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DESCRIPTION
The heart of this lot is a single portrait: a young soldier seated in a field with a Thompson submachine gun across his knees, inscribed across the front in blue ink — \"To My Dearest Wife & Son — Love you Both — Ken.\" The back is dated in ink \"22 May 51.\" Around it, six more photographs: two camp scenes from Europe whose backs are inscribed \"Delbert Gray\"; a snow-covered tent whose back is pencil-captioned \"Camp Mead 1939\"; soldiers washing at a woodland stream; a New York Central streamlined passenger car; and a later copy print of an unidentified officer talking with an older man in a car.
The New York Central car wears the railroad\'s two-tone gray livery — the scheme introduced with Henry Dreyfuss\'s 1938 streamlined fleet, the look made famous by the 20th Century Limited. The car itself is not identified as any particular train, and neither man in the car photograph is identified. \"Ken\" is named exactly as his inscription signs him — first name only; no surname appears anywhere on his photograph. Delbert Gray is named exactly as the backs of his two photographs name him. No service histories are claimed for either man.
CONTENTS
- The \"Ken\" portrait — a soldier seated in a field, Thompson submachine gun across his knees; inscribed on the front \"To My Dearest Wife & Son — Love you Both — Ken\"; the back is dated in ink \"22 May 51.\"
- Camp in Europe, first photo — soldiers with their equipment laid out on the ground in rows before the tents, an inspection scene; the back is inscribed \"Delbert Gray / Camp in Europe\" with a finisher\'s stamp \"397.\"
- Camp in Europe, second photo — a field camp with pup tents, soldiers resting, a cargo truck in the background; the back is inscribed \"Delbert Gray / Army Camp in Europe.\"
- Camp Mead tent — a snow-covered pyramidal tent in a pine woods; the back is pencil-captioned \"Camp Mead 1939\" (Camp Meade, Maryland) with a stamped \"19.\"
- Soldiers at a stream — washing and resting along a woodland stream; the back is pencil-captioned \"US SOLDIERS TRAINING,\" on Kodak paper.
- New York Central train — a streamlined passenger car lettered \"NEW YORK CENTRAL,\" a man in a suit standing in the open door shielding his eyes, a numbered placard in the window beside the door; deckle-edge print on Kodak Velox paper.
- Car interior — a uniformed officer in a peaked cap in conversation with an older white-haired man in a suit at the wheel; a later COPY print (not a period original), creased; neither man is identified.
MEASUREMENTS
The seven prints range from approx. 3-1/2 x 2-1/2 in to approx. 5 x 3-1/2 in (the train photograph is the largest).
CONDITION
Very Good overall for the lot. The \"Ken\" portrait is very good, with gentle age toning and light surface sheen wear. The two Delbert Gray camp photographs are very good with light handling wear; the close view of one shows fine surface scratches. The Camp Mead tent photograph is very good with light toning; its back has a few small foxing spots. The stream photograph is good to very good, with scattered surface scratches and light wear, and brown staining patches on its back. The New York Central train photograph is very good, deckle-edged; its back has a finisher\'s number stamp and a small blue ink smear at one edge. The car-interior photograph is good: it is a later copy print with a crease running through it and a soft image. Across the lot expect typical vintage wear — rounded corners, edge wear, scattered light fading or foxing, and occasional surface scuffs. Please examine closely for exact condition.
SHIPPING & RETURNS
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