World War One Weekly Wing #17 - G.W. Haltom of Ft. Worth, TX

[cwnorma]

World War One

Weekly Wing #17

Maker: G. W. Haltom Jewelers, Fort Worth, Texas

Background

Undoubtedly one of the most handsome pilot badges of the WW1 era, G. W. Haltom’s Reserve Military Aviator wing, with its artistic forced-perspective shield and exquisite neo-classical wings, truly stands out among the many beautiful WW1 badges. Duncan Campbell called it one of the "superb" wing badges of WW1.

George W. Haltom was more than merely a Fort Worth Jeweler. Researching wing making WW1 era jewelers reveals a commonality among many. Not merely jewelers, many of these men were what could be termed “Chamber of Commerce boosters.” Their legacies can still be felt even over the century that has passed since the war. Jewelers like the Linz Brothers of Dallas, Hertzberg of San Antonio, G. G. Sweeney of Houston, and Haltom of Fort Worth dedicated their time and resources to developing their communities. Each of the afore mentioned jewelers installed monumental clocks in their respective downtowns where they still tell local citizens the time today. G. W. Haltom, with his jewelry business occupying the entire ground floor of the Fort Worth Club building, also developed real estate. Today, Haltom City Texas, a suburban community outside of Fort Worth continues to bear Haltom’s name. Like other community boosters, Haltom envisioned the coming role aviation could play in expanding commerce and wanted to curry favor among the young pilots then training at nearby airfields.

Associated Airfields

Primary Airfields. The Air Service Airfields and activities in and around Fort Worth Texas included Camp Taliaferro, Carruthers/Benbrook Field, Barron/Everman Field, and Hicks Field. The Camp Taliaferro “Flying Triangle” complex was used by both the US Air Service and the Royal Flying Corps for primary and gunnery training. Fledgling aviators assigned to Camp Taliaferro and its associated airfields would all have ready access to Haltom’s.

Secondary Airfields. Airfields throughout Texas and nearby states would have been within cross-country navigation flight distance for fledgling aviators. Love Field and the Aviation Repair Depot in Nearby Dallas, Call Field in Wichita Falls, Rich Field in Waco, and Post Field in Oklahoma all would have used the various Fort Worth Airfields as destinations for basic navigation. More advanced navigation training would have included flights from farther fields such as Kelly Field and Brooks Field in San Antonio, Penn Field in Austin, Ellington Field in Houston, or even Gerstner Field in Lake Charles Louisiana. These young visiting aviators would have been feted at the Fort Worth Club and found ready access to G. W. Haltom’s.

Top: Obverse

Middle: (L) Screw nuts, © Hallmark and content marks, ® Original purchase envelope

Bottom: Reverse

Description

Handsome badge with exaggerated Art Nouveau curves to shield bearing well executed forced perspective of stripes to escutcheon with 13 five-pointed stars on background of fine horizontal lines in chief. Wings are near mirror image, exhibiting very fine feathering with a Neo-classical representational motif. 14K gold, separately applied, thin, gothic U and S.

Manufacture. Die struck in two main sterling silver pieces (wings and shield) with separately applied die struck gold U and S. The single piece wings share a bar of silver upon which is separately mounted the shield. The mounting of the shield in front of the wings serves to further accentuate the forced perspective of the shield and enhance the illusion of bass relief.

Mountings. Screw post with locking nuts. All G. W. Haltom badges examined appear to show evidence that the badges were originally screw-post mounted however many badges encountered show conversion to pin-back. Conversion to pin back would allow for greater utility swapping between uniforms without the requirement for making fairly large holes.

Markings. Although some badges bear no markings at all, most two piece Haltom badges bear the three-line, raised hallmark:

G. W. HALTOM

FORT WORTH

STERLING

Additionally, while all observed Haltom badges are struck in sterling silver, some badges also bear (as in the example above) an additional incised “STERLING” content mark.

Notes: Along with the more well known two-piece badge, G. W. Haltom, also manufactured a slightly different, larger, three-piece badge and a variant Second-type Observer badge using slightly different dies. The relative scarcity of the three-piece badge, if nothing else, indicates it may not have been as popular with young Aviators.

 

[cwnorma]

To avoid takedown claims, I try to keep these WWOWW posts to wings I actually own, but feel it is important to illustrate the "other" Haltom badges along side the more often encountered two-piece badge.

 

The first badge is the larger, three-piece Haltom badge. While similar in overall design to the two-piece badge, the forced perspective of the shield in the three-piece is not quite as well executed and the wings are slightly more detailed and ornate. Like the smaller two-piece badge, the three-piece badge is also normally post and screw backed. The US on these larger three-piece badges also vary from badge to badge. Some have been encountered with a smooth serif-less font, while others such as the example below bear serifs. These badges, when marked, tend to have an incised content mark "STERLING" and two-line, incised hallmark:

 

G.W.HALTOM

FORT WORTH

 

Photo sourced from the internet. Fair use is claimed for educational purposes.

Related to the three-piece badge are the associated Second-type Observer badges. Also post and screw backed, these badges are clearly struck from the same die:

 

Photo sourced from the internet. Fair use is claimed for educational purposes.

The three-piece Haltom Reserve Military Aviator and its associated Second-type Observer badge are both very scarce and seldom encountered.

I would love to see your G.W. Haltom badges! What have you got?

 

[Brian Dentino]

Love these posts you put out each week. I am NOT a wing collector, nor a WWI collector, but these examples of the wings from this era are amazing and are all truly works of art. They are some of the nicest, most detailed insignia of any branch or era that I can imagine. Thanks for taking the time to post these each week for us here on the forum to enjoy the "eye candy" that comes from looking at these wings! Again, not just insignia, but works of art in their detail and look. Wow!!!

[guerrap]

Chris,

 

Another fantastic post you have added this week! Here are my two. Where your fine example is pristine in every way with original screw posts, my two show clear evidence they were modified with pin and catch added to replace the screw posts. My understanding is this was done to make it easier to put on and take off the uniform as well as address the damage the screw posts did to the uniform. I believe this was not uncommon.

 

Thanks again for another great post.

 

Pete

[cwnorma]

Pete,

 

Top shelf!

 

The angle of your photo, especially the upper badge, really demonstrates the false perspective in the G.W. Haltom wings. The sculptor who made these dies was truly a master of his craft.

 

The rear of your badges is instructive as well. In my travels I have found that with respect to Haltom wings, "more than half" have been converted to pin back. I agree that there is greater utility in the pin back, and consequent less damage required to the uniform. Additionally, your badges clearly illustrate Haltom's inconsistent use of hallmarks and content marks. Badges with no marks at all are also known.

 

Thanks again for sharing your beautiful badges.

 

Chris

[cwnorma]

Love these posts you put out each week. I am NOT a wing collector, nor a WWI collector, but these examples of the wings from this era are amazing and are all truly works of art. They are some of the nicest, most detailed insignia of any branch or era that I can imagine. Thanks for taking the time to post these each week for us here on the forum to enjoy the "eye candy" that comes from looking at these wings! Again, not just insignia, but works of art in their detail and look. Wow!!!

Brian,

 

Thank you for the kind words!

 

My goal for these posts is to help other collectors feel as though WW1 wing badges are more accessible (and perhaps a bit less mysterious).

 

You have hit on the main thing that keeps bringing me back to this particular corner of the US Militaria hobby; the amazing variations displayed by US WW1 wings! New patterns and additional variations come to light every year!

 

Perhaps, if not you, some other collector will see these posts and become enamored with the amazing variations presented by WW1 American wing badges.

 

Best wishes and thank you again!

 

Chris

[pfrost]

Here are my two. One is hallmarked, one isn't. Both have had the screwback replaced.

[cwnorma]

Patrick,

 

Stunning! The unmarked version is illustrative of Haltom's inconsistency with hallmarks and content marks!

 

Like Pete's photo, your image really shows how if you get the correct angle, the forced perspective of the shield really "pops!"

 

Thanks for sharing

 

Chris

[pfrost]

Here is a very nice link to Haltom and his store

 

https://hometownbyhandlebar.com/?p=1798

 

[blind pew]

Chris- what does the reverse of the three piece badge look like? How much larger are such badges?

 

It looks as though the shield on your three piece wings is much wider at the base, in addition to the wings being more ornate. Is that accurate?

Brian,

 

Thank you for the kind words!

 

My goal for these posts is to help other collectors feel as though WW1 wing badges are more accessible (and perhaps a bit less mysterious).

 

You have hit on the main thing that keeps bringing me back to this particular corner of the US Militaria hobby; the amazing variations displayed by US WW1 wings! New patterns and additional variations come to light every year!

 

Perhaps, if not you, some other collector will see these posts and become enamored with the amazing variations presented by WW1 American wing badges.

 

Best wishes and thank you again!

 

Chris

[Tolzer]

I picked up Lot 1466 from the Rock Island Auction Company.

 

As per the description: “Provenance: The Putnam Green/Sycamore Collection”

 

I want to share images of these wings as time permits for the community.

 

Here is the G. W. Haltom Jewelers, (Fort Worth, Texas) wing from that collection:

Weight: 12 g

[bschwartz]

Congratulations on winning the auction lot, @Tolzer, and thank you so much for the generosity of sharing detailed photos of items from the collection.  Very much appreciated!

[pfrost]

I have a small 2 incher (or so, I can't recall exactly) Haltom wing to go with the full size one.  Ive always liked the Haltom examples.  During WWI they didn't have a "shirt" size wing authorized, so I have always wondered if the smaller wing was post war sweetheart or patriotic jewelry.

[cwnorma]

@Tolzer, your badge looks like it earned its retirement after long and faithful service.  Very interesting too that the owner took the time to have a jeweler remove the screw posts only to move them outboard slightly.  Most of the time, they seemed to favor pin-backs as replacements as in @pfrost example.

 

And Patrick, I definitely covet your 2 inch Haltom.  As a "completist" collector, I would love to find one on the loose!

 

Top notch wings gentlemen!  Thank you!

 

Chris

[donaldnol]

what a beautiful set' never in my life span i will find one

[blind pew]

On 9/9/2022 at 7:43 AM, Tolzer said:

I picked up Lot 1466 from the Rock Island Auction Company.

 

As per the description: “Provenance: The Putnam Green/Sycamore Collection”

 

I want to share images of these wings as time permits for the community.

 

Here is the G. W. Haltom Jewelers, (Fort Worth, Texas) wing from that collection:

Weight: 12 g

Thanks very much for posting your newly acquired wings! Perhaps over time you could share some of the more unusual wings in your purchase. 

 

Congratulations!

[5thwingmarty]

Here is one I just picked up, another small one at 1-1/2" but it is hallmarked to Haltom.

 

[blind pew]

On 9/18/2022 at 2:00 PM, 5thwingmarty said:

Here is one I just picked up, another small one at 1-1/2" but it is hallmarked to Haltom.

 

That's cool as hell. I have not seen a 1 1/2 inch version before