Thursday, October 26, 2006

Studio Friday - {COLLECTIONS}

Studio Friday topic for October 27th:
This week's topic for Friday October 27th suggested by Silvia:
"MY COLLECTION(S)!"

"Most people collect something, it would be fun to see what others have in their collections."
~ Silvia


Oh boy... are you sure you're ready for ME? Just kiddin'!!
Well this is a topic that's really, really fun and easy for me! My husband and I collect WW2 memorabilia. Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting We own a WW2 museum that houses our personal collection. What we focus most on is USA Army Air Corps and Paratrooper Memorbelia but we have a LOT of stuff from all branches of the US services and also Allied and Axis troops.
Here's part of our reenactment group. My husband is on the far right.
Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting
We own a traveling museum. Though we have a complete field hospital, we generally take the smaller, field hospital with us to events. We set up (takes about an hour and 1/2) at out door as well as indoor events. My husband does an excellent Field Surgeon impression and since he is a physician by trade, he is able to answer questions about the equipment and medical supplies. Our display really is very impressive. I wish the photographs did it justice! This particular collection, obviously, focuses on the medical aspect of WW2.

Here are a few photos that just show a small fraction of what our museum has.
Below are 2 photos of our field aid station. A field aid station was the 2nd medical contact that the wounded had. The 1st being the medic. About 90% of wounded men who made it to the field aid station, survived.
The 1st photo is the triage area and often the ONLY area they had.
Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting
This next photo is of their aid station. Under the tent would be supplies, a few stretchers (called 'litters') and possibly room for emergency surgery; often done outdoors due to lack of space and light.
Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting
Our passion is to display parts of our collection at various events. One of our favourite displays is our Veteran's Day display. We bring a lot of smaller memorabilia such as war time magazines, housewares, uniforms, paper items and general WW2 militaria. We love to set up for WW2 veterans!! The next few photos I took last year at Stonebrige Assisted Living Center. We put up a nice Veteran's Day display for the residents. We LOVE it when Veteran's are present and start telling
us about their war time experiences. They love it when we visit and we love visiting them!
Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting
Below is a litter (stretcher) with a bunch of Field hospital memorabilia. Of course you recognise the Medic Helmet. The other various instruments and gadgets would be found in the field hospital. IV pole and Plasma bottle, ether mask,gauze/bandages, syringes, wash basin, medic bag stocked full of bandages and morphine.
Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting
On this stretcher are various medical instruments used in the field hospitals of WW2. Some of the instruments are downright scary lookin'!
Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Here you will see a small display of wooden cases. Inside these are some of my favourite things. Soldiers rations, various insignia, sweetheart jewelry, matchbooks from different bases with various sayings on them. Spotter cards of enemy tanks and planes and lots of other small wartime trinkets. Most of these things we had found at various flea markets, garage sales and of course, ebay!
Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

We not only focus on WW2 Medicine. We also have a pretty intense collection of G.I. memorabilia. Below is a photo of the basic contents of a regular G.I.'s backpack.
Helmet, gas mask, mess kit, shaving kit, 1 morphine syrette, canteen, cigarettes, toilet paper, lighter. K-Rations, comb, flashlight and a few miscellaneous things.
Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

The photo below is a small portion of the collection also. Some of these items belong to some of the members of our WW2 Reenactment group. We had set up a small display at a WW2 Veteran's Conference at Brookdale Community College in NJ.
Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting
So here we have it, the collection that I most cherish! We plan to continually add to the collection indefinitely!

30 comments:

Artful Creations by Tracie said...

FABULOUS collection my friend! Some day we will get out to your new location and see your museum! I can't wait!!! Julius will just LOVE it!! Also, I hope to attend a reenactment with you guys.

Love it!!!

Anonymous said...

Wow, what a fabulous colection my hubby loves anything to do with WW2.. he`s like a kid in a sweet shop looking at your photos....

Cheryl Wray said...

WOW! Look at you guys! I can't believe you have such an amazing, huge collection. That is too cool!

Kerri Jean said...

Yikes, even my biggest collections (art supplies mostly) pale in comparison to this. Not to mention my little house wouldn't even have room to store this museum of treasures. Amazing history. What a way to honor our veterans.

Anonymous said...

You are definately the QUEEN of collections! what a collection you have...that's just amazing. You and your husband have taken on the role of "stewards" of an important time in history. Well done!

Anonymous said...

a fascinating collection!

Kim Carney said...

WOW that is a great collection! I am fascinated by WW2 and that is impressive! I love that you LIVE your collection ;)

Silvia Hoefnagels . Salix Tree said...

Wow!!! Your collection has turned into a museum! How cool! That is some passion you and your hubby have.

laura said...

My son would have a fit! He loves all things having to do with WWII. He's only 11 but knows so much.

lee said...

what a collection, must have taken a long time to collect all that. I am sure you get alot of people interersted. Loved it.
lee

Kerri Jean said...

Hi Gabi, Thanks for the anniversary wishes. You inspired me to write the Brooklyn story as a post. It's too long to post here as a comment, so I'm going to blog it probably tomorrow or sunday. I'll let you know when it's there.

Anonymous said...

Okay, we all took a vote, and you win! Wow - what a sight! And how amazing it looks!

Cheryl said...

Awesome Gabi!! I just love the pictures. I thought about what I collect but I can't even come close to you! :P

Paula Adams Perez said...

Hi Gabi! Thanks for coming to comment on my majolica teapots. They are mostly full sized teapots, but I do have some minis. My collection is focused on teapots in the shapes of fruits and vegetables, but there are also ones shaped like animals. They are fun! I have them on high shelves along the wall of my kitchen eating nook.

Anonymous said...

Wowzers Gabikins. What an interesting thing to be involved in. May I ask where this started? Was one of you into it when you met and then the other got involved or is this how you met?

Do tell!

Silvia Hoefnagels . Salix Tree said...

By the way.. thankies for visiting my blog so often!
I might just take you up on your offer, I collect labels from anywhere. Send me an Email if you like, oki?
Cheers! And have a great Halloween!

Unknown said...

This is the coolest post!! I have some wartime momentoes from my grandfather when he died but this pales into insignificance!

Thanks for your lovely comments on my blog & debbies...I feel that my work has been featured as a fellow artist's collection!

Ouissi x

Camilla said...

Now that's a collection and a half! Wow- kind of puts my handkerchief collection to shame!

Kerri Jean said...

Hi Gabi,
I don't have any other e-mail address for you, and I just wanted to wish you a happy halloween, as you've mentioned it's your favorite holiday. Have a great day!! (I haven't had chance to post my brooklyn story yet, but I'll let you know when I do!!)

Kerri Jean said...

Okay, now I feel like a stalker, because this is my fourth post to this blog, but I just wanted to tell you the brooklyn story has been posted. I am sure you're out enjoying this magical night. enjoy

Anonymous said...

wow - a whole museum! I"ll have to look around your site some more. I would love to visit you or a re-enactment sometime. I'm a physician too and what is really amazing is how much they could do at those field hospitals with so little.

Stonemagick (Samhains) said...

WOW what a collection of WWII collectables.

I was not going to comment about this blog, because it is a very raw subject for me. Some of my family was in WWII, and are still alive, or atlest they where when I was in the UK last... My uncle also drove tank in that war, our family suffered great loss of life and property....There is still a very stong phycological affect that ligers over Great Britian, the fear is still in the air and has past from generation to generation, perhaps not so much now as when I was born but my generation still remembers the fear in the face of thoughs that servived to tell their storys...

the members of my family that where too young to go to war, they stayed home and picked up broken bricks, remains from the air raids and bombbardments from the shored of Normandy, they picked up bricks in places as far inland as London. WW2 on brings tears to my eyes and pain in my heart.

Our Grand Queen was told to flee to saftly, to Ireland they said. She is the bravest woman I know; she refused to leave buckingham palace, untill it sustained damage, then she agreed to go to an Estate I beleive further away. She would not leave her people she said and that A Queens place is with her people....I'am proud to call her my Queen mother..

Stonemagick (Samhains) said...

Where do you story all that stuff* when your not displaying it or traveling with it? It must be a labour of love.. :)

Stonemagick (Samhains) said...

OMG I should proof read...I mean where do you STORE all that stuff...story, what Iam I on crack? see talking aboutww2 has thrown me off...

Going For Greatness said...

That's just part of the collection. We rent a climate controlled storage unit and the majority is stored there until such time as we make the traveling museum into a brick-mortar museum somewhere......

Going For Greatness said...

We have personal ties to WW2 as well, thus the rabid-collecting. We never want it forgotten. Ever

Stonemagick (Samhains) said...

OMG thats great :)ya I'd come see your stuff :) Ya I thought you'd need some space to put this in, good thing you got CC..

kinda Puts my pocket of air collection to shame though... :)

Brenda said...

OMG Gabi Girl!! This is just awesome. I wish I lived near to be able to see this. Maybe one day we can plan this in for a vacation. Tell Harel that this is awesome!!

Anonymous said...

Wow, I knew there was lots of stuff but not this much. I think it is great, Gabi! I think things like this are important to learn from and remember...Hope your museum will be there for you soon!

Kim -today's creative blog said...

Gabi, Where are you? I hope everything is ok.