New reference book
- Thread starter Tarquin
- Start date
IMO the best book out there!
James
James
That is my Bible......I take it to every show I go to. It is an instant reference book. As has been said though the binding is cheap and does not match the quality of the contents. Both covers are off mine, I would recommend reinforcing the covers on the inside.
joerookery
Well-known member
http://www.pickelhauben.net/books/LArmee.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
KAGGR#1
Well-known member
A collector friend of mine offered to buy the complete collection .
He was turned down as the collection went to the Jan K. Kube auction .
I can't remember the year , but Kube put out a catalog with
just his collection .
The things show in his book
prices went crazy as collectors wanted something shown in his book
From memory everything went for prices beyond the value
of an example like it .
I save every catalog from Kube since I started to collect
I can locate it and tell you the year
Steve
He was turned down as the collection went to the Jan K. Kube auction .
I can't remember the year , but Kube put out a catalog with
just his collection .
The things show in his book
prices went crazy as collectors wanted something shown in his book
From memory everything went for prices beyond the value
of an example like it .
I save every catalog from Kube since I started to collect
I can locate it and tell you the year
Steve
KAGGR#1 said:
Didier Laine's collection was auctioned in March 2009, with just a few exceptions (notably, the exceptional Mecklemburg-Schwerin general helmet which was the last one he had purchased), and there was much more than what is pictured in the book above, in which some helmets are from the Preiss and Hartmann collections. He always told me that after his passing the collection would go to Kube Auktionen. It was really an extraordinary one. He would make absolutely no compromise about quality. I already told the story that the first helmet I was offered for sale was an UR14 officer Tschapka. Being almost totally ignorant I managed to borrow the helmet for a day and rushed to Laine's place. His feedback was "Your Tschapka is authentic and genuine, but what a piece of sh...!". He was a hard teacher (nowadays the same Tschapka would make any starting or even more seasoned collector the happiest in the world). Anyway, I am fortunate enough to own two of his helmets, and these are here to stay.
Bruno
KAGGR#1
Well-known member
Bruno ;
Thanks for the additional information .
Pries is now collecting Prussian Garde Cavalry only.
He has down sized a couple of times since I have known him .
He still has a great but much smaller collection .
Walt Hartmann has since passed away .
He was one of the early spiked helmet collectors here in the U S A .
Walt's collection was well advanced when I started to collect circa 1970.
Some of his helmets have shown up at the S O S .
S O S 2015 some of his Uhlans were there for sale .
Nothing from him this 2016 S O S
I also collect officers cyphered shoulder straps
and a while back I bought a large part of his shoulder strap collection .
At time of the book , the better two collections in the U S A
would have been Hartmann
and Pries .
Some time when your time allows , please post
photos of your 2 helmets from his collection.
maybe you have done that in the past
but I am sort of new to the site .Thanks
Steve
Thanks for the additional information .
Pries is now collecting Prussian Garde Cavalry only.
He has down sized a couple of times since I have known him .
He still has a great but much smaller collection .
Walt Hartmann has since passed away .
He was one of the early spiked helmet collectors here in the U S A .
Walt's collection was well advanced when I started to collect circa 1970.
Some of his helmets have shown up at the S O S .
S O S 2015 some of his Uhlans were there for sale .
Nothing from him this 2016 S O S
I also collect officers cyphered shoulder straps
and a while back I bought a large part of his shoulder strap collection .
At time of the book , the better two collections in the U S A
would have been Hartmann
and Pries .
Some time when your time allows , please post
photos of your 2 helmets from his collection.
maybe you have done that in the past
but I am sort of new to the site .Thanks
Steve
I have that catalog from Kube, just never realized it was his collection being sold.
Great stuff
James
Great stuff
James
Hi Brian,
Didier Laine was a printer/editor. Hence the many books he published on the subject. All drawings you see in his books were from his hand. I met him in the early 90s' as I was starting collecting. He lived in one of Paris greatest areas (the 7th; his apartment was facing the former Ministry of War, on the front of which the first flag taken to the Germans was proudly exhibited in 1914). He was a very distinguished, always impeccably dressed gentleman (typically "Vieille France", if you know what this means...). He immediately offered to be my mentor, at difference with other collectors who often only showed disdain and contempt for beginners (fortunately it does not go like this on this forum). I started spending time in his office, each wall of which was covered with glass cabinets containing the collection. We would discuss the next Kube auction or a helmet I was interested in... I learned a lot with him. He knew everyone in the field, the crooks, the fakers, and of course the great dealers and collectors in Europe and the USA. His advice were precious!..
I think he started collecting in the 1960s'. Enlisted helmets then exclusively officer's. He would rarely purchase anything, considering his level of exigence, but I remember when he proudly put in my hands this fantastic Mecklemburg general spiked helmet - a unique piece - he had been coveting for a while and finally bought, not very long before he passed away.
Bruno
Didier Laine was a printer/editor. Hence the many books he published on the subject. All drawings you see in his books were from his hand. I met him in the early 90s' as I was starting collecting. He lived in one of Paris greatest areas (the 7th; his apartment was facing the former Ministry of War, on the front of which the first flag taken to the Germans was proudly exhibited in 1914). He was a very distinguished, always impeccably dressed gentleman (typically "Vieille France", if you know what this means...). He immediately offered to be my mentor, at difference with other collectors who often only showed disdain and contempt for beginners (fortunately it does not go like this on this forum). I started spending time in his office, each wall of which was covered with glass cabinets containing the collection. We would discuss the next Kube auction or a helmet I was interested in... I learned a lot with him. He knew everyone in the field, the crooks, the fakers, and of course the great dealers and collectors in Europe and the USA. His advice were precious!..
I think he started collecting in the 1960s'. Enlisted helmets then exclusively officer's. He would rarely purchase anything, considering his level of exigence, but I remember when he proudly put in my hands this fantastic Mecklemburg general spiked helmet - a unique piece - he had been coveting for a while and finally bought, not very long before he passed away.
Bruno
KAGGR#1 said:
Hi Steve,
Thank you for these interesting informations. Laine did speak very highly about these two famous US collections. He had visited Walt Hartmann in Anaheim and joked about his spike helmets being kept under sort of glass cheese bells... He said that he was with US occupation troops in Germany at the end of WWII and this is where he got some of his best helmets. I do not know what happened with his collection though. Interesting to learn that some surfaced at SOS...
I will send pictures of my Laine's helmets.
Bruno
KAGGR#1
Well-known member
Bruno ;
I was one of the few who ever got into Walt's house to see his collection .
That was because I knew Jarl Hartze of Stockholm , Sweden
and Dave Powers of Laguna Beach , Calif .
Dave got me into to see Walt's collection.
I have some photos that Walt gave me of some of his helmets .
When I learn to post photos I will put them up .
Walt's family is in no rush to move all of his helmets .
A handful comes out once in a while .
When Walt would go out of town , he would remove the front plates
from the helmet bodies and store the plates else where .
Jarl came to visit us once .
As well as Walt .
He stayed with us , then rode with us up to the O V M S
military show when it was still at the old Drawbridge .
Walt was taking photos of my collection
and then on to shot the collection of Jacques Pries
for his " book " that he was going to do
which never got done .
Interesting fellow .
Steve
I was one of the few who ever got into Walt's house to see his collection .
That was because I knew Jarl Hartze of Stockholm , Sweden
and Dave Powers of Laguna Beach , Calif .
Dave got me into to see Walt's collection.
I have some photos that Walt gave me of some of his helmets .
When I learn to post photos I will put them up .
Walt's family is in no rush to move all of his helmets .
A handful comes out once in a while .
When Walt would go out of town , he would remove the front plates
from the helmet bodies and store the plates else where .
Jarl came to visit us once .
As well as Walt .
He stayed with us , then rode with us up to the O V M S
military show when it was still at the old Drawbridge .
Walt was taking photos of my collection
and then on to shot the collection of Jacques Pries
for his " book " that he was going to do
which never got done .
Interesting fellow .
Steve
joerookery
Well-known member
Said. So much to show so few publishers.
joerookery
Well-known member
Thanks to guys like you! There are many generous people on this forum. :bravo:
KAGGR#1
Well-known member
The sad part is that I started to collect circa 1970
Walter Eric Hartmann was taking about doing
his book back then .
He passed away without ever doing his helmet book .
I think he wanted everything to be 100 % correct .
He did not want anyone to call him out on a mistake .
Steve
Walter Eric Hartmann was taking about doing
his book back then .
He passed away without ever doing his helmet book .
I think he wanted everything to be 100 % correct .
He did not want anyone to call him out on a mistake .
Steve
joerookery
Well-known member
I don't think this is possible. Randy said so in his book and I agree with him completely. It is a matter of standing inside or outside the fire. Who cares if you make a mistake? Professionally we used to call those guys hyenas in the wood line. Long ago there used to be a faction like that on this website. Doesn't happen anymore. Now when I say something that is absolutely off the planet people very gently coax me back between the navigational beacons. I would bet there are still people who hold back for fear of someone ripping them up. Who cares. People know what kind of a person you are and collecting stuff does not define you. These stories of the old guys are fascinating. Someday maybe someone will say something nice about us.
Thanks for that additional information Bruno. You were very lucky to have a mentor such as that early on in your collecting years. As for mistakes....I have made a few here beyond a doubt. There are just so many miniscule things to remember in this hobby that you can't expect to be correct all the time.