This photograph is enigmatic. Who are these soldiers? What nation’s army do they serve in? I know that a number of Russian Army helmets have similar stars. What do the rectangular insignias mean that appear on both sides of the helmet’s star? What is the translation of the inscription on the reverse of the photo and what language is it written in? Note the men’s weapons slung over their shoulders. SOLD
This black-and-white photograph shows three men sitting at a table wearing striped uniforms. The clothing is prison or POW (prisoner of war) attire. The men are American fliers held captive during the Vietnam War. They are seated around a table with bottles and glasses, possibly in a setting arranged for propaganda purposes. The expressions on their faces vary: one man on the right is smiling, while the other two appear more subdued or wary. The background includes a curtain or window covering, and the setting appears to be indoors. Given the historical context, this image likely originates from the Hanoi Hilton (Hoa Lo Prison). This type of image was often used for propaganda purposes by the North Vietnamese to show that prisoners were being treated well. However, many POWs later testified that such photographs were staged under coercion. This black-and-white photograph, dated June 29, 1970, was made public by an anti-war group, the Committee of Liaison, which sought to communicate between American POWs and their families. The prisoners are identified as, from left to right: Commander Robert Schweitzer of Lemoore, California, Lieutenant Colonel Edison Miller of Santa Ana, California, and Commander Walter Wilber of Virginia Beach, Virginia. The three American fliers depicted in the photograph were released as prisoners of war (POWs) in 1973, following the Paris Peace Accords. During their captivity, these men were involved in complex interactions with their fellow POWs and captors. Allegations arose that they provided uncoerced antiwar statements to the North Vietnamese, leading to tensions within the POW community. This situation resulted in their relief from certain military authorities during captivity. All three were among a small group of US prisoners who were accused of collaboration with their North Vietnamese captors. It was thought that the three men received less severe treatment than their fellow airmen due to their cooperation with the enemy. There is much written about the issue of collaboration between American POW’s held in Vietnam and their captors. One should not rush to judgement in condemning these men for their “disloyalty”. During their imprisonment, they were under extraordinary stress both physically and psychologically. All three men exhibited courage as combat pilots. SOLD
This vintage real photo postcard features a portrait captioned “The Old Chief of Ghadanez”. The chief is well armed in this photo. He is holding a rifle and a sword. The modern spelling of Ghadanez is “Ghadames” or “Ghadamis”. Ghadames is an oasis Berber town in the Tripolitania region of northwestern Libya. The town is 287 miles southwest of Tripoli and lies near the borders with Tunisia and Algeria. Ghadames is known as “the pearl of the desert”. The town is mainly inhabited by Berbers. This postcard was postmarked in 1913. The card was sent during turbulent times in Ghadames. In 1911, soon after the Italo-Turkish War had begun, the town was occupied by Italian troops. The town changed hands a number of times until 1915, when a general rebellion caused the Italian soldiers to retreat to Tripoli. This postcard has an Italian stamp and a 1913 postmark. Interestingly, it is addressed to someone in Oakland, California. The message on the card is written in two languages, English and Italian. SOLD
This cabinet card is a portrait of a well dressed gentleman sporting a bow tie. Cabinet card portraits of men with bow ties are not common place. The photographer is Paullin, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Further investigation is required, but this photographic studio may likely be the studio of William Paullin. W. F. Paullin (1812-1871) was an aeronaut who built his first balloon at the age of 21. He flew balloons in Philadelphia and other parts of the world including South America, Cuba, Haiti, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. During the civil war he was in the service of the balloon corps of the Army of the Potomac. His final ascension was under the command of General Joseph Hooker. After resigning from the Army, he became a photographer. This cabinet card was most likely produced after the death of Paullin. Perhaps a family member, or someone else continued the studio under the Paullin name. Further fact checking is needed. This cabinet card portrait is in good condition (see scans).
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This cabinet card portrait captures three uniformed “Brothers in Arms” and their swords posing for their portrait. The photographer of this photo was Johann Fetzer (1839-1927) and his studio was located in Ragaz, Wallenstadt, Switzerland. This photograph was taken in 1895. Johann Nikolaus Fetzer was a native of Bavaria. He opened his first studio in Wallenstadt in 1867. His major clientele were soldiers from the neighboring military barracks. Photography appears to have been part of the genetic make-up of the Fetzer family. Over a period of 150 years, ten photographers from the Fetzer family documented the people, buildings, and landscapes of this region of the Alps. This cabinet card photograph is in very good condition (see scans).
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The young man looking sharp in his crisp military uniform is Prince Joachim Franz Humbert of Prussia (1890-1920). He was the sixth child of Wilhelm II, the German Emperor. His mother was Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein. In 1916, officials in Ireland gave thought to giving the throne to Prince Joachim with the idea that Ireland would be safer a German King if Germany were to win World War I. Prince Joachim was also considered as a possible candidate to the Georgian throne after its independence following the Russian Revolution of 1917. The Prince held the rank of 2nd Lieutenant in the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards. He held over thirty honors awarded by several nations. His awards included the Iron Cross from Germany. In 1916, Joachim married Princess Marie-Auguste of Anhalt (1898-1983). The couple had one son, Prince Karl Franz Josef Wilhelm Friedrich Eduard Paul (1916-1975). They may have had only one child, but they used enough first names to cover six more sons. I suppose that is a liberty reserved for royalty. Joachim became a commoner when his father abdicated the thrown. He became very depressed and committed suicide by gunshot in 1920. He was only 29 years old at the time of is death. It is believed that he had significant financial woes that added to his depression. Prior to his death, he divorced his wife, which likely led to further mood problems. This real photo postcard was published by “NPG” (Neue Photographische Gesellschaft) as part of a series (no.4954). The company was a leading bromide photo printing company for many years. The photographer was Ernst Sandau (1880-1918). He was born in Sweden and died in Germany. Some believe that he may have been killed in World War I. Sandau operated a studio in Berlin, Germany and was active between 1912 and 1918. His son, Ernst Jr., was also a photographer. SOLD
This vintage press photo features two Hollywood starlets and a cocker spaniel posing at a Los Angeles junk yard in support of the war effort (World War II). They are sitting on a junked car. A sign in front of them states “A Salvage Heap Will Build A Jeep” and is a reminder to the public that they need to recycle and not waste items and materials that could be useful in fighting the war. The actresses appearing in this photograph are Elyse Knox and Marjorie Lord. The caption on the reverse of this photograph comments that the starlets beautify the salvage heap. Elyse Knox (1917-2012) was an American actress, model and fashion designer. She is known for appearing in “The Mummy’s Tomb” (1942) and the war morale booster film, “Follow The Boys” (1944). Knox was also a popular pin-up girl during the war. She retired in 1949 after acting in 39 films. Marjorie Lord (1918-2015) was an American television and film actress. She played opposite Danny Thomas in the TV series “The Danny Thomas Show”. Her first appearance on Broadway was at age 15 and in total, she was on the Broadway stage four times. The IMDb gives her 79 acting credits. The stamp on the reverse of this photograph indicates that the photo was taken for Acme Newspictures Inc. (Los Angeles Bureau). SOLD
This vintage press photo features two American fighter pilot ACES. They were pilots in World War II and this photograph was taken in 1945 when they were on a mission to visit airplane manufacturing factories in Burbank, California. They were involved in a campaign to reduce worker absenteeism. These pilots were America’s #1 and #2 aces. The pilot on the right side of this photo is Richard Bong (1920-1945) was born in Superior, Wisconsin. His exceptional skill, courage and tenacity earned him the title of America’s “Ace of Aces” during World War II. Bong was fascinated by airplanes from childhood. In fact, he took his first flight at the age of nine. He took a civilian pilot training program directly upon graduation from high school in 1938. He enlisted in the US Army Air Forces in 1941, completed flight training and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. He was assigned to the Pacific Theater and flew primarily P-39 Lightning fighter planes. These planes were renowned for their speed and versatility. Bong quickly showed his unparalleled ability to outmaneuver and outshoot enemy aircraft. He quickly began to tally up a long string of aerial victories. Bong scored his first aerial victory in December, 1942 by dowing a Japanese Zero. By the summer of 1944, he had 40 confirmed kills to make him America’s top fighter pilot. In reaching his top status, he had to face aerial combat, mechanical failures, and navigational difficulties. In December of 1944, after completing 200 combat missions, he was relieved from active duty and sent back to the US. He received many awards, including the Medal of Honor. Bong’s life was tragically cut short when working as a test pilot, he died in a plane crash in August of 1946. Bong was just 24 years old at the time of his death. The second pilot in this photograph, Don Gentile, was born in Piqua, Ohio. Like Bong, his passion for flying began at a young age. He even had his own plane before the war. After Pearl Harbor in 1941, Gentile enlisted in the Canadian Air Force. Lacking a college degree, he was not immediately eligible for the US Army Air Forces. He experienced his first kills while flying for the Canadians. He transferred to the US Army Air Forces in 1941. He demonstrated exceptional marksmanship and aerial combat prowess. His tally of confirmed kills climbed steadily over time until he became a top ace. One of his more famous missions occurred in 1944 when he led a squadron of P-51s against a large formation of Luftwaffe fighters over Germany. During that aerial battle, he personally shot down three enemy aircraft and shared credit for two more. By the time his tour of duty ended, he had a total of 30 confirmed aerial victories. Upon his return to the US, he was active in raising money via supporting war bond sales. Gentile, like his fellow pilot, Bong, died in a tragic plane crash. He was killed while flying a trainer aircraft. SOLD
This cabinet card portrait features a young and handsome naval sailor in uniform. His cap reveals that he was part of the crew of the USS Fish Hawk. The ship was launched in 1879. Originally, called the USFC Fish Hawk, the ship was a fisheries science research ship. It conducted research and ran a large fish hatchery on board. The ship was operated by the United States Commission of Fish and Fisheries. The Fish Hawk was the first large ship built by any country for the purpose of promoting fisheries. The ship operated during it’s 46 year career along the US eastern coast and in the Gulf of Mexico. However, the ship also served in the US Navy in 1898 during the Spanish-American War and from 1918 to 1919. The sailor seen in this cabinet card portrait was serving on the ship during the Spanish-American War. The sailor had his photograph taken a the Ferris studio in Apalachicola, Florida. The city of Apalachicola is located on the shore of Apalachicola Bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico. The city was captured by the Union navy early in the Civil War. Before the late 19th century, Apalachicola was the third busiest port on the Gulf of Mexico. It was only behind New Orleans and Mobile. This cabinet card portrait is an interesting remnant of American naval history. SOLD
This vintage press photograph features a battle scene from the Vietnam war. The battle took place in Bong Son, South Vietnam. An American soldier from the first division of armored cavalry protects his wounded companions. He has a look deep concern and he is holding a pistol in his hand. Bong Son is located in Binh Dinh’s northern lowlands near the Lai Giang River. It is about 18 km west of the South China Sea Coast. Bong Son was the site of severe fighting during the Vietnam war. A major battle was fought there in 1966. The main subject in this photograph is an African American soldier. This photograph was taken by “Cifra Grafica Madrid”, a Spanish graphic information agency. Black soldiers were overrepresented among US soldiers in Vietnam. They accounted for 23% of US combat troops but only 11% of the US population. (SOLD)
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