Mail Call honors the women of the Six Triple Eight, a largely Black battalion active in England during World War II. Their mission was clearing a backlog of a million pieces of mail, delivering love and support and providing a critical boost to troop morale. 
 
This work draws from a letter that my mother (who had been studying opera) sent her older brother during World War II.  In it, she explained that Army mail regulations required her to split into two the accompanying recording of her singing “Un Bel Di” from “Madama Butterfly”.   
 
The snippet of score includes the opening notes of the aria. A striking choice of music since, as the war raged in the Pacific, the Metropolitan Opera self-censored, choosing not to stage the work because the opera showed a Japanese woman betrayed by the American man she loved and trusted.
 
While each work in the War & Peace collection juxtaposes the respect and opportunities for women during the early years of World War II with those permitted postwar, the women of the Six Triple Eight faced an additional hurdle on their return.  The ribbon encircling the soda fountain on the right and the upturned stools reference the upcoming fight for civil rights.
 
Mixed media — dollhouse miniatures, quartz, freshwater pearls, Murano glass, jasper, onyx, paper, fabric, ribbon, mirror, custom wood frame with museum glass
 
Frame color:    Black
Size in inches:     17 x 22 x 4