UBB.threads Forums General Interest Collector's Showcase Yes A Trench Art Thread

Lloyd,
Here's three more pics of your collection. Please thank Billy G. for going out of his way to put them in a format that my computeer would read. I had to re-size these to post. Instead of pulling pics of what you bought, learne your camera a bit and go to the computer help section here. Read a bunch, and what you can't find, these guys are very good at giving info, and extremely skilled way past me. I'm still on the learning curve. I have a few others that I'll post later in the week or over the weekend.
Steve.

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quote:

Originally posted by Steven C.:
Lloyd,
Here's three more pics of your collection. Please thank Billy G. for going out of his way to put them in a format that my computeer would read. I had to re-size these to post. Instead of pulling pics of what you bought, learne your camera a bit and go to the computer help section here. Read a bunch, and what you can't find, these guys are very good at giving info, and extremely skilled way past me. I'm still on the learning curve. I have a few others that I'll post later in the week or over the weekend.
Steve.

Thank You Steve and Billy G! Yeah, one day I gotta learn that little digicam but first it was starting the 1883 Gatling brass polish and then taxes. One day though!
What we have here is a 75mm WWI shell projectile lamp made by the Sneed Company to raise money for those injured in a HUGE blast. Well, here is the story:
ANTIQUE WW 1 VICTORY LAMP

MADE BY SNEAD & COMPANY

16" HIGH

GOOD CONDITION FOR ITS AGE

ENGRAVED ON SHELL:
"VICTORY - NOV 11, 1918 - 75 MM SHELL"

ENGRAVED ON COPPER BAND:
"THEY SHALL BEAT THEIR SWORDS INTO PLOWSHARES AND THEIR SPEARS INTO PRUNING HOOKS:
NATION SHALL NOT LIFT UP SWORD AGAINST NATION, NEITHER SHALL THEY LEARN WAR ANY MORE"

LABLE ON BOTTOM OF LAMP:
"75 MM VICTORY LAMP"
"MANUFACTURED BY THE SNEAD & COMPANY"
"THIS LAMP WAS MADE FROM A GENUINE US GOVERNMENT FRENCH-AMERICAN 75 MM SHELL SAVED FROM THE MORGAN EXPLOSION"

October 20, 1998 MIDDLESEX COUNTY NEWS PAGE 2


MORGAN MUNITIONS BLAST REMEMBERED 80 YEARS LATER


On October 4, 1918, building # 61 in the T. A. Gillespie Shell Loading Plant in Morgan exploded causing the evacuation of South Amboy. To this day the cause remains unclear. Initial reports blamed the explosion on an accidental spark, company negligence and German sabotage. Sixty-four residents and employees died from the explosion but more than 300 died from an outbreak of Spanish influenza that came in the weeks after the blast.
South Amboy at the time was home to seven wartime munitions plants that emplyed the local residents. This particular plant was one of the largest facilities of its kind. At one time it provided 10% of the shells used at the front. These shells were stacked on open railroad cars and under floorboards at the facility. The 7:36 P.M. initial blast was followed by three days of subsequent blasts. Local historian Frank Yusko has made a video recounting the ordeals of the explosions. The effects of the blast were felt as far away as Newark. Most houses in South Amboy suffered shattered windows, crumbling plaster walls and blown over chimneys. Damage was estimated at $18 million dollars. The current Victory Bridge was the site of refugees fleeing to Perth Amboy and Sewaren. Some families were sheltered at Rahway Prison (now East Jersey State Prison) in Woodbridge.
1918 was the year that the Spanish influenza claimed lives throughout the United States and these refugees were no exception. The cold and damp October weather combined with the refugee conditions claimed over 300 lives.
The area has long been littered with unspent shells. In 1995 shell parts were found on the property of Sayreville's Eisenhower School. 5,080 shell parts were recovered by the end of 1997 by the Army Corps of Engineers. A spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers said that it was unlikely that these fragments posed any serious threat but could not rule out the possibility that more shells could be found in this area.
The T. A. Gillespie Company Shell Loading Plant explosion, sometimes called the Morgan Depot Explosion, occurred at 7:30 p.m. on October 4, 1918 at an ammunition plant operated by the T.A. Gillespie Company and located in the Morgan area of Sayreville in Middlesex County, New Jersey. The initial explosion triggered a fire and subsequent series of explosions which continued for three days. The facility, said to be one of the largest in the world at the time, was destroyed along with more than 300 buildings forcing reconstruction of South Amboy and Sayreville.

There is more in Wikipedia of course. Now, while not a Trench Art item per se, the item has quite some historical significance and the value of these pieces continues to rise on every eBan auction they appear in. They are of course allowed as no Swaz appear thereon!

It's been a while since anyone posted.
I found this BOGEY and thought of this thread.
I have a piece of art that was made by my dad in 1958 @ sea. It's @ the lake house.
I'll post a pic when possible.

NEAT aircraft there. See, service folks use what they have parts-wise and their fertile imaginations to create totally one-of-a-kind objects.
I still have my 90mm shell ashtrays made with cut down 90mm blanks, .50 cal round over the primer tube and 7.62 linked ammo on the outer cirumferance. Also made a lamp out of a full 90mm brass shell casing. I think I have 14-15 lamps alone now.

Ok guys I have two that are kind of neat.

One is a ashtray "as the story goes" HAHA
was picked up in a german officer house in 45..

Kind of neat but Id like to know what the shell is?

The next one is a woodend match box. with a Luft eagle and wound badge. Also pretty cool

Any help with info / value Id appreciate it.

D

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While I cannot say what the shell caliber is or the value, I will say that stuff like this will go for what the buyer wants to pay.
I have seen trench art lamps, ashtrays, cigarette lighters go for what I would say is cheap for the workmanship on one auction and a like piece go for twice the price in another. Just depends who sees a piece and what they feel they want to pay.
ALL trench art is one of a kind and therefore totally unique. Neat items you have here.

Here is a box made by a norwegian volunteer in the german army, later W-SS. It's a good size, about 15" long.

Side, probably this box was used by him to store his tinned rations etc...

Or maybe he was day-dreaming about proper food...

Inside. The volunteer became an officer, Hauptsturmführer in the 6.th SS division NORD at the end of the war.

Best regards,

Nice pieces! The "field" workmanship is amazing.
I imagine these works provided a much needed distraction from the events and duties @ hand.
Thanks for sharing them.

Yes and it's really amazing what a bored soldier can do with some shells, etc and a very few basic tools.
When I made my 90mm ashtray, the only tool I had was 1/2 a hacksaw blade, some sandpaper and some steel wool!
The Army provided the 90mm shell casing, the linked 7.62 machine gun ammo and the .50 cal bullet. I supplied the days of labor!

Some very nice things guys, I have always liked the trench art. I seen a lot of it when I was a kid.

I will try to post some more pics this weekend
steve

These are schnapps glasses? The interpretation is up to the individual. If you find one or two that's what they may be, I was told if you find a set of six they were communion glases. A long time collector spoke of such a set with a tray, very elaborate.

Steve.

First war, may be a French shell. Not quite floral but it looks like it has wine vines. I like it when they still have some patina to it when you find them.

Steve.

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This one here has a few issues. But for what I picked it up for it was about a give away price. So I rescued it to keep it from being discarded and forgotten. Sorry I should have dusted this before I took my pics, and my photo quality is a bit off today, sorry.

There's an European forum that has some Russian and German trench art on it. I'll post a link to it when I get back to it. I'm on a " Honey Do " list today, but the pieces are very exquisite from mess kits to canteens. Maybe I can ask some of those guys if I can post some of their pics of some of their stuff here.

Steve.

Hi Steve. Post a pic of the base of the shell with the neat vines and I will identify the nation that made that shell for you.
The small "glasses" are shot glasses BTW.
Neat stuff trench art!

Great thread guys! Here are two 23 inch long navy 3 inch shells. The pinup piece is 1918 dated and US Navy. The ashtray is also US Navy.

My dad made this during a tour @ sea during the late 50's.
I did have to replace the cord.
I bet you can guess what he was thinking of...
Cheers

Now that lighthouse is NEAT! Love it!

I just found this last weekend. Its is Austalian style and missing one cig holder unfortunately. the inside reads Australian commonwealth military forces. shell bottom dated 1942.


steve.

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my trench art 37mm shell,,german ww I Metz 1918

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what is the significance of the anchor symbol?..Navy usage or what?

markings on fuze tip,,lot number/date of manufacture?

quote:

Originally posted by militarymania:
pic 3

This shell is French. The PDPs stands for: "Pare d'Artilleris de Paris".

Per "Trench Art" by Kimball. I have many trench art items to include, I think 14 lamps made from 37mm, 40mm, 75mm, 3", 60mm mortar rd, WWII hand grenade, etc. Got them but don't do digital photograph darn it!

quote:

Originally posted by militarymania:
markings on fuze tip,,lot number/date of manufacture?

Yes, I would say Navy and date of manufacture, 11/6/18. Shell itself was 9/1917.