Trench art

Object/Artifact

The Salvation Army Central Territory Museum

2016.11.46

Name/Title

Trench art

Entry/Object ID

2016.11.46

Description

Trench art knife style letter opener, circa 1914-1918. Letter opener style. Made from bullets/shell casings. Blade has a main point, with two smaller points at the top. End of blade as a four-pointed cutout. Handle cone-shaped and has a relief of a crown, which was made from a German uniform button. Etched on one side of the blade is "VERDUN", which most likely refers to WWI's Battle of Verdun in Verdun, France (February 21 - Dec 18 1916). The term "trench art" was coined during World War I to describe decorative artwork produced by soldiers, prisoners of war and civilians during or in response to times of armed conflict or its aftermath.

Acquisition

Accession

2016.11

Source or Donor

Feack, Pamela

Acquisition Method

Gift

Credit Line

Gift of Pamela Feack in memory of Floyd O. "Pa" and Samantha Minerva "Minnie, Ma" Saunders Burdick, Cecil May Burdick Goodwin, Grace Belle Burdick Yates, and Fern Ann Goodwin Feack

Made/Created

Date made

1916 - 1916

Place

City

Verdun

County

Meuse Department

State/Province

Grand Est Region

Country

France

Region

Western Europe

Continent

Europe

Notes

Date: likely 1916

Lexicon

Nomenclature 4.0

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

Opener, Letter

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

Art, Trench

Nomenclature Sub-Class

Writing Accessories

Nomenclature Class

Written Communication T&E

Nomenclature Class

Art

Nomenclature Category

Category 06: Tools & Equipment for Communication

Nomenclature Category

Category 08: Communication Objects

Dimensions

Height

1-1/4 in

Depth

5/8 in

Length

7-1/2 in

Material

Metal

Relationships

Related Events

Event

World War I

Provenance

Notes

Given to the museum from descendents of the Burdick family