Jay Massaro's DI collection

[John Cooper]

Hi all,

 

 

 

I just wanted to share some info from the latest ASMIC newsletter. Mr. Massaro's DI collection is now on display at the Texas Military Forces Museum, Camp Mabry, Austin Texas. According to Don Sexton Jay's collection is 2nd onl to that of the USMA!

 

I know if I get out to Texas I will stop by!

 

 

Regards,

 

John

 

www.asmic.org

[ehrentitle]

John, I saw that too but the claim as the 2nd largest is open to debate. Perhaps the 2nd largest on public display. The Quartermaster Museum, Fort Lee, VA; Institute of Heraldry, Fort Belvoir, VA and the Military History Institute, Carlsile Barracks, PA have massive collections but except for the QM Museum they are not generally available to the public. The QM Museum has the 7,000 crest Colonel Richard Bull collection on public display with as many more in storage. Kevin

[John Cooper]

John, I saw that too but the claim as the 2nd largest is open to debate. Perhaps the 2nd largest on public display. The Quartermaster Museum, Fort Lee, VA; Institute of Heraldry, Fort Belvoir, VA and the Military History Institute, Carlsile Barracks, PA have massive collections but except for the QM Museum they are not generally available to the public. The QM Museum has the 7,000 crest Colonel Richard Bull collection on public display with as many more in storage. Kevin

 

 

 

Thanks for the clairification I am sure this is helpful to the interested readers - can I assume you have seen these displays? If so did you happen to take any pictures?

 

 

 

John

[ehrentitle]

Thanks for the clairification I am sure this is helpful to the interested readers - can I assume you have seen these displays? If so did you happen to take any pictures?

 

John

 

John - Yes I've seen them all as I used to visit them quite frequently but unfortunately don't have photos. The Quartermaster Museum's are displayed in archival pull out drawers so they would be a bit hard to photograph. Kevin

[John Cooper]

That collection must have been something to see. How was it orangized?

 

John

[ehrentitle]

That collection must have been something to see. How was it orangized?

 

John

 

Actually Heraldry was one of the former missions of the Quartermaster Corps.

Due to this connection the Quartermaster Museum had been receiving samples of DIs from The Institute of Heraldry for decades. They also have received numerous donations of DIs from the public over the years. As for Colonel Richard Bull, he was a Quartermaster Officer who's wife donated his lifelong collection to the museum after his death. Kevin

[rlyoun3910]

Also, the Corps of Engineers Museum, Fort Leonardwood, MO, has an extensive crest collection, which I think rivals the QM museum's. So, if you're ever in that remote part of Missouri, stop in and spend a few hours if not all day gawking. --Ray

[gwb123]

I remember when Jay passed away, people wondered where his collection was going to end up. About 6 months later the ASMIC Trading Post featured an article about it being placed at Camp Mabry.

 

Jay was the "go to" person in ASMIC for questions on DI's. I remember seeing him and the current president Jim McDuff spending hours at a show talking about nothing else. The looked as happy as a couple of kids trading baseball cards on the playground!

[ithaca37]

Gil,

 

I've also seen Jim and Jay doing the same thing at shows. Another person that could be added to that pair would be the late Ival Lawhon (Area 5 VP at the time of his death)Jay, Jim, and Ival were always generous with their time and sharing their knowledge with anyone who would ask. Ival also had a huge DI collection of his own. I was told and I'd seen much of it before his passing. Ival had around 10,000 Infantry branch pieces and somewhere in the neighborhood of 18,000 plus total DI's.

 

Ival's collection was sold to a private collector after his death.

 

Tom

[rlyoun3910]

I'm sure that there are more like this, case in point: a Mr Fisher donated his crest collection to the VA Retirement Home in Temple Texas. About 4,000 specimens. I spent hours looking at them, wondering the halls. I was allowed to take some pictures as he had very rare, unusual crests. Not sure how someone off the street could stop in and look at such a collection. You do wonder how many more collections are out there and not in the auction box, certainly hidden from public display. Kudos to someone like Jay Massaro donating such a massive collection. I hope the respective agencies like TIOH, Carlisle, and the Ft Lee put all of their items to digital and create a virtual museum. It would help verify so many assumptions. Carlisle is spending their time currently developing the history of the Army in/around the Spanish American War. A formidable task to say the least. We have so many false and fake crests from that era I'm sure that they could assuage by simply posting those really fascinating items to the public. Ken Burns, the "Civil War" series developer, helped stir up and flush out those magnificent Civil War pictures available now at Carlisle. Hopefully someone will do the same for the Spanish American War. I know, he who makes the suggestion should be part of the solution. I certainly would if I could. This Militaria site certainly helps with collaboration. I thought a collection or 4,000 crests was impressive, but 18,000 or 21,000 is daunting. I have cataloged in some form or fashion--digital or hardcopy, but not a physical possession--18,864 items from the Spanish American War to the present, and I can't keep up. --Ray

[rlyoun3910]

Camp Mabry and the Texas Military Museum is open Monday because of Spring Break. A fantastic time to visit, but just thought I'd provide some pictures to the room where Jay Massaro's crests are displays. The museum opens at 1000 and closes at 1600 so you can gawk all day. He really has quite the display and it's very interesting to look at them all. The museum is well worth the visit. --Ray

[irish]

An exceptional collection. Glad it was kept together and found a good home. So often great collections are cast to the four winds when the owner passes away.

[rlyoun3910]

I just can't imagine collecting more than a couple of hundred crests. Where would you put them except in your own museum of sorts. Where is Lawhon's collection now these days?

[ithaca37]

I just can't imagine collecting more than a couple of hundred crests. Where would you put them except in your own museum of sorts. Where is Lawhon's collection now these days?

 

I don't know where Ival Lawhon's collection is located today. It was sold to a private collector. I don't know who or where.