Portsmouth Peace Treaty Emblem Symbolizes Treaty Influences

Powerful Graphic Created by Richard Haynes, Jr.

Portsmouth NH -- The symbol of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty created by Richard Haynes, Jr. for the 100th anniversary remains as a graphic representation of the elements at play in Portsmouth in 1905. Richard Haynes, Jr., the Seacoast visual storyteller who was named the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts Artist Fellow in 2003, created the design: a large dove bearing an olive branch, superimposed on the North Church bell tower and on the Russian and Japanese flags. It is an immediate and evocative symbol of the peace that was produced. But there are many subtleties incorporated in the image as well:

·             The flags are of equal size and rendered in their modern designs to suggest the enduring peace that lasted from the Treaty signing in 1905 through World War II, up to the last moments of the conflict in 1945.

·             The North Church tower is the symbol of Portsmouth -- even an icon of New Hampshire. In the design, the church tower contains a noticeable bell -- the bell that everyone in Portsmouth heard ringing on August 29th, 1905 when the news that peace had been achieved was announced. That bell rang again for 30 minutes on September 5th echoing the salute started at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard when the Treaty signing concluded at 3:47 pm. Each year, at the same moment on that date, a bell-ringing commemorates the signing. The tower and its bell symbolize the community within hearing of the bell, and the bells in steeples throughout the Seacoast that rang in answer to the news of peace.

·             The bell and the dove are gray -- US Navy battleship gray, specifically -- the bell, because the news of Peace and the Treaty signing were conveyed from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (where the Conference was formally conducted) to the churches; the dove, because President Theodore Roosevelt entrusted the security and protocol of the Peace conference to the Navy and the Shipyard.

·             In the dove's beak, representing Theodore Roosevelt, is an olive branch instead of a “Big Stick.” Many, including Henry Kissinger, consider Roosevelt to have been one of America's best diplomats; and TR was one of only three American Presidents to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Richard Haynes commented that he deliberately made the dove 'touch' every element of the design because he believes a spiritual element touched each participant in the peace conference -- the Russians, the Japanese, the Navy and the community under the steeple. “I don't know if they understood what was happening but if they had not had a spirit in their hearts, it would have taken another 100 years to accomplish their work,” he said. “I have approached every piece of art I have done for that past 16 years since I came to Portsmouth with a spiritual sense. The Zen Masters honor the 'I, who is awake' and that is what the true artist is, someone who is awake and observes when no one else is watching.”

High quality, artist's proof prints of the design are being sold to support ongoing research and documentation of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty history. For information, visit www.portsmouthpeacetreaty.com                             ###