Period photo - WW1 era aviator wearing pilot wing

[bschwartz]

I came across this photo while looking through the HowdiColour Image Recovery & Colour page on Facebook.  They specialize in colorization and restoration of period photos and have a great WW2 collection.  My main interest is WW2 aircraft and my wing collecting hobby spawned from that.  Anyhow, I thought there was a thread regarding WW1 pilot portraits but I can't seem to find it.  Please feel free to move this if there is an existing thread.  Unfortunately they did not have any info listed on who the aviator was.  They appear to be wearing some type of Dallas badge but without the backing and it appears to be quite flexible.  Apologies if this has been posted before.  I don't recall seeing this portrait.

 

 

 

[bschwartz]

I noticed that the image was reduced in size when posting so here's a link to the full size image on my site.  The full size image is 1434x2048 pixels so you can really zoom in on the badge.

[KurtA]

I wonder if the wing was sewn  on in 3 separate pieces?

Based on his branch insignia, he must have been an artillery observer.  

[pfrost]

It also looks like he is a pilot instructor look at his sleeve!  
I have seen Dallas wings that lack the backing plate. It is easy to imagine a three piece wing seen to the uniform 

[bschwartz]

Makes sense that it's sewn on.  I haven't seen any wings that would flex like that.  And good call out on the instructor insignia on his sleeve.  It's a nice portrait.  I was happy to come across it.  Also interesting to see the wing worn that way.  I haven't seen that with a metal, multi piece badge like that before.

[cwnorma]

Years ago, I encountered a uniform with a Dan Dunham wing affixed in exactly that fashion.  That particular wing had small spinner-nuts and posts on each major piece.  The young aviator had pushed each of the pieces through the cloth individually.

 

This may be a good candidate to be the type of badge in the photo--the so-called "wide shield Dallas":

 

 

Above are two variations: "Dallas-style" (i.e. three pieces mounted on a blue felt-covered backplate), and the same design "Shreeve-style" (i.e. soldered to a sterling silver back plate).  There are additional versions of this badge known with the three main silver pieces struck in solid stock and joined together with small silver tabs.  Evidently, this maker experimented with variations somewhat in their effort to appeal to young aviators.  The badge in the OP photo is likely yet another variation of this handsome badge.

 

The maker of this badge remains definitively unknown, but some evidence points to a California origin.

 

Chris

 

 

 

 

[5thwingmarty]

Hopefully Bob doesn't mind if I try to help this thread become one where more photos of WWI aviators wearing their wings can be shared.  This is a page scanned from a Victory Field (Vernon, Texas) yearbook for civilian instructors from 1943.  Col. Dan F. Hunter is shown still wearing his WWI wing during WWII.  He was also mentioned in the following thread discussing training school wings/insignia: