This stuff has been given to me by a gentleman who hit the beaches of Normandy in WW2. It consists of german work visas, passports, sport visas, old photos,postcards from 1939 germany, Paper Nazi pennant, Telegrams,German euoropean map, even a copy of Gen- Montgomerys Non fraternization policy which by todays standards the wording is less than politicaly correct. The gentleman only wishes i dont throw it away!! Can i donate it to a war Meuseum???
I have beeen given old WW2 Nazi memorabillia.
- Thread starter enmow
- Start date
You can, but it would probably be better to sell the items yourself. Museums have a bad habit of selling items they deem not fit for their displays. There is no guarantee where the items will end up. Better you get fair market value for them and perhaps donate the cash back to the gentleman who gave them to you.
You could, but do your research on what the museum will do with it. Many museums have way more stuff than they can display and leave them in their storage areas, and since some aren't allowed to sell their stuff, sometimes even have to throw it out.
well, if you donate it to a large war musuem, the chances are stronger than not that the items will be put into a box in the basement and left to rot forever, unless of course the roof starts to leak and damages the items beyond repair before they get a chance to rot. this has happened in ottawa a few years ago which resulted in damage to musuem stuff donated and stored away. when my mother was younger, she worked at a large musuem and lots of the stuff 'went missing' over the years with no one appearing to be overly concerned.
if you want to donate it to a musuem, look at a local musuem and pass the stuff over during remembrance day on a temp basis only. take the items back for the rest of the year so you can be assured they will remain intact and/or not 'get lost' someplace alternatively, you can let the stuff be shown in the display cabinets of different schools during rem day to interest the kids and show them a bit of history. i collect trench art and have about 700 pieces in my collection so far and pass out stuff to schools to display during this time. it's informative and the students/staff are most appreciative.
it's my way of showing respect to the vets.
good luck.
Thanks Guys For your input
IM very proud of our Veterans' current and past. Being From NFLD we have a strong pride in our veterans' and what they have accomplished. The Veteran is from a southern Ontario infantry unit. Perhaps I can contact his old unit to see if they want this stuff?? I really dont think I should keep it for myself as sitting in my trunk for 60 years does not do it justice. It sat in his trunk far too long as well.
Any suggestions Greatly appreciated.
IM very proud of our Veterans' current and past. Being From NFLD we have a strong pride in our veterans' and what they have accomplished. The Veteran is from a southern Ontario infantry unit. Perhaps I can contact his old unit to see if they want this stuff?? I really dont think I should keep it for myself as sitting in my trunk for 60 years does not do it justice. It sat in his trunk far too long as well.
Any suggestions Greatly appreciated.
Grand Falls Windsor NF ,Legion has a Musuem . give them a call. They love war trophies and everything goes on display politically correct or not. Mr Malloy runs the musuem part I gave him a dewat sten two years back . he got so excited he was shaking ,I thought me was going to piss himself.
Contact the Regiment and see if they have a museum and ask some information about it first before offering anything (maybe even have a gun-nut from the area check it out). I had donated a couple of things to my old Militia Regiment through a 'trusted" person when I went into the Reg force only to find out later the items never made it to the Regiment.
I also have one of the two Regimental books in my family from my great grandfather's Regiment from 1915 that I am holding onto until I can get to Winnipeg to see personally how the museum is and assure myself it won't end up in some dishonest person's hands.
I was firearms curator at 2 major museums for 10 years. The sad truth is almost all stuff donated get filed numbered and put away. There is just no room for any more donations!
There are a few exceptions, but these are rare items added.
There are a few exceptions, but these are rare items added.
- Location
- Tucson, Arizona
speaking of donations, years ago the wife of a WW1 vet donated his stuff to the local museum. The curator was going through the box and found a german "potato masher" He unscrewed the cap on the handle and a string with a little porcelain ball fell out! 
EOD from the air base took it away and disposed of it for him.
EOD from the air base took it away and disposed of it for him.
I'd say - keep it. Write down the brief history of those items and about the gentleman and add that paper to the items.
Then donate it to the next keeper.
That would be the best way to ensure it would not be thrown away...
- Location
- Steel Town and The Peg
That is the best idea, and the most respectful.
Phenomenal idea - perhaps impossible, but phenomenal nonetheless. Good ideas are rarely marked by easy implementation.
-M
X2. Neat idea.
Giving to a museum so often is just a way to relegate the item to a dark room never to be seen again.
Remember Ed Hopewell a US Border Patrol Agent years ago told me of a restaurant owner who collected American Native artifacts and displayed some in a glass cabinet at the check stand. A guy with a English accent was paying his bill and they talked about the artifacts and the UK res. was a curator of a museum. Told the guy they were changing the theme and getting rid of artifacts brought back to England by British Soldiers etc before the revolutionary war and he would send him some artifacts.
The restaurant owner was agreeable but thought nothing more of it. Ed told me the owner got a phone call one day (months later) from the station agent of Great Northern RR, there was a box for him...told the guy bring a truck weight of the box 1 ton. The curator sent him literally a ton of artifacts, hundreds of items some worth a small fortune.
Museums really only are keepers as long as there is a real interest and space.
Remember Ed Hopewell a US Border Patrol Agent years ago told me of a restaurant owner who collected American Native artifacts and displayed some in a glass cabinet at the check stand. A guy with a English accent was paying his bill and they talked about the artifacts and the UK res. was a curator of a museum. Told the guy they were changing the theme and getting rid of artifacts brought back to England by British Soldiers etc before the revolutionary war and he would send him some artifacts.
The restaurant owner was agreeable but thought nothing more of it. Ed told me the owner got a phone call one day (months later) from the station agent of Great Northern RR, there was a box for him...told the guy bring a truck weight of the box 1 ton. The curator sent him literally a ton of artifacts, hundreds of items some worth a small fortune.
Museums really only are keepers as long as there is a real interest and space.
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