this special exhibition exploring wartime masterpieces. A member preview will be followed by general access (included with Museum Admission) to a ribbon cutting, along with remarks from the exhibition development team. The opening festivities will also include a live artist painting on a reproduction A-2 Jacket.