WWI trench art, nearly one hundred years old.

retiredbadge8091 · #1 07-26-2017, 12:23 AM

I recently picked up this piece of trench art from World War I. The art is displayed on a shell casing from a 37MM gun, Model of 1916. There's the initials "US" in a circle on one side and a four leaf clover on the other side. The four leaf clover is the symbol of the United States Army's 88th Infantry Division.

The word "France" is engraved across the bottom of the shell and the date "1918" also appears on it as well. The piece of trench art is nearly 100 years old. It's the second piece of trench art I've come across in my travels. Any collectors here that would like to add more information or suggest a value?
(I'll add photos shortly.)

rwsmith · #2 07-26-2017, 01:34 AM

I didn't know that 'trench art' from WWI existed. It stands to reason the if we can find art in French caves that goes back 20,000 years, we should be able to see something from the trenches in France from a hundred years ago.

The choice of medium is interesting, too. Brass shell casings. Probably hard to find in that day and time.

Shark Bait · #3 07-26-2017, 01:36 AM

I have a 1917 canteen with a buffalo inscribed in it. Don't know much about it though.

bigwheelzip · #4 07-26-2017, 09:39 AM

A quick search found a shell casing trench art category on ebay. Those shells are more ornate.

In the trench art theme, this letter opener was made from a piece of WWI shrapnel, from the second battle of the Marne, 15 July 6 August 1918. Only the shrapnel was from the trench though, the blade was added after the war.

DWalt · #5 07-26-2017, 12:58 PM

Much of the "Trench Art," especially that made from fired artillery shells, isn't trench art at all, at least not in the sense that they were made by Tommies, Doughboys, and Poilus sitting in trenches during lulls in battle. Most was factory made after WWI for sale as souvenirs to tourists who came to visit the French WWI battlefields during the 1920s. The battlefields were popular tourist destinations between the wars. I have several of those made from French 75mm cases. They are sometimes seen at antique shops, etc. priced in the $50-$100 price range and they are not particularly rare. They are sometimes seen at gun shows.

hoc9sw · #6 07-26-2017, 01:20 PM

A lot of what we call trench art was actually a rehab activity in the hospitals. I have a much more ornate set (2) that we converted to lamps. They were made in the reentry camp my uncle commanded at the end of the war from rounds his artillery unit fired. He stayed on longer, as he had no immediate family waiting, and it earned him a promotion. Patients with injuries that prevented them from easily moving around, but did not leave them bed-ridden stayed there until they could function well enough to make the ocean trip back home.

DWalt · #7 07-26-2017, 02:58 PM

From another website on the topic:

"Individual souvenirs and trophies of combat usually emerge from any war, but during World War 1 "soldier artwork" became its own art form, due to mass production of items by the vast numbers of the participants of the war.

Items were defined as "trench art" after a WW1 French newspaper competition awarded prizes in a competition for the most creative objects crafted from battlefield debris, by -
"the craftsmen of the trenches" or "artisanat de tranchées"

Found in many forms and sources: the Army, Navy, Submarines, Flying Corps, Auxiliary Services, Chinese Labour Corps., Rest Camps, Engineering Depots, Behind-the-Lines workshops, Prisoners-of-War, Wounded or Disabled Servicemen, Civilian artisans, French & Belgian cottage industries, Field Blacksmiths, and the jewellery trade. Commercial "Souvenir Workshops" also contributed, supplying demand from UK and foreign Stores for military memorabilia whilst in the United States, ammunition surpluses were mass-turned into commemorative items.

Individual and unique pieces were often crafted on a made-to-order basis for combatants to commemorate their war experience, maybe for a loved one or family member....or sometimes commissioned by the family as a memory item for a life sacrificed. Mass produced items were made for visiting battlefield pilgrims or tourists, also many designs fashioned well into the 1920's and the art noveau period."

Walter Rego · #8 07-26-2017, 08:52 PM

Here are a couple of examples in my collection. The lamp is a French 75mm shell marked Argonne 1918. I believe this one falls into the category of "made for tourists" as discussed above. The other shell I believe is more along the lines of true trench art. It is a German 77mm shell with the names of several campaigns in French language with a Croix de Guerre. It is nicely executed.

Drm50 · #9 07-28-2017, 12:25 AM

The only ww1 trench art I have is monkeys carved from peach
Pits by a great uncle that spent much time just sitting in the
trenches. One things for sure there would be no shortage of
brass casings to decorate.

federali · #10 07-29-2017, 07:26 PM

There are many surviving caves in France that were once part of the trench system. In these caves may be found carvings and drawings on walls and stone, left by members of all armies who fought there.