For those that collect USMC items, China Marine items in particular, I am looking at this item:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA%3AIT&rd=1
If real an outstanding item, but I have my doubts. First, the photos have a glossy finish..none of my China Marine photos have that type of finish..they tend to flat with a sepia finish. Second, one of the photo's of Marine Officers appears in a published book about a China Marine from Virginia. Next this album has a mix of enlisted and officer pictures...seems strange that offciers would pose given the distance between the two groups at that time (although could be the Commany Commander and Company officer). Next the pictures reflect activities from various Companies and support staff. Seems this guy got around with the camera a lot (although the Guard only had 576 members in 1935. The cover seems to be a common China Marine cover on ebay. Several months ago a Marine Air grouping with the same type of cover appeared and several of the photos I reconized as coming from a Chinese Museum collection. Next, four years in Peking was almost impossible for an officer and not likely for a enlisted man but possible..homesteaders were cleaned out in the mid-1930s.. Lastly every China Marine album I have seen has small, badly composed shots of the Guard and pasted beer bottle lables or hotel labels from that period. This one is light on that type of stuff.
On the plus side, the photos that appear in this album match the period exactly. I did ask the seller if return privillages existed if it turned out the items are reprints... the response:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width="75%">"Well to be honest, I'm cleaning out my grandparents old house and have a trunk full of this stuff, and no little to nothing about it..I'm selling this " AS IS". I'm not trying to pull a fast one on anybody, but I'm just trying to get rid of this and don't want to hassle with it anymore. Like I said, this has been sitting in there office closet for years, and this isn't even part of my family's side. So unsure about where it came from, or who made it..."
I am hoping someone on this website knows China Marine stuff could jump in or if some one has a Legation Guard Annual from those years I could confrim this guy was even there.
My final thought. These albums seem somewhat common on ebay. After studiying one several months ago I noted many of the photos were copies of photos available at the USMC History Center in DC. This album is not the case.
Does anyone have ingight into this type of album or an opinion on if it looks legit? Thanks.
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http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA%3AIT&rd=1
If real an outstanding item, but I have my doubts. First, the photos have a glossy finish..none of my China Marine photos have that type of finish..they tend to flat with a sepia finish. Second, one of the photo's of Marine Officers appears in a published book about a China Marine from Virginia. Next this album has a mix of enlisted and officer pictures...seems strange that offciers would pose given the distance between the two groups at that time (although could be the Commany Commander and Company officer). Next the pictures reflect activities from various Companies and support staff. Seems this guy got around with the camera a lot (although the Guard only had 576 members in 1935. The cover seems to be a common China Marine cover on ebay. Several months ago a Marine Air grouping with the same type of cover appeared and several of the photos I reconized as coming from a Chinese Museum collection. Next, four years in Peking was almost impossible for an officer and not likely for a enlisted man but possible..homesteaders were cleaned out in the mid-1930s.. Lastly every China Marine album I have seen has small, badly composed shots of the Guard and pasted beer bottle lables or hotel labels from that period. This one is light on that type of stuff.
On the plus side, the photos that appear in this album match the period exactly. I did ask the seller if return privillages existed if it turned out the items are reprints... the response:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width="75%">"Well to be honest, I'm cleaning out my grandparents old house and have a trunk full of this stuff, and no little to nothing about it..I'm selling this " AS IS". I'm not trying to pull a fast one on anybody, but I'm just trying to get rid of this and don't want to hassle with it anymore. Like I said, this has been sitting in there office closet for years, and this isn't even part of my family's side. So unsure about where it came from, or who made it..."
I am hoping someone on this website knows China Marine stuff could jump in or if some one has a Legation Guard Annual from those years I could confrim this guy was even there.
My final thought. These albums seem somewhat common on ebay. After studiying one several months ago I noted many of the photos were copies of photos available at the USMC History Center in DC. This album is not the case.
Does anyone have ingight into this type of album or an opinion on if it looks legit? Thanks.
</TD><TD vAlign=top align=middle width="22%"></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
. I had no idea they were worth that much. Not even close to what I could bid. Hopefully, we will see those pictures in some book. Thank you all for your inputs. I guess I saw some fake albums and thought this one might have been...but enough of you had examples that proved me wrong. Believe the orginial owners name appears in muster rolls. Yes, Steve you are correct photos from Asia where glossy as well as matt finish..I just got in a few glossy examples fro mthe PI and 4th Marines 1937. I guess the photo's were not sepia finished but whatever developing techniques (or fixer) they used in Asia in the 1920s and early 1930s seems to leave most of the photo's I have faded to a mellow sepia tone. Some are half glossy BW and half matt sepia toned BW. I would like to post some examples and would love to see others to get a better feel for the type of pictures taken during this era. Again thanks all for your help. Dirk
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