Along time ago, my Aunt Lilly gave me a small blue suitcase full of "stuff." The case contained "stuff" for which she was looking to release herself from the burden; I looked like easy prey. The suitcase and stuff are long gone but my vintage sensibilities would not let me part with a couple of things. They have been tucked away in a drawer for years and I recently stumbled on them while releasing my burden of junk spring cleaning. This falls under the antique category rather than vintage.
This is a photo keepsake cover from a United States WWI Veteran. Somewhere I still have the soldier's photo but cannot find it at this time. Who knows why I took it out of the protective cover? (Rhetorical question.) This was a gift to my Aunt Lilly from her gentleman at the time.
The entire cover is silk. The front cover is embroidered.
The ribbons are a little tattered but otherwise it is in good shape.
It opens like a card. This is the inside top.
It is a pocket for a small photo to be inserted.
"Remember Me ~ Sweet be to thee life's passing hours,
and all thy paths be decked with flowers."
The bottom portion of the card is a larger pocket made to hold the thick beige-sepia photos of yesteryear. It is very fine silk.
The flag has thirteen stripes and forty-eight stars.
Here is a photo of the whole piece. Sorry it's a bit blurry.
Tucked inside one of the pockets is a silk handkerchief.
It still has the origional fold creases.
When war clouds hover o'er the land we read of heroes brave,
Our officers on land and sea, o'er them we fairly rave;
The real defenders are forgot, the men who fire the gun.
'Tis they who'll shield the Stars and Stripes,
God bless them ev'ry mother's son!
He may be wealthy, college, bred, perhaps a son of toil,
He volunteers to fight or die, he loves his native soil;
No fame or glory be his, though through him battles are won.
Old Glory will never cease to wave while we have men to fire the gun!
I could write a whole political post regarding the poem. But I won't. It speaks well enough for itself.
Dated: "Spirit of 1917 ~ Spirit of 1776"
Hope you enjoyed this little piece of history. It is one of my favorite things. Now zip back on over to Colorado Lady to enjoy more Vintage Thingies Thursday. She is a great hostess and she loves my dog. Enough said.
Thanks for reading, Rosie.
15 comments:
Wow - seriously cool!
Anytime you have a suitcase filled with vintage stuff, it's a great occasion. Love all the military items. Happy VTT
Ann
I've never seen anything like any of that!
I have been down that history road before. In fact, I may still have one of the hankies. You really have some great VTT keepsakes with those.
What a wonderful treasure, Rosie! Glad you found it while SPRING CLEANING! =)
I hadn't ever seen one of these before, so this was very interesting. What a precious keepsake.
What treasures you found spring cleaning. A true piece of history.
So interesting. I have two old flags that my husband's grandfather carried in wwI. They are all folded and a bit faded but I plan on having them framed for my sons. Very wonderful history!
Those are great treasures. I hope you didn't discard any good "stuff."
This is really cool! I'm glad you shared it. I think it's a bit romantic that it was given to her by her gentleman. :)
Thank you so much for your sweet posts on my blog. I appreciate you.
((hugs))
~Laura
Very interesting. I hope you find the gentleman's pic and reunite the pieces.
Kathy
Oh, yes....I love that Oscar boy.....enough said!!!!!
This is really an interesting thing to have and how wonderful it was all kept together over the years. Is it safe to say the soldier was not your uncle???
I really enjoyed seeing this today, something so unusual! Have a great VTT!
What a great piece of history- The handkerchief is especially cool. Very collectible.
That is amazing. You should tell your aunt you will take her "stuff" anytime!
Your "find" was super...makes me think of the pictures I stumbled upon when reading a rug camp blog sponsored by Gene Shepherd recently. He has a couple of choice items folks have made in honor of Abraham Lincoln. They are beautiful pieces, crafted in traditional hooked rug style. This WWI item is truly a treasure!...merry sunshine
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