Author: portraitsofwar

102nd Field Artillery Band Members in France (26th Division)

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The bulk of my collection has been culled from endless pages of ebay listings, but I occasionally have the opportunity to discover hidden gems at flea markets and trade shows.  Today I attended a Antiquarian Book and Ephemera show at the Sheraton in South Burlington, VT.  I attached a link below to help plug this great organization.  Anyway, I eagerly searched through thousands of postcards and photos looking for military related images.  I saw a few overprices Civil War images, and a number of lack luster WWII photos.  My WWI radar was in full swing and I left with a handful of great images.  Please enjoy reading about my favorite find!

This wonderful image depicts two band members of the 102nd Field Artillery of the 26th Division.   Taken in France in 1918, this RPPC (real photo postcard) has everything going for it.  The two doughboys are wearing French style caps with unit designation affixed.  Their collar discs are a mix of MASS National Guard insignia and 102nd Field Artillery band discs.  The details on the M1911 pistol grips is superb.  Even the embossed leather US is visible on the holster.

Vermont Antiquarian Booksellers Association Website

Check it out!

http://www.vermontisbookcountry.com/

Civil War 150th Anniversary Posting – 6th Vermont Surgeon Edwin Phillips

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Just in time for the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War!  One of my favorite Civil War portrait photos comes from a pawn shop in Shelburne Vermont.

After purchasing the image, I went on a rampage of research and documentation to figure out who this fella’ was.  Turns out he was a prominent surgeon in the 6th Vermont during the war.  I still have more reading and writing to do on this piece, but I wanted to post it as a kick-off for the 150 year celebration of the Civil War.

More to come…………………………….

Operation Crossroads – Post-WWII Color Slide Photo – QB-17 Drone Plane at Roswell, New Mexico

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Color war photos are one of my favorite forms of amateur photography.  The history behind each image is intensified when documented in color, allowing the historian to glean historical details not visible in B/W photography.  One such image can be found below, from my collection of images taken in Roswell New Mexico right after WWII.  The photos were taken by a member of the 509th Composite Group.  The unit was responsible for dealing with the atomic weapons of WWII and also dropped a bomb on the Bikini Atoll in 1946.

The QB-17 shown below is possibly one of the first handful of B-17’s outfitted to fly unmanned.  This plane was used to fly through an atomic cloud and collect important radiation data.  These data were later used to test for radiation fallout numbers.  I’ve only personally seen two other color images of a QB-17 painted in this scheme.  What an important resource for historians, hobbyists, and vintage photography collectors!

Front Page of Drone Unit History

Back Cover of Drone Unit History

Wartime Photo of Lee Marvin – American Actor and Grade A Badass

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Lee Marvin is hands down one of the greatest action movie stars of the post-WWII generation.  Starring in such films as Attack, The Killers, The Professionals, The Dirty Dozen, Hell in the Pacific, The Professionals, The Iceman Cometh, and The Delta Force, Lee Marvin was a true action star.

The attached photograph was purchased directly from the son of a 4th Marine veteran who served with Marvin during WWII.  Lee was a combat sniper with I Company, 24th Marines, 4th Marine Division and was wounded in action on Saipan.  He received the Purple Heart for his wounds.  References say that he was one of only 9 survivors of a Japanese attack on his unit http://www.jodavidsmeyer.com/combat/military/lee_marvin.htm.  Outside of personal photographs, this is one of less than a handful (literally 3) wartime photographs of Marvin available for view on the internet.

I hope you enjoy.  This is one of my favorite WWII film actors, and now a part of my collection! 

A nice close up of Marvin – check google images for other shots of him…………..Keep in mind he was only 17 or 18 when this photo was taken.

A few formal portraits I found on the web:

Lee Marvin Formal Portrait Photo

Source: http://www.bongoludo.com/war-stories/

Lee Marvin’s War Record Mug Shot

Hand Tinted Beauty w/ Sweetheart Jewelry

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Hand tinted photos normally are poorly done with little attention to detail.  This hand tinted portrait photo was masterfully created with crisp detail to the pins and bracelets.  The small pin on the girls lapel is known as a son-in-service pin and was normally worn by family members who had relatives, specifically brothers and sons, who were serving in the armed forces.  She is also wearing a son-in-service bracelet, and a “stretchy” heart bracelet, possibly from a boyfriend?  Who knows?  A real gem!

Close up view of pin

 

 

Example from author’s collection