LIST OF MILITARY & ART COLLECTIONS
Classic Masterpieces:
Gilbert Bellan – FUNERIALLE Du MARECHAL FOCH a NOTRE
DAME DE PARIS, 26 Mars 1929 (Funeral of Marshal Foch in the
Cathedral de Notre Dame in Paris, 26 March 1929). Bellan was a
Chevalier de l’Ordre de le Legion d’ honneur, and a duplicate original of
this painting hangs in the French National Museum at the Palace of
Versailles. Bellan also has 3 other paintings in this famous museum.
OOC approx. 27 x 30.”
Spanish Colonial, Conquistador & Pirate Collection:
A collection numbering over 500 swords, maps, muskets, flintlock pistols, blunderbusses,
coins, crucifixes, daggers, armor, cannon, ship models, bottles, drinking vessels, native
Caribbean Indian artifacts, etc., from the time of Columbus through the 18th/19th
Centuries.
Soldier - Sailor Patriotic Folk Art: Trench Art & Sailor Art
(Modern Naval Scrimshaw):
One of the least-known forms of folk art is Patriotic Military Folk Art
(Trench Art & Sailor Art- Naval Scrimshaw) that reached the height of
its creativity in World Wars I & II. Literally thousands of Soldiers,
Sailors and Marines often found themselves with idle hours between
battles, and vented their pent up creativity by making various Folk Art
objects which collectors today call “trench art” or “naval scrimshaw”.
Readily accessible to almost everyone were spent brass cartridges and
shell casings which were often ingeniously decorated with, or fashioned
into, miniature brass airplanes, submarines, rockets, tanks, American
Flags and military insignia of every kind imaginable. In our opinion,
this battlefield art form best captures the common soldier, sailor and
airman’s expression of patriotism, and these relics are a nostalgic
reminder of the brave deeds of our servicemen and women. It has
taken over 35 years to put together this collection which now numbers
over 1000 pieces and is reputed to be the finest in the United States.
Religious Battlefield Art:
This is a unique sub-collection mainly consisting of “trench art”
crucifixes and sculptured brass shell casings made during World War I
and II on the battlefields of Europe by soldiers who developed “fox hole
religion.” It includes some pieces actually signed and dedicated to the
soldiers’ churches back home.
Submarine Collection:
This collection about 1,000 pieces emphasizes uniforms, medal
groupings, original sailors’ photo albums, submarine and torpedo
models produced as shipyard, Navy and crew presentation pieces (often
made by submariners themselves). They are wartime models, not toys
or kit models, from all of the submarine fleets of the United States,
England, France, Italy, Japan and Germany in both World Wars and
the Cold War. The models range from an oak on-board, crew-made
model of the World War I U-35 presented to its captain (the leading sub
ace of all nations in both world wars), to a solid bronze U.S.N. fleet sub
from World War II that is 38” long and weighs over 50 lbs. The
collection includes over 200 sub models and believed to be the largest in
the United States. Medals, insignias, plaques, uniforms, war flags,
instruments and equipment, paintings, navigation charts, “submarine
scrimshaw” and many other items round out this collection.
Aviation Collection:
The aviation collection emphasizes two areas. The first is the Battle of
Britain, and in this category, this diversified collection of memorabilia
includes over fifty model planes made out of melted down bronze from
shell casings and aluminum from shot down German fighters and
bombers. Also included is an original RAF Squadron Battle flag and a
half dozen sterling silver, hand-painted, enameled cigarette cases with
exquisite miniature color paintings of the pilot’s Spitfire and other
planes. The second area of the collection’s concentration is a group of
fighter and bomber models made during World War I and World War
II by soldiers and airmen on both sides of the war. Others are training
models, aircraft identification models, presentation models and
manufacture’s desk models. The collection consists of over 100 plane
models. The largest group is of USN carrier aircraft which saw service
in the Pacific Theater. There are also a fine solid Sterling Silver model
of a B-29; and, the Original co-pilot’s personal copy of the Enola Gay’s
log book sent home to his mother and father describing the dropping of
the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima in 1945.
Ship Model & Nautical Art Collection:
This collection consists of over 400 ship models “scratch built” by
sailors from various Navies while aboard ship. Also included in this
collection are several large-scale “teacher class” identification models of
U.S. and British warships made for the Admiralty Staff of the Japanese
Navy in World War II with teakwood decks and an unusually high level
of detail. Sizes range from 2” to 9 ft. long. There are also a group of
original WWII aircraft carrier launching models cast of aluminum or
bronze by the shipyards and given to dignitaries at the launching
ceremonies.
Art of Smoking Collection:
During both World Wars almost everyone smoked, and so it comes as
no surprise that one of the most popular folk art objects created by our
servicemen were ashtrays, cigarette cases and lighters. Readily
accessible to almost everyone were spent brass cartridges and shell
casings which, when cut off near the bottom, formed natural ashtrays.
Everyone from Marines on Iwo Jima to Admiral “Bull” Halsey had
their own customized ashtray, and these were often decorated with
miniature brass airplanes, submarines, rockets, American Flags and
military insignia. This collection now numbers over 350 pieces.
The Iwo Jima Collection
This outstanding and inspiring collection truly constitutes a national
treasure. It includes the following highlights:· The Original First
Sculpture of the Iwo Jima Flag Raising made by Felix de Weldon in
1945 while the battle on Iwo Jima was still raging. This model was only
recently discovered, having been lost since 1945. It has been
painstakingly restored using period photographs supplied by the artist
and the national Archives. · The Original Builder’s Model of the Iwo
Jima Monument which was scaled up to produce the 100-ton bronze
Marine Corps Memorial completed in the 1050’s. An original bronze of
this plaster original is also in the collection and was recently on loan to
The National Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution in
Washington, D.C.· The recently rediscovered and excavated 20 foot, 10
ton Original First Monument of the Iwo Jima Flagraising was made in
the closing days of World War II for the 7th War Loan Bond Drive in
1945. It stood in front of the Department of the Navy Building (now the
Federal Reserve Bank Building) in Washington, D.C. Having been
“replaced” by the 80 ton bronze Marine Corps Memorial in Arlington,
the monument was abandoned behind an 18th century building on
outskirts of Washington, D.C. which was once used by sculptor Felix de
Weldon to build both it and the Memorial. Rodney Brown purchased
the crumbling remains from de Weldon. A construction crane was
needed to move the crumbled and broken pieces. It was moved by
flatbed truck to Princeton, N.J. and restored under the direction of Alex
Ettl, founder of Sculpture House Castings, one of the nation’s oldest fine
art foundries.
The War Museum found the monument’s supervising sculptor, Bill
Petsco, who worked for Felix de Weldon during World War II. Bill was
coaxed out of retirement to assist in the restoration (which took over 5
years). From the studio in New Jersey, the statue was taken to the
Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York for finishing touches.
On February 19, 1995, exactly 50 years to the day since the flag raising
on Iwo Jima, the statue was re-unveiled to the public by Lt. General
R.D. Hearney, Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps. “That
battle came to symbolize all that is good about our country and our
Corps,” Hearney said. “The story should be told again and again to our
children and our grandchildren. It is a story simply about courage.”
Today, about 500,000 people each year visit the monument on board the
Intrepid where they learn about their Marine Corps and this key battle
in U.S. history.· The bloodstained Japanese Battle Flags captured on
Mt. Suribatchi by U.S. Marines on their way up to raise ours.· Japanese
Samurai swords and knives captured on Mt. Suribatchi and Death
Valley on Iwo Island.· Captured Japanese helmets and equipment handpainted by U.S. Marines.· Original photographs from the battle
including several lost photographs of the Flag Raising taken from a U.S.
fighter that happened to be artillery spotting overhead at the exact
moment of the Flag Raising.· A Collection of Iwo Jima sculpture models
by Felix de Weldon which show the evolution of the famous statue’s
design and how it changed from the position in the original photograph
taken by Joe Rosenthal into the later design showing a closer, more
unified action and purpose.· Original Joe Rosenthal photographs,
including his complete, original Iwo Jima album showing every shot on
the roll of film he took climbing the mountain on that memorable day.·
The Japanese Commander’s defense map of the island showing troop
and gun emplacements, beach defenses, etc. in Japanese. (and his map
case) found in the cave with his body.· U.S. Marine Corps theater-made
combat knives used on Iwo – some of the most deadly knives ever made
and used in hand-to-hand combat. · Many other memorabilia too
numerous to mention, but in total about 150 items.
WWI, WWII & MARINE CORPS Fighting Knives & Swords:
This is a collection of over 500 combat knives from the trenches of
World War I to the Jungles of the South Pacific in World War II, the
Korean War and Vietnam. The collection contains a selection of
standard issue knives, including the only known WWII Camillus USMC
stiletto with the USMC scrolled engraving on the blade in gold. The
bulk of the collection is made up of battlefield or theater-made knives
crafted by the Marines themselves, often using captured enemy
materials. They include Marine Paratrooper knives, the largest fighting
knives ever carried into combat by any U.S. fighting forces. Size does
matter! The sword group includes several rare early period Mamaluke
swords.
The Graphic Arts Collection
This is a study collection consisting of well over 200 wartime graphic
artworks with emphasis on the artist being a common soldier or sailor
during World War I or II, rather than the work of a professional or
commercial artist of the period. All aspects and theaters of war are
covered in various media (oil paintings, lithographs, original
photographs, etc.).