WWII Artwork From 663rd Engineer Company

[BryanJ]

I rarely post on this forum, and my photo posting skills are poor, but I want to post a few photos of some art work that I ran across today, and see if anyone has seen these before.

 

I have a friend who owns an art gallery and framing shop, and she has an extensive collection of art, antiques, etc. The owner knows I collect Militaria and she brought in a binder of 24 reprints, drawn by SSG Rudy Wedow, who was in the 663rd Engineer Company during WWII. SSG was an engineer and artist, and he drew scenes of various bridges, battlefields, etc., that his unit came across. In the binder she showed me were 24 of SSG's drawings (14x22") and his drawings were apparently reproduced by the 663rd Engineering Company in 1945. Inasmuch as the drawings were reproduced by the 663rd vs. a commercial printing source, the reproductions must be rare, and the artwork is very good.

 

Has anyone seen these before; does anyone have any suggestions of value and how the owner could sell the entire binder containing the 24 reprints? Thanks

 

https://postimg.cc/gallery/1nm3gzgpq/

[Bluehawk]

For starters, having seen 4 images online from your link - I can say that the artist did have some level and depth of professional or academic training in art. That kind of imagery cannot be done on talent alone, it has to be practiced and trained in.

As for value, a lot more needs to be known, fleshed out.

Examples:
https://www.ebay.ph/itm/1944-WWII-Print-Sgt-Rudy-Wedow-663rd-Company-Artist-Drawing-Water-In-Marigny-/181330392110

 

https://books.google.com/books/about/Rudy_Wedow_1913_1965.html?id=nzR1GQAACAAJ

 

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Archive-Historical-Memorabilia/663rd-Engineer-Co-Prints-Help-needed-please/td-p/1017994

[Bluehawk]

Essentially, thus far his work has "two hooks" as to evaluation:

 

1. It is highly accomplished illustrative art.

 

2. It (the militaria) has a direct verifiable connection to a war and a soldier in that war.

 

There could be other "hooks" (aka markets) discovered, e.g. rarity in general, rarity in the body of his own art over a lifetime, number of artifacts available or already owned or collected by others, condition of the artifacts, type of medium (print, drawing, painting) etc. Also, I do not know enough about how Army sets up, deploys and sustains its units to know what significance the 663rd Engineer Company all by itself has in the echelons or in the full spectrum of U.S. Army history. If it is a "storied" unit, then that can also be a hook.

[LanceB]

BryanJ, did you ever get more information about the Wedow reproductions?  I also have several Wedow reproductions, as well as a couple of originals.  Rudy Wedow served along side my grandfather, and I inherited a lot of his art from my grandfather.  One of his originals is a watercolor of my grandfather.  I have been searching for more information on his art for a while and haven't been able to find much.  Any information would help.  Thanks.