Page 1533 - Dive the Seas and More-2
P. 1533
FRANKO’S MAP OF PEARL It took almost a year of intermittent
HARBOR, OAHU pondering and thinking about it, plus tons
of reading about the history of Pearl
Aloha! In May of 2005 Franko's Map of Harbor before I felt up to even beginning.
Pearl Harbor was an idea in which side In March of 2006 I began to put my Pearl
one of the map would be a historical Harbor map ideas on paper. Well, really I
account of what happened at Pearl Harbor put my ideas onto my pc, which is a lot
when the Japanese Empire attacked on faster and easier than paper, which is
December 7, 1941, and side two would be fortunate because I knew the task was
a present day view of Pearl Harbor and going to be absolutely daunting. Because
what there is to see and do there. Side 1, the story of Pearl Harbor is so compelling,
would be depicted in sepia colors (similar as I got into the creation of Franko's Map
to plain black and white, but neither black of Pearl Harbor I revved up my mind and
nor white, but rather like a 1941 wrapped myself into this like no other
newspaper's color). Side 2 would be in project in my life. I worked for weeks,
full, Hawaiian color, much like most of often in excess of 15 hours per day,
Franko's maps of the Hawaiian Islands. usually 7 days per week. I just couldn't
However, since Pearl Harbor has such an help it! I had a story to tell and a unique
important place in American history, and way to tell it. I didn't have time to even
since the site and its heroes who died there mow the lawn or take out the trash. I even
on that day are so revered by all forgot to eat at times! After a month of
Americans, the idea was to produce a intense effort I printed out a prototype
most complete, compelling and respectful map and sent it plus an email image to
map rendering of this “Day of Infamy,” Hawaii for checking and approval. I had
December 7, 1941. With so much of a drawn and documented the historical day
story to tell - like a book on a map - and of December 7, 1941, including the story
with so much respect and aloha deserved, of why Japan attacked, how its fleet
the undertaking required an enormous approached north of Hawaii, and how its
amount of study and deep thought. waves of attack planes swarmed over and
Because of these factors and the surprised America's unsuspecting Air
complexity of the attack and the attack site Force and Navy. The devastation of the
at Pearl Harbor and around Oahu, this attack was depicted with genuine photos
map also took more intense work than any from the attack, which are widely used in
other Franko Map in to date. In fact, post cards and books, but which were laid
unless I find some other equally important out to summarize the effect of the sneak
and compelling story to tell with a map, I attack.
don't think I can ever work that hard
again! But I loved it! However, although I was already frazzled
from the effort, I still had one huge hurdle
to get over before this map would work,
