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Navy Yard, no. 6, Grinder

1942
Not on view
For the first time, in 1941, African Americans attained the right to work in defense industry jobs. Following art school, Calvin Burnett earned his living for a few years (1942–45) repairing and cleaning warships at the Boston Navy Yard where nearly 50,000 people were employed. Later, recalling his experiences there he said: "I usually worked seven days a week…[under] difficult working conditions, too hot, too heavy, too cold, outdoors in all weather and in huge and cramped broken tanks and bilges." Relying on his memory, rather than on sketches, Burnett recreated these scenes of laborers toiling on the docks and commuting to work.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Navy Yard, no. 6, Grinder
  • Artist: Calvin Burnett (American, Cambridge, Massachusetts 1921–2007 Medway, Massachusetts)
  • Date: 1942
  • Medium: Linocut
  • Dimensions: Sheet: 10 1/16 × 8 1/8 in. (25.6 × 20.6 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: Gift of Reba and Dave Williams, 1999
  • Object Number: 1999.529.19
  • Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

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Vote Victim, Calvin Burnett American, Screenprint
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Three Crippled Drunks, Calvin Burnett American, Screenprint (recto); Screenprint (verso)
Three Crippled Drunks
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Juggler, Calvin Burnett American, Etching and drypoint
Juggler
Calvin Burnett
1948
Ma Plays Bongos, Calvin Burnett American, Relief etching
Ma Plays Bongos
Calvin Burnett
1942
War Workers, no. 7, Going In, Calvin Burnett American, Linocut
War Workers, no. 7, Going In
Calvin Burnett
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