my latest acquisitions

[Thomas Koehle]

moved the 1941 Underwood onto the smaller desk.
View attachment 63879

Now I need one of those little Confidential Administrative Assistants....
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WOW!

Amazing collection and very classy setup - you got taste ...

 

[Edward]

WOW!

Amazing collection and very classy setup - you got taste ...

Its an eccentric hobby that got out of hand lol!
I watch old 30s & 40s films and look thru photos and I’ll see something on the desk or in the office and think; “ I don’t have one of those! Then the search begins…. Lol!

 

[Edward]

Im currently trying to get one of these but they’re hard to find in good condition!
(and at an affordable rate )

 

[B-Man2]

You continue to crack me up Ed !
Thats a great collection you’ve got going on .

 

[Edward]

and this is the face I'll make when she asks for the night off...

 

[Edward]

This is a little bit out of scope but there is a small correlation to WWII and RAF here…


This would have been a common sight in windows on a Main Street, Anytown USA in the 1930s and 40’s.

I acquired this original 1942 theater showcard with the schedule of films for the Mayfair Movie Theater in Bridgton, Maine
(Measures a nice large 17 “ x 28 “ printed on heavy card stock)

Carol lombard had just died in an airplane crash January 16, 1942 (two weeks prior to this theater’s scheduled showing of the 1937 film True Confessions.)

Most likely the theater wanted to pay tribute and capitalize on the news of her death.

I don’t know how much lead time would have been needed to acquire a film and have promotions printed and delivered but I can just imagine the theater owner scrambling and ordering his assistant to call the film distributor for a “Carol Lombard picture.”



“Get the distributor on the Ameche and tell ‘em to whip up a Carol Lombard picture and have it delivered in a jiffy!”

“ Which Picture would you like to show sir?”

“Just tell ‘em to send whatever is up for grabs and to shake a leg! Then wire the printer in Philadelphia with our schedule as soon as word arrives!“ (-Royal Printing Co. in Philadelphia, PA. )

I’m sure he would have preferred something more recent but this was the best he could get at short notice considering every movie house in America probably wanted to show a Carol Lombard movie as soon as could be arranged.

Neighborhood theatres used these as inexpensive advertising -- there were printing companies called "show printers" who specialized in running them off cheap and fast using letterpresses for movie houses, circuses, fairs, carnivals, barnstorming, sports teams, home-talent plays and shows, and any other kind of event that needed quick and easy promotion.
Lombard’s funeral was held on Jan. 21, 1942

You can see a typographical error as the movable Lead linoType for the press had moved during operation creating the words “las topportunity“

I found a photo of another copy of this same printing online that shows the type that was accurate leading me to believe this as evidence that the lead type letter “t” to have slid over. Curious as to how many printings were ordered and how many had the error. Adds more character and a bit of a story on its own!

The newest feature in the lineup is 1942’s Blondie Goes to College . The dates listed for showings confirm the lobby card dates to 1942.

-True Confessions 1937

-Dodge City 1939

-Blondie Goes to College 1942

-Target for Tonight -1941 (RAF Bomber Command)

-Birth of the Blues 1941

-The Iron Claw #10 serial (The Curse of the Cave) (The Iron Claw (1941) was a 15 part serial released by Columbia Pictures .)



here is the other showcard posted online with the correct spelling of “last opportunity “

having the showing of the British film Target For Tonight made the decision a cinch for me. (The US version called “Target For Today” would release in 1944)

one day I’ll have it properly framed but in the meantime this donor will do to protect it and get it on my wall

 

[Edward]

I’ve been looking for a letter like this to add to my WWII AAF collection for some time now and finally found a great one from a girl in New York City named Annette. She wrote a four page letter on onion skin to her boyfriend James Murricane who was training on B-24 Liberators at The 302nd Bombardment Group - 357th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) bomber training unit at Wendover Field, Utah.
This letter is Dated and posted September 25, 1942!

The group was activated in June 1942 Wendover Field, Utah and became part of the Second Air Force. It was equipped with the B-24 Liberator, and was used as an operational training unit, preparing the crews of new units for battle. It later became a replacement training unit, training crews to fill gaps caused by casualties.
(Training included exercises in high-altitude formation flying, long-range navigation, target identification, and simulated combat missions.)
In December 1943 the group was moved to the First Air Force and to Virginia. In 1944 it converted to the B-17 Flying Fortress, but on 10 April 1944 the group was inactivated.

The letter is great insight into the everyday thoughts of a young girl fresh out of high school, working a job and considering college. There is some gossip about what their friends are doing and who they were dating. Here is some of the highlights of the letter that I found fun to read:

This was her last letter to be sent to Wendover and the next one she would write to his new address wherever he would be stationed. She mentioned she received a letter from the state war ballot committee and said that his "...letter was received subsequent to September 15 and therefore too late to apply for a war ballot. In order to vote now you must apply to your registration board before September 30 for an absentee ballot or register in person during registration week.”

She then mentions “tonight they are having a block party on Broad Street from Wall to Beaver street. The blocks are lined with flags of all the United Nations the Andrews Sisters are going to sing and some name band will play for dancing. Tis said that the army will take you for a ride in a jeep for a dime. Wish I could stay for it but I have to go home and eat and then go to school.”


She goes on to say; “it is freezing here again today. They say we will have the first frost of the season here tonight. Winter is settling in fast but I’m not sad. You have more ambition in cold weather and therefore the more you do the less time you have to sit around and think and fret.”

“We had to go to the movies Wednesday at work and see pictures on Midway + Wake and Manila. All to push war bonds. It seems that if there isn’t a greater voluntary response to buying bonds the government will make it compulsory to deduct 10% of your income. I ought to get my $25 bond in a week or two and I was going to tell them to stop the deductions for the end of the year. I didn’t want it to continue if I was going to quit. I didn’t want a lot of confusion and I feel I could use the money right now. However I get a raise soon of six dollars a month. (Isn’t that tremendous? Ha!) And maybe I’ll have that taken out toward bonds. In the end I’ll still get more. Now my salary is $30 (2 weeks)-$2 for bonds. -.30 for Social Security = $27.70. When I get my raise it will be $33 (2 weeks) -$3 for bonds -.33 for Social Security -.70 for insurance + $29 approx. That isn’t too bad considering I can get a $50 bond in 6 months. I’ll think about it anyway.

Then the concern and offer of assistance: "Honey I was wondering about your accounting + if you still had that list of accounting books or where I could get a list. This is why: you are not doing any accounting out there, as far as I can see. You’re doing general office work. You’re getting further and further away from it all the time and forgetting more and more. You must admit it will be quite a time before you are called upon to remember it and then you will be so rusty. Goodness knows what. If you like I can buy some of those books you wanted or get some from home and keep at it. Don’t let all your education and experience go to waste simply because you’re in the army and are not using your knowledge now. Please darling let me know if there is anything you want. Perhaps it will be a little easier for you to study when you get to Pueblo." [-Pueblo Army Airfield was a United States Army Air Forces installation during World War II.**]

"I will keep reading the Tribune every day various magazines best sellers, fiction + non-fiction. When you get out in the world you’ve got to know what people are reading and talking about. One of the mistakes so many young people make is relaxing when their schooling is done. If I had the time right now I would go on to college if for only cultural subjects."

So, for me this was a nice insight to what was on the mind of a sweetheart left behind and what she was doing and how she could help and support him while he was in the army during the war. The fact that he is an AAF B-24 training is icing on the cake!

Sadly I can’t find info on his service during the war but he did survive and these two got married and had one son.

Sgt James Murricane died 24 Aug 1998 (aged 80) Brooklyn, New York

Annette Sewell Murricane born 15 Dec 1923 Manhattan, New York County (Manhattan), New York, USA / Died 2 Oct 2006 (aged 82) Dover, Morris County, New Jersey, USA

(Son, Peter, of New York City died February 21, 2011. (Age 56) Peter worked many years for the New York Transit Authority as a train maintenance engineer.)

**
Built in 1941 as the Pueblo Army Air Base, it was used as an advanced flying school to train B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator four engine heavy bomber crews. It was under the command of the United States Army Air Forces Second Air Force 360th Army Air Force Base Unit. Known bomb groups which trained or based at Pueblo were:

• 94th Bombardment Group (B-17) January - April 1943
• 302d Bombardment Group (B-24) 30 September 1942 - 1 December 1942
• 351st Bombardment Group (B-17) 1 March - 12 April 1943
• 381st Bombardment Group (B-17) 5 April - 9 May 1943
• 400th Bombardment Group (B-17) 2 May - 31 July 1943
• 466th Bombardment Group (B-29) 25 July - 15 August 1945
• 469th Bombardment Group (B-24) 1–7 May 1943
• 471st Bombardment Group (B-24) 7 May 1943 - 28 January 1944

 

[Chris 55]

I’ve been looking for a letter like this to add to my WWII AAF collection for some time now and finally found a great one from a girl in New York City named Annette. She wrote a four page letter on onion skin to her boyfriend James Murricane who was training on B-24 Liberators at The 302nd Bombardment Group - 357th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) bomber training unit at Wendover Field, Utah.
This letter is Dated and posted September 25, 1942!
View attachment 64858
The group was activated in June 1942 Wendover Field, Utah and became part of the Second Air Force. It was equipped with the B-24 Liberator, and was used as an operational training unit, preparing the crews of new units for battle. It later became a replacement training unit, training crews to fill gaps caused by casualties.
(Training included exercises in high-altitude formation flying, long-range navigation, target identification, and simulated combat missions.)
In December 1943 the group was moved to the First Air Force and to Virginia. In 1944 it converted to the B-17 Flying Fortress, but on 10 April 1944 the group was inactivated.

The letter is great insight into the everyday thoughts of a young girl fresh out of high school, working a job and considering college. There is some gossip about what their friends are doing and who they were dating. Here is some of the highlights of the letter that I found fun to read:

This was her last letter to be sent to Wendover and the next one she would write to his new address wherever he would be stationed. She mentioned she received a letter from the state war ballot committee and said that his "...letter was received subsequent to September 15 and therefore too late to apply for a war ballot. In order to vote now you must apply to your registration board before September 30 for an absentee ballot or register in person during registration week.”

She then mentions “tonight they are having a block party on Broad Street from Wall to Beaver street. The blocks are lined with flags of all the United Nations the Andrews Sisters are going to sing and some name band will play for dancing. Tis said that the army will take you for a ride in a jeep for a dime. Wish I could stay for it but I have to go home and eat and then go to school.”


She goes on to say; “it is freezing here again today. They say we will have the first frost of the season here tonight. Winter is settling in fast but I’m not sad. You have more ambition in cold weather and therefore the more you do the less time you have to sit around and think and fret.”

“We had to go to the movies Wednesday at work and see pictures on Midway + Wake and Manila. All to push war bonds. It seems that if there isn’t a greater voluntary response to buying bonds the government will make it compulsory to deduct 10% of your income. I ought to get my $25 bond in a week or two and I was going to tell them to stop the deductions for the end of the year. I didn’t want it to continue if I was going to quit. I didn’t want a lot of confusion and I feel I could use the money right now. However I get a raise soon of six dollars a month. (Isn’t that tremendous? Ha!) And maybe I’ll have that taken out toward bonds. In the end I’ll still get more. Now my salary is $30 (2 weeks)-$2 for bonds. -.30 for Social Security = $27.70. When I get my raise it will be $33 (2 weeks) -$3 for bonds -.33 for Social Security -.70 for insurance + $29 approx. That isn’t too bad considering I can get a $50 bond in 6 months. I’ll think about it anyway.

Then the concern and offer of assistance: "Honey I was wondering about your accounting + if you still had that list of accounting books or where I could get a list. This is why: you are not doing any accounting out there, as far as I can see. You’re doing general office work. You’re getting further and further away from it all the time and forgetting more and more. You must admit it will be quite a time before you are called upon to remember it and then you will be so rusty. Goodness knows what. If you like I can buy some of those books you wanted or get some from home and keep at it. Don’t let all your education and experience go to waste simply because you’re in the army and are not using your knowledge now. Please darling let me know if there is anything you want. Perhaps it will be a little easier for you to study when you get to Pueblo."

"I will keep reading the Tribune every day various magazines best sellers, fiction + non-fiction. When you get out in the world you’ve got to know what people are reading and talking about. One of the mistakes so many young people make is relaxing when their schooling is done. If I had the time right now I would go on to college if for only cultural subjects."

So, for me this was a nice insight to what was on the mind of a sweetheart left behind and what she was doing and how she could help and support him while he was in the army during the war. The fact that he is an AAF B-24 training is icing on the cake!

Sadly I can’t find info on his service during the war but he did survive and these two got married and had one son.

Sgt James Murricane died 24 Aug 1998 (aged 80) Brooklyn, New York

Annette Sewell Murricane born 15 Dec 1923 Manhattan, New York County (Manhattan), New York, USA / Died 2 Oct 2006 (aged 82) Dover, Morris County, New Jersey, USA

(Son, Peter, of New York City died February 21, 2011. (Age 56) Peter worked many years for the New York Transit Authority as a train maintenance engineer.)

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I love this history it brings it home.

 

[Edward]

Trying hard to curb my vintage war era collecting but its very difficult to do when a Local yokel has a WWII era 15 inch electric wall clock for sale!!! ($99.00)

Telechron commercial electric wall clock with metal surround clock case... Model 1H512 was made from 1939-1942

1942 was technically the last year for consumer market clocks until after the war. In 1942 consumer clock production was halted at the Ashland, Massachusetts Telechron factory as the shop was put to work making defense-related goods.

I'm thrilled to add this electric commercial war era clock to my collection. Runs perfectly and keeps perfect time. It would have been used in schools, large offices and some factories.

If there is a temporary power outage while the owner is out, the running clock will display the incorrect time when he returns. Founder Henry Ellis Warren, foreseeing this difficulty, provided his clocks with an "indicating device": a red dot that would appear on the dial whenever the power failed. This red dot alerted the consumer the need to reset the clock. Setting the clock would reset the indicator. The electric clock market grew rapidly in the 1930s, and Telechron's patented power interruption indicator gave his clocks an advantage over competing synchronous clocks.

 

[johnwayne]

Incredible mini Museum you have there Ed, loving it but you’ve proved one thing to me about collecting and why I’ve always restrained myself and that is, where do you stop???
The poster typo was of interest as I was a former compositor who started at the very end of the letterpress era (late 60’s) and most posters like that would have been mainly wooden letters with a mix of metal for the smaller characters and unlikely to have moved when on the press unless the ‘spacer’ had fallen out!
This of course should have been spotted by an alert machine minder - no spell check back but human ‘readers’ - amazing how many errors still got through!!

 

[Edward]

Incredible mini Museum you have there Ed, loving it but you’ve proved one thing to me about collecting and why I’ve always restrained myself and that is, where do you stop???
The poster typo was of interest as I was a former compositor who started at the very end of the letterpress era (late 60’s) and most posters like that would have been mainly wooden letters with a mix of metal for the smaller characters and unlikely to have moved when on the press unless the ‘spacer’ had fallen out!
This of course should have been spotted by an alert machine minder - no spell check back but human ‘readers’ - amazing how many errors still got through!!

wow amazing information on the press! thanks! Did not occur to me wood letter type would be used but that makes perfect sense! the error confounds me as well. I find it amusing though.
Yes I have surrounded myself with a bit much of the 1940s and now live in my own museum lol! I have to learn restraint and tell myself I have enough! My problem is boredom. My go-to for passing the time and relaxing is looking at what is being sold on ebay and Etsy or looking around antique shops. That of course is what gets me into trouble as I will ALWAYS find something I want. I have to stop looking and then I won't know its out there. I try to remind myself that one day I'm going to have to list it, sell it (at a loss) and package it all up and ship it... and that in and of itself is a pain in the ass.

 

[Edward]

Acquired a great set of photos of this gorgeous girl for my 1940s themed office items… the icing on the cake is the photo of her with presumably her boyfriend who happens to be wearing an Army Air Forces t-shirt! These measure 2 1/2” x 4 1/2” Sadly no information about who they are…

 

[Micawber]

What a pretty young lady.

 

[B-Man2]

So many photos and stories lost to time . I have a feeling the same is happening to my family . I have photos of people I know were relatives , 2nd cousins , great uncles , great grand parents , all of which are in family photo albums I inherited from my parents . None of the photos are marked and I have no idea who’s in them . All lost to time . Sad .

 

[Edward]

So many photos and stories lost to time . I have a feeling the same is happening to my family . I have photos of people I know were relatives , 2nd cousins , great uncles , great grand parents , all of which are in family photo albums I inherited from my parents . None of the photos are marked and I have no idea who’s in them . All lost to time . Sad .

Indeed! All anonymous people that once lived and we have no idea who they are and when photos like this are found in flea markets and on eBay it’s probably because not only are they long gone but any descendants they had like children grandchildren that might want these or cherish these are probably dead now too… Or they didn’t have any children! No one to pass these photos on to. And, like you, inherited photos but have no idea who these people are. You just know that it was a great aunt or a cousin of your mother… So somehow this stuff ends up at a garage sale. And now they are antique decorative art… LOL! I have some family photos but I can’t remember the last time I pulled them out to look at them! LOL! And even I am guilty of today’s generational fault of snapping digital photos constantly but never printing them out! So all these photos will disappear into the digital ether to eventually dissolve away! And even bloodline family if you never interacted with them they’re complete strangers to you so having photographs of them it’s just little bit pointless sadly… I suppose if you want to build a family tree to know where you came from that’s one thing but so much of my family history is lost already due to my family being very poor and having very few Photographs taken and few records being kept back inthe 20s and 30’s… And there was marriage controversy on my mom‘s family side where family members married Native American Indian women and back then that was very taboo and often ridiculed with major prejudiced and you were often disowned by the family… I have Native American Indian blood in me but sadly absolutely no photographs of who I descended from! We have very little information on who these people were. One day I’ll become a photograph sold on eBay! That will be my lasting legacy! LOL!

 

[B-Man2]

And to round out the final chapter of the story a couple of young girls decorating their first apartment will look at your photos sitting in an antique shop or flea market and agree “that’s a cool looking dude in that leather jacket and hat standing next to his cool looking desk , wouldn’t he look great sitting on the mantle or the antique table by the sofa?
Let’s get him !”
And that’s the rest of the story !

 

[Edward]

And to round out the final chapter of the story a couple of young girls decorating their first apartment will look at your photos sitting in an antique shop or flea market and agree “that’s a cool looking dude in that leather jacket and hat standing next to his cool looking desk , wouldn’t he look great sitting on the mantle or the antique table by the sofa?
Let’s get him !”
And that’s the rest of the story !

Well something to look forward to! I’ll finally be admired and appreciated by a woman… Once I’m dead! LOL!

 

[Spitfireace]

Admired once I'm dead. Makes sense.

 

[Rory Schultz]

Hey Edward, Did I show you a few of my recent acquisitions?

1st piece is called " The Sheriff Ducks " by Frank Spradling 1931

2nd piece is called " Texas Panhandle " by Chuck Dehaan BTW he is the artist who taught me how to paint horses

This next piece " Titanic " is by Tom Freeman who has paintings in the white house etc.

 

[ausreenactor]

Acquired a great set of photos of this gorgeous girl for my 1940s themed office items… the icing on the cake is the photo of her with presumably her boyfriend who happens to be wearing an Army Air Forces t-shirt! These measure 2 1/2” x 4 1/2” Sadly no information about who they are…

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Awesome! Well done.