lakenormanusa Posted February 12, 2018 Share #1 Posted February 12, 2018 I just received this 8x10 photo and wondered if there was a symbolic purpose for him wearing his belt over his shoulder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakenormanusa Posted February 13, 2018 Author Share #2 Posted February 13, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usmcaviator Posted February 15, 2018 Share #3 Posted February 15, 2018 Looks pre-WW2 to early WW2. That may not be a "belt" but a strap for a courier or dispatch bag. I have seen earlier era photos (1910's and 1920's) of Marines with large leather dispatch bags. But why not show the whole bag with a waist up shot or standing pose if wearing one? An oddity for sure, he even has the strap under his epaulette. It isn't just something thrown over his shoulder. Sometimes these studio shots were taken in multiple poses and distances and cropped, that may be the case here. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakenormanusa Posted February 16, 2018 Author Share #4 Posted February 16, 2018 Looks pre-WW2 to early WW2. That may not be a "belt" but a strap for a courier or dispatch bag. I have seen earlier era photos (1910's and 1920's) of Marines with large leather dispatch bags. But why not show the whole bag with a waist up shot or standing pose if wearing one? An oddity for sure, he even has the strap under his epaulette. It isn't just something thrown over his shoulder. Sometimes these studio shots were taken in multiple poses and distances and cropped, that may be the case here. Mike Thanks Mike, I think you're right about him having the strap secured underneath his epaulette. It reflects that this was purposely done. Maybe he had a holster or a KABAR attached to the belt, and like you said, it may have been cropped out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brig Posted February 18, 2018 Share #5 Posted February 18, 2018 A lot of guys store their blouses with the belts through the epaulettes like that, to keep them together, including myself. Almost seems as if this guy just threw on his blouse real quick for the shot. Since that would be dumb, I'm leaning more towards a dispatch bag or some such Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blacksmith Posted February 18, 2018 Share #6 Posted February 18, 2018 That is interesting - I've looked at a bunch of USMC portrait photos, and don't recall ever seeing that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
American Heritage Posted February 22, 2018 Share #7 Posted February 22, 2018 maybe a mistake in leaving it on before photo was taken. It does not cross the chest like a Sam Browne belt and I've never seen anything like this in photos or in real life. Satchel makes some sense but why do that in a photo, even if cropped? Very odd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brig Posted February 23, 2018 Share #8 Posted February 23, 2018 maybe a mistake in leaving it on before photo was taken. It does not cross the chest like a Sam Browne belt and I've never seen anything like this in photos or in real life. Satchel makes some sense but why do that in a photo, even if cropped? Very odd I've seen satchels and dispatch cases in portraits before Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now