Trench Art: Rank & File Art Work From the Front Lines

[HungaryTom]

http://mek.oszk.hu/04900/04901/html/stilus.jpg
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http://balkon.c3.hu/balkon03_11/images/275.jpg
http://www.privatbankar.hu/cikk-kepek/bav_04.jpg

 

[Story]

Trench art from world wars at Michener

http://www.mcall.com/entertainment/all-trenchart.6785345mar15,0,7148186.story

When they weren't required to make replacement parts for guns, Belgian and British blacksmiths in World War I liked to make rings for distant lovers. Working outside trenches, out of the range of bullets and bombs, they melted aluminum from mess kits, molded the metal and cooled the crude jewelry in nearby lakes.

Making sweetheart rings was pure therapy. It relieved boredom between battles, the fear of mustard gas, the pain of separation from girlfriends and wives. Sent from front lines to home lines, rings became wearable love letters. If their senders died, they became wearable memorials.

Sweetheart rings were part of a beehive industry of recycling the used materials of war into soul souvenirs. Practiced between World Wars I and II, the byzantine, sometimes bizarre business of trench art united convalescing soldiers and prisoners, civilian artisans and widow tourists. It's surveyed in ''From Swords to Plowshares,'' a traveling show that opened Saturday at the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown. There are more than 300 objects made with military metal, everything from a lamp with a helmet shade to a cathedral of bullets.

James A. Michener Art Museum
138 S. Pine St.
Doylestown, PA 18901
215.340.9800
http://www.michenermuseum.org/

 

[draws]

I am curious if this thread is to be dedicated to Michener only or is it applicable to any trench art? I would love to post some of the WW1 items in my collection but won't if this thread is limited. I will start another thread or post elsewhere if appropriate. Any suggestions are appreciated.

 

[Hopalong]

Trench Art

Here's my WW II Trench Art Lamp made by an 8th Air Force 351st BG veteran during the WW II and it's made out of a WW II smoke bomb. Mike

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[FinalVestige79]

Thats just plain awesome!

 

[Hopalong]

Thanks I think it's pretty unique too. I collected WW II Aviation over 16 years ago for 17 years because my father was in the Army Air Force but for the last 6 years I've been liquidating my collection little by little to private collectors and now I'm collecting the 1950's TV Cowboy memorabilia. Mike

 

[Django]

That rules. My Dad has a P-38 made from shell casings. I don't have a pic though. Next time I go back home to visit, I'll take some.

 

[Hopalong]

That'll be great to see your pictures because P-38 Trench Art is my favorite WW II Trench Art.