The subject this week is "Childhood Keepsake". The picture frame below was made by my Dad when he was in New Guinea serving during WW II. Fortunately I had the presence of mind to ask him about it's history before he passed away. He and his best friend made identical ones to bring home. In the 80's when DH and I started collecting antiques we discovered that this type of item is called "trench art". Anything made of war materials during war time, more or less qualifys.
The base is made of New Guinea Mahogony which is extremely hard. The shells are 50 caliber machine gun shells. They form the sides that hold the picture frame. The back of the frame is pounded copper salvaged from a set of copper covered stairs dockside that were being replaced. The front covering over the picture isn't glass but very heavy plastic that was salvaged from the windshield of a plane that went down in the lagoon off shore. There is an Australian coin embedded in the base. The part holding the picture is curved. This is the picture of me that my Dad had in it when he came home.
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