In 1941, Karl Schmidt was a USN Commander stationed at Pearl Harbor, assigned officer housing on Ford Island. On December 7th, the attack on the Arizona was just steps from his front door.

During his naval career, he painted when he found time. We speculate this painting of Diamond Head was done prior to the attack, as he would not have had the time or inclination to do it afterward. Although the geological feature Diamond Head is still pretty much the same, this painting shows Diamond Head before high rise hotels, condos and throngs of vacationers.