Actual Photographs brought back from WWI with a US sailor and found in his storage unit in Florida after his death. There are NO COPIES these are the only photos in existence 2 photos are 3×5 inches, 4 are 4×6 inches, one is 5×8. The Navy is chock full of myth and tradition, and what happens at sea even affects our language. Many naval traditions, from the Sirens and Sea Monsters of the Odyssey. To the boatswain’s call. Date back hundreds and even thousands of years. The Line Crossing Ceremony. Might just be the most interesting of today’s naval traditions. No one is really sure when or how the Line Crossing Ceremony, “Order of Neptune”. The ritual dates back at least 400 years in Western seafaring. The ceremony observes a mariner’s transformation from slimy Pollywog, a seaman who hasn’t crossed the equator, to trusty Shellback, also called a Son or Daughter of Neptune. It was a way for sailors to be tested for their seaworthiness. High ranking members of the crew and those who have been Shellbacks the longest dress up in elaborate costume and each play the part of King Neptune’s court. What proceeds is a day of festivities, which builds camaraderie among the seafaring crew. How to Perform a Line Crossing Ceremony. Goes something like this. Pollywogs entertain the royal court with a talent show. Dancing, song, skits or poetry count among the merriment. After the show, Pollywogs receive a subpoena from Davy Jones to stand before the court the next day and answer to charges brought against them by the Shellbacks. After breakfast, which is made too spicy for the Pollywogs to eat, the accused appear before King Neptune, who sits in judgment. They perform a variety of activities which might involve wearing their clothes inside out or backwards and crawling across the deck through objectionable debris, often the uneatable breakfast that was served to the Pollywogs. Next, the Pollywogs kneel before the King and kiss the royal baby’s belly, which according to some accounts is covered in grease. Lastly, the Pollywogs take a royal bath in a pool of sea water before being declared Shellbacks, after which they receive their certificates, which they can proudly hang on their wall at home. The Shellbacks plan the coming festivities, but they also spend the entire month taunting the Pollywogs until a mock mutiny is staged by them on the day before the Equator crossing Pollywog Day. Notable Line Crossing Ceremonies. On the open sea, even the leader of a great nation must answer to King Neptune. In 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, too, received a summons. To appear before the sea god and pay his respects. The charges brought against him. Disregard of the traditions of the sea. Taking liberties with the piscatorial subjects of His Majesty Neptunus Rex. In 2010, a Line Crossing Ceremony was an international affair. Sailors and Marines from the United States, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, Peru and Uruguay crossed the equator together aboard the USS New Orleans. “We have the same sort of ceremony in my country, ” said. Juan Pablo Rosato of the Argentine navy. It is interesting to see how similar our maritime cultures are to one another. I think that being able to participate in the rite of passage with another friendly navy is always an honor and it allows us to know each other better. The item “Vintage 1900 1920 US Navy ship Crossing the Equator Celebration WWI Neptune” is in sale since Wednesday, December 18, 2019. This item is in the category “Collectibles\Transportation\Boats & Ships\Military\Other Naval Collectibles”. The seller is “littledebbiesmall” and is located in New Port Richey, Florida. This item can be shipped to United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Denmark, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czech republic, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Estonia, Australia, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Slovenia, Japan, China, Sweden, South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, South africa, Thailand, Belgium, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Bahamas, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Saudi arabia, Ukraine, United arab emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Croatia, Malaysia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa rica, Panama, Trinidad and tobago, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Viet nam, Uruguay, Russian federation.