Published works on Nose Art

with input from Clarence Simonsen

 

This painting was created by Stan Stokes for the cover of the book "Vintage Aircraft Nose Art [Ready for Duty]" by Gary M. Valant. It was published in 1987 by Motorbooks International - ISBN 0-87938-266-X. Clarence Simonsen collaborated on this book with Gary over two years providing research and hundreds of photos.

This is a copy of the original Nose Art called “Sack Time”. The aircraft was a B-24 serial 44-50797, 308th Bomb Group.

The original Nose Art hangs in the American Airpower Heritage Museum located at Confederate Air Force Headquarters in Midland, Texas. This is the only museum in the world on Nose Art, which opened on 5 October 2001. The 33 panels located there comprise the largest collection of original Nose Art in the World.

 

 

The book featured on the cover of the 8 September 1991, Showcase magazine in The Calgary Sun (Credit – Peter Smith) was produced by Jeffrey L. Ethell and Clarence Simonsen. This hard cover edition, "The History of Aircraft Nose Art WWI to Today" was published in 1991 - ISBN 0-87938-546-4 and sold two editions (20,000 copies). This was the first book to give the history of Canadian Nose Art and one Canadian artist, Thomas Dunn

 

 

The same book was published in French in 1992. The picture to the left is the dust cover for this hard cover edition (10,000 copies).

 

The book came out in a fourth edition (soft cover) in January 2003.

 

 

Clarence has published a second book, "RAF and RCAF Aircraft Nose Art in World War II" (Vanwell Publishing) - ISBN 1-902109-20-1 published by Hikoki in October 2001. This was the first book to be completed entirely by Clarence including research, paintings and text.

The book cover idea originated in 1994, fifty years after Halifax Mk. II JD114, "Medicine Hat" was reported Missing In Action.

The aircraft and crew were lost on 19 February 1944, the 51st Operation for "Medicine Hat" which became a record for a Mk. II Halifax in No. 419 (Moose) Squadron.

The Nanton Museum in Alberta, Canada is pleased to be able to display several examples of aircraft nose art from Bomber Command aircraft. None of these pieces is actual wartime work on the original aircraft skin. Rather it is "replica" nose art, painted fairly recently but often on actual aluminum skin from a wartime aircraft. 

The majority of the museum's collection has been painted by Clarence Simonsen of Airdrie, Alberta. A member of the Nanton Lancaster Society, he is recognized as the leading authority in this area and has been researching the subject for thirty-seven years.

Note: Canada has the second largest collection of Nose Art in the world, and the largest Halifax collection.