Well day 7 is looking a bit grim. Got to be honest its a rainy and grey day today. Don't feel like going outside, So I'm gonna do an indoor post today.
Not sure where the hell to post it, but I got a brain , that's all the rules ask for so Ill try the POB this time.
As I keep mentioning my day job is I'm an Antiques dealer, at least that's what puts the food on the table. So I figured time to offer some proof.
Now, hold on, I know what your thinking, he's gonna show me some ebay listings and go from there.
Nope.
Maybe you Might be asking these questions-
Is this a spiel for the giveaway you keep banging on about at the end of each post? Have I been roped in?
Nah nothing like It.
Today Imma talk about the Great War. You know 14-18, World War 1.
Its a topic I'm personally very interested in, and I have a fascination with the time period, military conditions and the social aspects surrounding the event.
Now I got into collecting artefacts from WW1 because I had a buddy who was a collector. Stupid reason yes, but infinitely helpful as I became a collector because I had someone to give me advice.
Today I'm going to do a small tour of that collection. Im only getting one of the boxes out, but even so, I gotta lot to get through. So I will try to keep descriptions shortish.
These are some of the Medals and Dog Tags I've accumulated over time. A small selection including some of the more common medals, Most of which I have duplicates of.
Now onto the Great propaganda machine!
Some French Bulletins and a Requisition Order.
Would you prefer some American propoganda?
No? Then how about British?
I have letters and documents, post cards, Posters and various diaries. Lots of Paper that sadly if arent kept safe would just end up as dust.
Heres whats in this box in the way of Trench art, and a few select oddities. Egg cups, A Tobacco jar, Vases, Lighters.
All things made by the soldiers to ease the days upon days of Boredom and tension in the trenches. Usually fabricated with bullet and shell casings, shrapnel and various things that they could find.
Here's a nice selection of badges and medals from Various Regiments, Fundraisers and Civil services as well as medals for the Emprunt Nationales in France, Can you believe they sold badges and medals to finance a National Loan To keep the war going?
How cool is that, wish we got fancy medals when the Tax men bend us over. Might take the sting out.
These 4 are some of my favourite kind of Trench Craft, Highly personal items made and sent back home to loved ones, Usually made from aluminum and etched by hand with a message or initials to a loved one back home. They are always tiny, and always have a unique feel.
That picture here is another of my favourites, Its my wife's great Grandmother at the Childrens peace Carnival in Oakdale Road London. Just a few days after the war was declared over.
Interestingly these Extravagant parties funded by the government sparked the Luton Riots in 1919, When poor Servicemen who couldn't feed their familys or get work struck out in violent protest. I think I agree with em, that those public funds would have better served looking after the men who made it happen.
For instance I got the only known complete French battlefield cross. It was planted where this poor guy fell.
So No while I don't generally collect grave markers I actually got this on accident. I was at a local brocante and this was completely black, You couldn't see anything aside from that it was a cross.
A dog peed on it at the base and I felt that it was disrespectful, While I don't have much religion I do respect other peoples beliefs. So I bought it, took it home and left it in the garden. A few days later it rained and look at what appears.
So I carefully cleaned it up, did my research, offered it to the community that he was from, etc. Strangely no one wanted it and the museums I contacted said it would not be displayed but locked up in a vault.
Get this, with paid entry.
So I said Fuck you and kept it.
Died of Infection and flu before he could get home.
That above is the poor lads death certificate, 19 years old. as usual there's a discrepancy between the dates marked on the cross and his paperwork. At the time they were recorded by handwritten dispatches so lots of errors were made.
8s became 4s, Even whole names changed and soldiers were declared dead that had clearly survived.
So yeah, that's a quick tour of a collection I have, and a passion that I believe I will have until my dying day.
Someday I want to open a freely accessible Museum of my own, and digitize some of the diaries and images for posterity.
Those soldiers and their lives are now History, The last Surviving servicemen and women died nearly 10 years ago. The war itself is well and truly history.
But History cannot be forgotten.
So here's raising a glass to those that fell and those that carried on to tell the tale.
Lest they be Forgotten.
All photos taken on my chinesium Xiaomi Mi 11 lite except the death certificate, its cut and paste from national records.
That's day 7 now, 1 week down 3 to go.
I decided I'm going to have a bit of fun on this 30 posts in 30 days. I'm going to do a post 31, and a giveaway on the 31st post, cause some months have 31 days or so I've been told.
In spite of my rough and ready appearance I'm an Antique dealer I know I already said it.
So it'll probably be old shit in your mailbox.
Stay tuned and engage down below . For every post from day 1 if you comment on it you will get one entry and a chance to win.
Then at the end of the 30 posts, on day 31 There will be a random raffle you will get a chance to win....
Really cool old shit.
That's cool you're into antiques. I've kinda wanted my own walls sometimes so I can do something other than walk through antique joints without a purchase in mind but walls are terrifying. I've yet to find four worth submitting to. So I walk through.
Didn't know you're a war dude. I did this one awhile back from Anzio Beach, Italy. 👍🏿
Nice one man just read it, Im into the second great war but humanities first introduction to modernized warfare somehow strikes a cord. I got lots of great war stories for Hitler's tirade tho, mostly due to the old boys here that fought for the resistance
It's nuts to think those wars still linger.
As for the old 4 walls, they find you. No amount of looking for them seems to make difference.
On the upside when they work they get filled fast😁
Thanks for keeping an eye on me
Could you elaborate on that?
Cuz I've owned homes and lands, flipped, lived and sold. Haven't owned since '13 and that was even more liberating than parting with the record collection.
Seems each time I achieve a milestone, although I warned myself prior to achievement, once I get there I'm looking for the next mountain—never under my feet. This is my long way of asking, how did you know you were satisfied with the mountains?
Never satisfied with the mountains, but discovered for me 4 walls that always need working on makes me content. I go out and find new mountains but because the base always needs work it never crossed my brain to leave it behind. Owning a place doesn't make it the home base for me, but the fact it'd fall apart without me makes me wanna stay and look after it.
So in short, The home base ain't my mountains. Those I'm still looking at and climbing my way up. It's my place to chill after the mountain has been climbed and I'm staring at the next one.
Elaborated 😁
Dope!
I'm gonna send my Ecency posse over, I can't do much more than that. I like to save 100's for OC so I've devised a solution, it begins with that explanation.
24 days remain in your exigency. Squeeze those mountains in on 1.
👊🏼
I'll do my best cheers man it's great to have you stop by 👊
Yay! 🤗
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STOPCheck out the last post from @hivebuzz:
Wow you even did 1000 words knowing you weren't sure what to post earlier, it just shows you that maybe having it all preplanned isn't the best way to think about it, this is going to be fun to see if it gets some tractions, they you will have to find even more antique shit to show us!
Hahaha I got plenty of antique shit so no worries there, and for some reason I had a bit of a hangover today so I did my best. As for traction, eh I think I'm getting better that's all that counts 🤣
Rumors!
Old papers and old photographs are really cool.
Cheers as always for popping by, rumors are to be discounted until proven otherwise!
An interesting collection for sure. My grandmother had a collection of medals as well. To me military medals must be the ultimate futile gesture. I wonder if your serviceman died of the previous pandemic? The timing fits
Yeah I agree the medals probably didn't help much with missing limbs,trauma,or pretty much anything else. But hey if you managed to make it back home they looked pretty on your uniform!
As for the Spanish flu yeah, it's quite likely that is what got poor old Jean.
My grandfather kept his medals from WW2 and Nam in his sock drawer, in an old worn out pair of socks. Never got them out, Never talked about em. Only time I ever saw them was was when they were moving house and he gave them to the community center.
As far as I'm aware they're still there, on display on top of his old worn out socks.
Your grandfather had a good sense of priorities
Great collection! I like to collect too, but my main interest is silver coins :) Tho this stuff is very interesting too! @tipu curate 3
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Thanks I probably have a problem to be honest, I also collect silver coins and smalls 🤣 and oddities... And pre. 17th century artifacts...and art... Ok maybe I'm a hoarder.
what fantastic items you have, love the trench art rings, and a fantastic find with the grave marker. awesome
Thanks, I sometimes sit with a beer and chat to Jean, or talk at his cross more like. Its probably among my more morbid pieces but one of my favorites.
its ok to have a morbid fascination, mine is graveyards