My Imperial German collection

[EuRob]

Hello all

I would like to share with you my ongoing collecting project.

I specialise in collecting German Imperial medals and I try to obtain fieldpost with pictures of recipients wearing their medals.

I used to collect TR as well as German Imperial and only the medals, which I displayed in medal cases. As time went on I realised that the medals are just trinkets of war and not really researchable. Also the price of medals keep going up and up and my budget stops me just buying and buying! So I needed another 'edge' to my collecting of medals. I sold off my TR for many reasons and came up with the idea of German Imperial medals and fieldpost/photos linking a story with the medal.

The medals I collect are not the actual medal that the recipients are wearing in the photos but just a 'link' to the medal.

I keep these medals and feldpost/photos in a beautiful English Victorian photo album which has a leather cover and gilt edged page leaves, brass clasp (although I guess this will not function as I fill up the album with medals, but thats cool with me).

I feel that the way I am preserving/cataloging my medals is very satisfying and I can get this book out whenever I feel like it and look through and peruse my trinkets and photos, wheras when in display cases I was forever taking the case off the wall to get close ups. After 3 years of collecting I feel that I have found my 'Specialism'.

I am always trawling through sites to look for period feldpost/photos that I can research and put a link to my medals so if anybody wishes to offload any that may be of interest to me then please drop me a PM.

Thanks to all at GMIC who have assisted me in my quest and a big shout to Rick whose help and assistance is very much appreciated

All the best Rob

[EuRob]

Victorian Album

[EuRob]

...

[EuRob]

Inlay print "The Photographic Album"

[EuRob]

The content....

Major Fritzaugust Hopfen IR 346

1914 EK1 mm KO

I scan and print the back of the card to minimise taking the original card out of the photo corners.

I rest the medal on felt which I glue onto strong card and insert in the 'photo window'.

I also display the translation (as best as I can get, and maybe this could be researched further?)

[EuRob]

How a double page looks

[EuRob]

Medical Orderly Carl Engellander (with umlaut on the 'a')

BMVK3x

[EuRob]

Heinrich Mainzer IR 143 (pictured with a white cross if you can make it out?)

1914 EK2 mm KO

[EuRob]

The rest of my medal collection which I am hunting pics for!

[EuRob]

...and my minis but am not sure if these will go in the book? maybe? Dunno yet, going to sit on this thought. Also the buttons are too bulky for the book!

[pinpon590]

Nice collection !

I like your book !

[buellmeister]

What a Fantastic Idea! It is a stunning presentation!

Regards,

Joel

[Ulsterman]

Excellent!! I LOVE the collection. Brilliant idea to have the recipient with the medal. it makes history so vivid.

Do you ever research the regiment/action as well?

[nesredep]

Hello!

Just amazing,good idea.

All the best

Nesredep

[Scott Powell]

i love how you are displaying your collection, VERY nice!

[ccj]

i love how you are displaying your collection, VERY nice!

Oh, that's a novel idea.

[Sal]

THAT is just fantastic. I havent' seen a method of display so creative. I think I might have to copy your technique.

What are you using to secure the medals into the space in the album?

Well done

Tony

[christerd]

Great Collection !

It?s always nice to see some new ideas to show the collection. Superb!

Christer

[EuRob]

Thanks for all your kind words

I find it hard to believe that somebody else has not thought of this but if I am the first then thats great!!

Tony-I secure the medal ribbon with 2 paper fasteners, the type with split pins and I sow the medal to the ribon so it doesnt flap about. There is a drawback to this in that you cant see the reverse of the medal but I can live with that. I will post pics of me doing this (Blue Peter style ) when I get my next pics.

I am waiting on a pic of a HH recipient from Heiko and when I get it I will post mounting stages. I do have a problem with the HH medal though as it is folded and stitched into a trapezoid ribbon with an old skool pin and I really dont want to mess about with this so as to put in the book. So I think I will be looking to trade this for another plain/normal HH ribbon so if anyone is interested the pic of my HH is on post #9!

Ulsterman-As of yet no I havent researched the regiment/action but I probably will do in the future some time. I am really stacked up with work and renovating my house at present so no real time to do this yet! I have had some help from other members at GMIC with translations and personnel etc which I am very grateful for. Here is a link to one of them kindly researched by RICK

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=25721

Rob

Edited April 9, 2008 by EuRob

[EuRob]

.....ok here we go

stuff needed to put medals in the album

[EuRob]

glue felt to card and insert in window

[EuRob]

fasten ribbon to the felt/card with paper fastener. I usually use 2 fasteners but because of the double jump ring on the HH I decided to use only one and to sow the jump ring to the ribbon. Also position the fastener behind where the medal goes so cant be seen.

[EuRob]

sow the medal onto the ribbon and the card. The reverse is hidden by the original paper that is in the windows plus the postcard on the other side.

Edited April 16, 2008 by EuRob

[EuRob]

The final result!

No writing on reverse of this photo.

[Stogieman]

Very unique and interesting way to display. I like it. Thanks for showing the collection!