Original U.S. WWII Handmade Wooden Models of the USS Chicago Cruiser & USS Lexington Aircraft Carrier Made by Steve Petitte
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Original Items. One-of-a-Kind. This is a stunning set of wooden ship models hand-carved and painted by Mr. Steve Petitte of Spring Valley, Illinois. The models were meticulously put-together and great care was taken in painting each piece. The ships are the USS Chicago (CA-29) and the USS Lexington (CV-16), both of which saw extensive service during World War II. The Chicago has some extensive damage, but the broken pieces are included in a small bag, so it could certainly be restored. The Lexington has some less serious damage, with just some of the planes on the carrier broken off and in the bag. It’s likely that not every piece of the ships are in the bag, but there should be enough to get them close to their original look.
The bottom of the Lexington has an intact tag naming the maker:
Mr. Steve Petitte
℅ St. Margarets Hospital
Spring Valley, Illinois
The Chicago shows remnants of the same note on its bottom, but most of it has worn away. In our research, we found a Stephen J. Petitti who was born in Italy in 1898, immigrated to the United States, and lived in Spring Valley, Illinois for the rest of his life. Early documents show his name as Petitte, but we are not certain that he is the artist.
The Chicago measures 15¾ x 2½ x 3¼”, but will be taller with the broken pieces glued back on. We aren’t sure if all pieces are retained, but there should be enough to make it more presentable. There are some other pieces which are close to breaking, but should look fine for display. This ship still retains both of the boards at the bottom which keep it steady.
The Lexington measures roughly 16½ x 3 x 5¾” and is in much better condition, with 11 complete aircraft still glued to the deck, with 11-13 either broken or missing. The towers are well-retained and the sides of the ship still look great. The two boards at the bottom are partially broken off, but the ship should still sit steadily without issue.
This is a really tremendous set of handmade models, ready for restoration and display.
USS Chicago (CL/CA-29) was a Northampton-class cruiser of the United States Navy that served in the Pacific Theater in the early years of World War II. She was the second US Navy ship to be named after the city of Chicago. After surviving a midget submarine attack at Sydney Harbour and serving in battle at the Coral Sea and Savo Island in 1942, she was sunk by Japanese aerial torpedoes in the Battle of Rennell Island, in the Solomon Islands, on 30 January 1943.
USS Lexington (CV/CVA/CVS/CVT/AVT-16) is an Essex-class aircraft carrier built during World War II for the United States Navy. Originally intended to be named Cabot, the new aircraft carrier was renamed while under construction to commemorate the recently-lost USS Lexington (CV-2), becoming the sixth U.S. Navy ship to bear the name in honor of the Battle of Lexington. Lexington was commissioned in February 1943 and saw extensive service through the Pacific War. For much of her service, she acted as the flagship for Admiral Marc Mitscher, and led the Fast Carrier Task Force through their battles across the Pacific. She was the recipient of 11 battle stars and the Presidential Unit Citation.
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