Small 1925 Watercolor of USS Billingsley (DD-293) With Related Items

Small 1925 Watercolor of USS Billingsley (DD-293) With Related Items. A Clemson-class destroyer commissioned on March 1, 1920.  The watercolor appears to be done on artist paper, and in its original framing. The Billingsley is fighting huge waves in this Atlantlc scene, and for a small painting the detail is quite good for this 4 stack destroyer.  Other accounts I have read about this destroyers was how much that got beaten up in strong waves and storms.  Billingsley cruised the American coast, and spent time in the Atlantic, European, and Mediterranean waters until de-commissioned in 1930.

Size is 8.5 inches by 5 inches (sight), and overall 11.5 x 8.  Signed (as best I can make out) “J. SEITS / GROT  SKAVOH / 1925.”  The tag on the back of the frame does indicate that the artist was from “Grarosa, Yugoslav(ia) / Early fall 1924.”  The painting was the property, and likely painted for Lieutenant R. Strite, USN.  Added to the backside is a 5×7 photo of officers on USS Husser, February 1924. The small snapshots are of officers on the USS Billingsley; 1st “Bob Strite & Jimmie Donaldson, and the 2nd is Rosencamp and Donaldson, both dated 1924-25.

The letter with cover, written on stationary of the Royal Danish Navy containing the letter of a captain to Lieutenant & Mrs. strite in 1938, and a snap shot of the HMS Niels Juel, a 1914 training cruiser, modernized before WWII, later captured and used by the Germans until scuttled in May of 1945. The Christmas card /letter indicated these officers met during the maneuvers at Copenhagen.

Great little piece of naval art, with officer association.