The Snapshots in Time Collection

Saul Steinberg Cartoon Depicting a China-Burma-India Theater Street Scene with American 'Blood Chit'

Saul Steinberg Cartoon Depicting a China-Burma-India Theater Street Scene with American 'Blood Chit'

This is a printed pen-and-ink cartoon signed 'Steinberg,' likely the work of artist Saul Steinberg, who documented scenes from the China-Burma-India Theater during World War II. It depicts a Chinese street scene populated with soldiers, civilians, and an American serviceman whose jacket bears a 'blood chit' -- a cloth patch printed with the Nationalist Chinese flag and identifying text that asked local civilians to protect and assist Allied airmen operating behind Japanese lines. Included in a personal CBI Theater archive, the image reflects the wartime visual culture and artist reportage that accompanied American operations in China. Project: 218374