This vintage art deco style military naval travel poster “Trusty Shellback” is dedicated to all the hard working men and women of the US Naval and Coalition Naval forces. The Shellback Ceremony is part of a centuries old tradition that has been carried out by sailors and other maritime crew the world over. It commemorates a sailor’s first crossing of the equator and is usually accompanied by ritual and pomp. Previously inducted members of the crew are nicknamed “Trusty Shellbacks” and the inductees are nicknamed “Slimy Pollywogs” (often “wogs”). Over several days of ceremony, the wogs are subjected to any variety of initiation by the “Court of Neptune,” which is made up of Shellbacks, “Davy Jones”, “Amphitrite” (King Neptune’s Wife), “The Royal Baby” and “King Neptune”… and sometimes other members of the Royal Court. Once the wogs endure all of the initiation they are called before the Royal Court and pronounced inductees into the “Solemn Mysteries of the Ancient Order of the Deep” as a full-fledged shellback. These ceremonies are an integral part of Naval tradition and serve to boost a crew’s morale and cohesiveness. See our “Trusty Shellback” T-shirt HERE. (sold separately)
