How Dazzle Camouflage Helped Keep British and American Ships Safe in WWI

It's hard to hide a ship. But during World War I, British artist Norman Wilkinson came up with a novel way to at least disguise what ships were doing, and thus help keep them safe from German U-Boats. His idea, which paired unpredictable patterns with bright, bold colors, was called dazzle camouflage (sometimes called “razzle dazzle camouflage”). Besides making it much harder for U-Boats to aim, it had an outsized impact on art and fashion. You can learn more about the inspired (and once top-secret) camo in Vox's new video below.