Man Cave..."Haven or Shrine"?

[stuka f]

People can break into a shed as easy as they can break into your house. Nothing is 100% secure. You designed it and secure it as best you can and pray nothing ever happens. I knew a guy that has a 30 or more gun safe. He had it bolted into cement. Burglars broke into his house, chipped away the cement, loaded the safe on a hand truck and carted it out the door. We can take steps to deter criminals, but whether it be a house or a shed, if They want it bad enough, they'll find a way to get it.

That is a fact, but it is the insurance policy that will not refound things that are robbed from a shed! Exept maybe a car or a bike...
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[MD Helmets]

That's also why my collection is on the second floor. Not every Tom, Dick and Harry can see it when we have parties or people over. Very few people I trust to know what I have or what it's worth. Can need be too careful these days.

[MD Helmets]

That is a fact, but it is the insurance policy that will not refound things that are robbed from a shed! Exept maybe a car or a bike...
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I'd have to ask. Since I don't have a shed now I don't know what they would cover or not cover.

[drmessimer]

Larry: An interesting subject that you have launched; Haven or Shrine. I suppose for some of us it's analogous to the fighter pilot's "Hero Wall" in that we display our prized possessions and, possibly, expose our egos. In many cases such a room is probably the only place in the house or apartment where the collection can be housed and displayed and becomes a "man cave" by default. In any event, the so-called "man cave" is an expression of one's interests and a show of pride, and is by its very nature an individualistic statement. In my case, it's a show of pride and a record of accomplishment, though I really can't call it a "man cave." Here are a few photos of the room and the displays. We will start with the family-related stuff. Dwight

display gun.jpg

Before I became a college professor in 1988, I was a police officer for 22 years. So of I have this display. The pistol is a .38 cal., Smith & Wesson, Combat Masterpiece

display window wall.jpg

The center frame has my cousin Fred Götze's EK 2 with the Urkunde and his Infantriesturmabzeichen with Urkunde as well as a photo of him in WWII.

display Jim Bye.jpg

This is a Stokes painting depicting my Cousin Jim Dye shooting down a FW190 outside of Berlin in 1944. Jim flew for the RAF early in the war and transferred to the 4th Fighter Group, USAAF.

display Berlin.jpg

A display representing my time in the Army, 1954-62 in Berlin

display aviation.jpg

This display refects my interest in US Army aviation 1908-1919. The skeleton model is a scratch-built Curtiss D-4, ca 1911, the tall portrait on the far right is of George W. Puryear who was a WWI fighter pilot who is featured in two of my books. The family gave me the portrait

display desk.jpg

This is where I work, when I work. I built all the models in this room from scratch using scale plans and photos. The model over my desk is the HMS Baralong, a Q-ship. The model, and other ship models in the room, represent the book I wrote on WWI ASW.

display south & west walls.jpg

The displays on these walls represent three books that I wrote, The merchant U-Boat, Find and Destroy, and Verschiollen. All are built to 1:8 scale

[guns ltd]

great Display and family history. thanks for sharing.



John

[drmessimer]

I forgot to add this photo in my original post. Dwight

display bookcase.jpg

This is my vintage books collection, mostly WWI books, but also a substantial number of WWII books. They are in German and English. The round on the left is a wooden, USN 4-inch training round from WWII.

[rogge16]

Great displays, Dwight. I'm in need of a nice bookcase and I think yours would work well.

Luke

[Danmark]

Cousins on BOTH sides of WW2!!!!!!! not too many can boast of that in their past - that must have torn the family apart back then!
but lends itself to ripe collecting research and picking!
Cheers, Dan

[Larry C]

I agree 101% on what you have written here LarryC.

We need to keep the playful child inside of us alive, keep the interest for the small things in our life activated. To be able to have a room/cave full of trinkets and treasures is what makes us feel so very much alive- and it is very important for the mental health.

My garage is my haven. My military heaven. My little piece of my own space. My escape. My passion. My fully stocked bar!

Nick

Crom bless my mancave, named THE HIKING VIKING. My fridge stocked with Deutsche brew lurks there as do my AR speakers, PC, lids, medals and tons of Floyd, Sabbath, Rush, Bonamassa, Clapton, etc, cds. Without this room I would've gone completely insane. Thank you to my wife for giving up this little room for my madness.

There have been some great posts and some beautiful "caves" in to which we can escape. Dwight yours looks like it is downstairs on a sub level at least that is the impression I get from the structure. Quite nice and private! Again I have seen some nice rooms here with some great stuff,,but I am more interested in......"why do men need this retreat" and there have been a few replies,, as I posted above. Mainly it is sanity,,,No man can hide physically from their spouse or partner,,as no house is big enough,,but man can hide in his privacy behind a door to his world of imagination,,to where no one can enter.
A 10 years ago I had a 4 story colonial home finished basement attic,,etc,, and garage,,,, but even out of all that space and rooms,, my hiding place was the garage! My collectibles were in one room which my Ex occupied with her sewing stuff. The garage had a desk and my motorcycle ,small fridge and beer. I sat in there for hours,,as the Mrs. at that time had the whole house,,, and my escape from the "Honey Do" weekends were spent hidden in the garage of my mind. Great posts guys!!! Keep em coming!! Regards Larry

[Reynard]

Dwight, your models are absolutely amazing. Unfortunately I couldn't have anything like that around, as my furry tortoiseshell assistant would see it as her own personal playground - and with inevitable consequences. My bookshelves are tempting enough for her...

My girlcave i.e. my house, is stuffed with books and well-stocked with chocolate. I'm an inveterate visitor to charity shops and boot sales to not only sniff out books on military history, but to feed my sci-fi addiction.

BTW, both my grandfathers fought on opposite sides in WW1; one in the Belgian army and one in Pilsudski's Legions in the Austro-Hungarian army.