Figurative bronze sculpture by Ed Hamilton

Paintings from the War At Sea series

His first series, the War in the Atlantic, took seven years to complete and consisted of 84 paintings. Rather than produce a one sided view, he was determined to create as accurate account as possible, showing the triumphs and failures of both sides. He talked to veterans and visited archives in England, Germany and later Japan, often changing pictures many times based on his discussions with eye witnesses. For a long time this series hung in the Imperial War Museum, London, aboard H.M.S. Belfast. It is now housed at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London.

The War in the Pacific, completed 5 years later, was an even greater project, consisting of over 120 paintings ranging in size from 24" x 36" to 40" x 60". The collection was bought by the US Navy and hung in the corridors of The Pentagon, Washington.

176 of the 204 paintings from the two series form the basis of his book The War at Sea 1939-45 (ISBN 0-7137-1660-6) which has become a collector's item.