Chuck In Oregon

I thought getting my collections into boxes was organizing them. The truth for me is that I have started to sell the majority of my collectibles, at least in part because I can't bear the thought of them at garage sales. One benefit of boxes and sales is that I have had time to get into my papers and photos. I hadn't realized just how much I had. So many, in fact, that I have built a website just for them. I've already got more than 200 up and I'm still not ready to open for viewing. I may end up with as many as 1,000 items -- photos, documents, uniform sketches -- before I'm done. So much to do, so little time. Chuck

* * * * * Oh man, have you ever struck gold with me. Never again will I be confused and disoriented. From this moment on I'm ... loosely focused. I owe you! Chuck

Well, I think I know what it is. I just don't know what it commemorates and that would make it a lot more interesting. It's a jeton. A token often worn hooked through a uniform jacket or dress buttonhole. They usually commemorated or celebrated something. Often an anniversary, graduation or celebration. They are very collectible. As for yours, I think the letters are G. R. V. and are probably the wearer's initials. The date is Nov, 12, 1911. At the top it looks like a II and the letter G but I don't know what the second letter is or may stand for. It looks kind of like a lower-case "ch" to me. I don't associate the date with anything in particular and it looks purpose-made, so probably ordered to celebrate an event that was significant to the donor or wearer. Is there anything on the other side? Is there any context to the badge, like a family history? The small stamps are proof and maker's stamps. Someone else will probably chip in with something better than this but it's a start.

* * * * * I kinda like 'em, too. This 8-term set came from the estate of the head of the Georgian KGB from 1953-1988. It may be the only 8-term set in the west. Were there any other 8 or 8+ term deputies? Enjoy. Chuck

Hi Doc I think "Ready for Medical Defense". I believe there are a couple of variations. Hope all is well with you today. Chuck

It's likely been more than a century since anyone at all cared about Col. Rich, why he passed or what he stood for. I salute him and congratulate you. They are fine things, respect for fallen soldiers and remembering their commitment, our heritage and our debts. Thank you for sharing this. Chuck

Locomotive Sports Club was a national sports club with local clubs everywhere. It was like, for instance, Dynamo or Spartak, with membership supposedly limited to industry/trade/occupation-associated members. They were the owners and builders of sports facilities everywhere, including huge national sports arenas. This badge was probably for a local club-level volleyball championship. It's an interesting find and worthy of collecting and preserving. It should appeal to sports, volleyball or Locomotive Club collectors. Nice catch. Chuck

You can also see some period aviator boards HERE . Chuck

Wow. No sooner asked than answered. Thanks for sharing those interesting items. Imagine, finding a picture of your grand-dad on eBay. That one was definitely meant to happen. Terrific find. Chuck

* * * * * Ah, OK. Bravery ... Freedom. It's starting to clear up for me, but only just a little. Chuck

* * * * * Can you tell us when and why the centerpiece changed? Chuck

It's not a photo contest. The more people who do this, the more I'll learn. I especially like what Alex did with the floor. I couldn't do it right. Meanwhile, here's what I think Ed's hottie might have looked like. I also posted this on his original thread. This girl was not hard on the eyes. Still isn't, through the prism of time. Chuck

She might've looked like this, back in the day. If the braids were red and the eyes blue ... wait a minute, that's my wife! Quite the little fashion statement, too. Spit curl, LONG braids, signature beret and jacket with a big fur collar. Workers' paradise? Workers could do a lot worse. Chuck

Thanks, Rick. The dirty little secret is that I'm having a ton of fun with this. I never knew how satisfying it would be to bring some of these old photos back to life. Sometimes when I'm done with a photo I just say "Welcome back, soldier." Yes, I admit, senility at work. I've stopped caring. I'm having SO much fun that I'm thinking of selling most of my collectibles and just concentrating on old photos, repairing them to the extent my skills allow, then cataloging them and sharing them on a website. In fact, I've already created the website and started populating it with images. It's the site I told you about before. I've got several hundred images already done and many more to come. I've also got a collection of uniform sketches that I'm going to include plus a bunch of other things. All this, because I discovered that there are a LOT of things you can do with these old photos besides just show them around one at a time then put them back in the box. If I have a little time today maybe I'll see what I can do with Spitcurl Girl. Among the photos I have worked on I have one of a major-league cutie. Uniform, leather, Mauser pistol and hot looks. You'll like her. Chuck

You're quite welcome. It's something that I enjoy doing and that one was a good candidate for repair. If you're really going to part with some of your photos, I would be interested in buying pretty much all you want to sell. Chuck

Ed, I really love your pictures. I've been working quite a bit at restoring my own photo collection. I couldn't resist the temptation to play with one of yours and work on my own meager skills. Here's what I think the photo of your three friends in post 3 might have looked like back in the day. I hope you aren't offended. Should you be, I apologize in advance and promise not to do it again. Chuck

* * * * * Too true. I have a handful of GPU capital crimes case files from the 1920s, with photos, interrogation Q&As, internal memos, telegrams, decrees, the whole thing. They were just pitched after the Soviet collapse. "Who needs this old stuff?" Very interesting things to me, at least at the time. But eventually the question becomes "What the heck am I going to do with this stuff?" Just like it was for them. Chuck

And here's a close-up of the signature.

Since I haven't yet learned to stitch images together (something that every 3rd-grader knows), I have to present this in two parts. Here's the lower part with the Beria signature.

I acquired this document in 2002 and subsequently lost it in my thoroughly modern filing system. "Hmmm. Might be in that pile over there." What I think this is, is an arrest warrant signed by Lavrenti Beria in 1926. The suspect is Andro Ter-Artyunov and the violation is of Article 142, foreign currency speculation. Corrections and better translations are always welcome. Anyone seen an earlier Beria signature? Chuck

I am really enjoying this thread and seeing what you guys are doing.? I have been doing a lot of work on repairing old photos from Russia and Georgia.? I started from (knowledge+experience = zero) but I've been learning along the way.? It has been very satisfying to bring some of those photos back to life from their damaged (and some very damaged) states.? Now I'm wondering how some of them would look in color.? You can do so much with the photo editors.? There are some good tutorials on YouTube about, for instance, making pop art sketches out of photos, just to name one technique.? That's ahead of where I am but it's something to think about. Thanks for this great thread.? Gloat: Now I'm off for a week of fishing the Kenai River combined with intensive woodturning challenges on-site at a friend's cabin right on the river with a huge woodturning studio.? Is life good or what? Chuck

* * * * * Well, I'll try. The middle guy in Post #1 looks to have a Pioneer Troops collar insignia. I can't tell on the other two. In post #2 the guy on the left has an Osoaviakhim badge, "Ready for PVKhO" which is, I believe, Air and Chemical Defense. Post #3 is pretty hazy. Maybe a Voroshilov Shooter's Badge on the left and a Ready for PVKhO on the right, but just guesses from the shapes. In Post #4 I'd guess an early GTO badge on the left and an Osoaviakhim Voroshilov Shooter's Badge on the right. In Post #6 the guy on the left is a tankist, of course. I think I'll retract my comment about the DOSAAF Activist badge on the right. That shape looks familiar but I can't quite place it. Seems like I should be able to ID that watch, too, but I can't quite do that either. Maybe it will come to me. I hope that someone else can give you a little more help. Thanks again for sharing these. That pilot looks like he just stepped out of "Dawn Patrol" or off of a DOSAAF poster. Chuck

* * * * * VERY nice pix. I love the early photos. I've been cataloguing a bunch of mine recently. Could the young man on the right be wearing a DOSAAF Activist badge? Not that clear, but could be. I especially like the pilot photo. Thanks for letting us see these. Please post all you care to share. Chuck

Thank you, Doc and others, for the kind words. It all makes me feel a little funny. I hadn't intended to say anything but to remain silent now wouldn't feel right. I'll just say this: It didn't feel like enough. Best wishes for an optimal recovery. Better days ahead. As for Gentleman of the Year ... is there a sash involved? Does it come in 3X? God bless all here. Chuck

Here's one that I haven't seem mentioned yet. She is the Soviet passenger/cargo ship turned hospital ship Armenia. She was sunk in four minutes by a torpedo launched by an He-111 on Nov. 7, 1941, while evacuating casualties and refugees and medical staff from the Crimea. She was wearing large hospital markings on her sides and decks at the time. Estimated 7,000 deaths (said to be overloaded by at least 2,000) with only eight survivors. Supposedly the largest ship disaster of WW II. Don't know for sure, not my field. This photo is obviously touched up, at least to the extent of adding a readable name on the bow. This was likely done by Pravda or TASS to make it more relevant to the printed story. The only other photo of Armenia that I could find was of her being built in dry dock. That one is in Wikepedia. I didn't try that hard, so maybe there are millions of them out there. Chuck