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Help Identifying "Pillow Toppers"?


jhbayman1
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I found these in a box in my grandfather's basement. The box said "Pillow Toppers from Army". Do either of them have any special significance? I am having fun finding all these memories!! I'll be posting a couple more tomorrow.

 

Thanks for the help!

Heather

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These were typical of the Pre WWII to 1950's era. They were often made as souveniers and mailed home to Mom and Dad, or a sweetheart. Reportedly they would be placed over a couch pillow as a reminder of "our boy so far from home."

 

Some of them are overly sentimental, and many are downright gaudy. I have one that my Dad sent to his Mom (my Grandmother) from a Marine Corps base in North Carolina in the 1950's. It is basically purple with a gold fringe with a red rose.

 

There is a cadre of collectors who seek these out. Some folks will frame them, remount them on a pillow, or use them as a backdrop for a militaria display. The Army Air Corps one would appeal to a lot of collectors. As you can see by the Washington DC example, they were also available on the civilian market.

 

You could probably check eBay to get a sampling of prices.

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I don't collect Army Aircorps But I am trying to get Pillow Toppers from the many bases the sprang up in our area of the midwest. Towns of less than 10,000 had them. Our family home was just North of Yankton SD and there was a Army Aircorps Base there. It was a gunners school. You can still go out in the hills west of town and find 50 Cal cassings, links, and live shells. The pillow toppers I do have are displayed out in my war room. Still looking for Yanktons tho.

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Actually, the were still selling them at basic training in the 1980s...I sent one home to my Mom during basic (Oct - Nov 1980)...but they still had the 1950's look to them as far as the graphics go...I've got one from Pearl Harbor that has a PA class battleship on it along with the usual "Dear Mom" sentiments, but was dressed up with hand painted flowers and some scenery.

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Not trying to steal the thread but figured this is a good time to post mine. I got this out of one of the many abandoned houses I've been in over the years. I forget which one it was now. It had WWII stuff in it though so I imagine this one is WWII.

 

-Matt.

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