vintge items on your computer desk

[Story]

Interesting tidbit as I've been told my dad was an anti aircraft gunner with the Army during the war. I'd imagine it was an artifact he just happened to bring home with him. Boy it would be interesting to find out the real history. Perhaps this one was part of a barrage that took down an enemy aircraft that infamous day? Hmmmm....

Sadly, I think the '5-1943' stamping indicates that it was manufactured in May, 1943. Possibly the last round he fired during the war?

 

[de Stokesay]

Aside from the desk itself (a late '30's quarter-sawn oak banker's desk that was my maternal grandfather's from when he had his own business) I have an early
50's Parker "51" with gold-filled cap, along with other vintage fountain pens, my 1922 Waltham Vanguard pocket-watch in 14k yellow gold with my family's English ducal arms on the the back cover, a shadow-box containing my paternal grandfather's WWII medals insignia, buttons, pictures, &c. and a photo album of pictures of him and his unit in England during the war, my 16oz. pewter WWI rum flask, great uncle's photo from WWI, a 1930's or 40's stapler, straight-razor sharpening stones, a turn of the last century Bryant and May's matchbox, an early 40's bottle of Parker Quink in washable blue, my 1889 Webley MkII service revolver (and 455 ammuntion, stored in a separate place), my Kukhri knife from when I worked with Edward VII's own Gurkha Rifles in the early '90s (not strictly vintage, but definately a vintage design and still used for the same purpose), goose quills for writing, and my paternal grandfather's WWII pocketwatch and pocket compass. That's about it for vintage stuff, the rest is all modern (yes, it's a big desk and quite cluttered).

 

[Charlie Noodles]

I still have a CRT monitor, do those count as vintage yet?

 

[ScionPI2005]

I still have a CRT monitor, do those count as vintage yet?

It may be possible to make a claim for that before too much longer.

As for me, my vintage items include: 1930's rotary dial telephone (black in color naturally, and it scares the pants of me with each sudden ring), banker's lamp (its modern, but I appreciate the vintage design), a 1940's desk fan of unknown make.

When I can get a larger desk in the coming year or two, I plan to have my 1950's tabletop radio on my desk as well, along with a few other vintage items from maybe a stapler to one of those calendars with the turning dials for the date.

 

[locobuster]

Not necessarily "on" my desk, but above it, on a shelf are: A piece of the Berlin Wall, a 60's-vintage Bendix Radiation Dosimeter, a photograph of 20th Ftr Grp pilot Lt. Kenneth Skinner with a clipped autograph, two dummy .50 caliber machine gun rounds, and a 1969 Topps baseball card featuring Tommy Dean of the San Diego Padres (he hailed from my father's hometown.)

On the wall are a framed 8x10 of Capt. Jack M. Ilfrey, a 20th Ftr Grp ace, and a framed photo of a 20th Ftr Grp P-51C with a USAAF type G1 hand-held computer.

On the shelf next to my desk are: An 80's vintage HGU-39/P flight helmet, a practice "lemon style" grenade (inert, of course), a print of "Black Bart" -the P-38 of former 20th Ftr Grp C.O. Col Barton Russell, a Korean war vintage M1 helmet, a Berlin Airlift medal, and my recently acquired Civilian Defense non-combatant gasmask.

There's not enough room on my desk to really display anything, there's too much equipment, but I do have a small ashtray my father brought back from his second tour in 'nam nestled between my keyboard and monitor.

 

[DerMann]

It says vintage in the description:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150260437107

Made in the same year I was born, actually quite a few month older 0_o.

 

[Ying Ko]

Let's see, vintage and not-so-vintage, on my desk, from top to bottom:

*1940's bronze-colored gooseneck lamp with iron base. The base is teardrop-shaped with lots of "speed lines" and a well for paper clips.

*various vintage postcards and packaging, including a vintage-style (but not vintage) pocket flasher from a pair of "1945" Lee-style Sugar Cane jeans

*a Chris Ware/Alex Ross-designed Superman statue, based partly on the old Fleischer cartoons and partly on the first few years of Superman comics

*a packet of "Pain-Away", which contains acetominophen, aspirin AND caffeine!

*a thick layer of dust that I've been avoiding as I write this. I think it growled at me.

 

[freebird]

that almost sounds like my goose neck lamp, except mine does not have the well for paper clips. Mine has 3 speed lines, and the power switch on the base.

I've added some things to my desk, I'm going to have to remove something or I won't have any desk top left.

A 5x7 of my Mom at 5 years old. A Yashica tlr camera, and my not vintage candle that smells like Cherry Cheesecake. Oh, and my also not vintage, but still cool looking Galileo thermometer.

 

[WH1]

Hmm...Desk is walnut, original military type dated 1910.
Very nice antique crystal cigar ashtray on a gilded pedastal with pendants (one of a pair, I have both the other is on the bar, which came out of the office of a retired judge here in Alabama)
an antique silver cigar cutter
1st Edition Copy of Hemingways "Across the river and into the trees"
Mont Blanc Pen
Waterman fountain pen
Bankers lamp with green glass shade (modern)
1930s Art Deco Electric Pencil sharpener
S&W 38 Spcl revolver carried by my father-in-laws uncle while serving as a policeman during the 30's in Herrin, Illinois
Autographed photo of 1962 heisman trophy recipient Terry Baker
Picture of Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders

 

[Will Morgan]

I have a 1940s brown betty teapot...

but I want one of these:

More on that here: http://steampunkworkshop.com/keyboard.shtml