12/09/2023
Go Army beat Navy!
It's Week at the West Point Museum! Leading up to the Army-Navy football game this year. We enjoy sharing pictures and histories of artifacts in our collection relating to the greatest rivalry in military sports.
We begin with this painting, “Sink the Navy” by Albert W. Hampson. Starting in 1934, Hampson designed 13 covers for the Saturday Evening Post. This painting was used on the cover of the November 30, 1935 issue of the magazine, which came out on the day of the annual Army-Navy football game. Paying homage to the proud tradition of rival teams pranking their opponents’ mascots, this painting features three annoyed United States Naval Academy midshipmen on their way to clean graffiti from the coat of the USNA mascot, Bill the Goat. The Navy has gone through a number of Bills since adopting the goat as a mascot in 1904, and several have run afoul of West Point pranksters.
Army won the 1935 game 28-6.