Third reich "mad scientist's" photo

[StefanM]

Wouldn't the skull patch merely indicate lab technicians working with poisons?



Lab coats of today might include biohazard symbols.

[Danmark]

I just think that if today we were to find one of these lab coats with a whopping big skull on it we would dismiss it as "totally bogus man!!!"

Another salient lesson in keeping an open mind in the TR collecting field .....

( my tuppence ha'penneys worth anyway )

Cheers all, Dan

[CARL]

Zyklon.....the beginning.

Absolutely not. The SS did not produce the product themselves, they bought it from suppliers - the pest control agent itself having been produced earlier by Deßauer-Werke für Zucker und Chemische Werke. Although the image above is interesting, it has no connection whatsoever to Zyklon-B.

[Wagriff]

Regardless...I'd give a pretty dollar for one of those 1938 German lab coats....

[CampX]

I saw a SS Lab coat in a collection in the late 80s in the US, it had the Runis on it, not a skull.

Dean O

[yarmouth]

Wouldn't the skull patch merely indicate lab technicians working with poisons?



Lab coats of today might include biohazard symbols.

I thought the same but I wonder if lab techs/scientists used proper precautions(gloves, mask/repirator/full body suit, etc) in those days...

[James C]

mein first chemistry set

[HPL2008]

Very interesting and very strange.

Almost certainly no SS connection there; the skulls don't resemble the official SS style (and by 1938, things had been pretty thoroughly standardized when it came to such regalia). Also, photographic evidence shows that SS medical/scientific personnel sometimes wore the large circular runic patch (as used on sports clothing) on their lab coats, or simply completely plain coats. It doesn't strike me as particularly likely that some unit comander/facility director would have unoffical "death's head" patches made.

Stefan's theory about them being personnel working with hazardous material might be a possible explanation, but to be honest, I don't think that's the answer. Hazard warning signs are used for very specific purposes and under very regulated conditions. They will be only found on containers, rooms, areas, etc. where the respective hazard is present; otherwise, they would be meaningless. Applying them to lab coats doesn't really make sense; after all, the coats or the people wearing them aren't toxic.

Be that as it may; we have actually seen this type of patch before. Have a look here:

SS patch for sport shirt with skull, I have never seen

(My theory back then was that this was a variant of the Totenkopfschwimmerabzeichen [Death's Head Swimmer Badge], but that would be just as odd if being worn as a lab coat patch...

[StefanM]

I would agree and there is a vague and blurred visual suggestion of blacked out teeth in the skull mouth on the coat of the lab techinition in the backround of the OP photo such as indicated in the sports swimmer patch thread you linked to...a curious photo then.

I am still inclined to the theory that the skull patches on the lab coats are to warn anyone walking into the room or up to the lab bench that these technicians are working with poisons. There are no visible "danger pioson" signs on any of the packaging on the shelves in the photo or on the vessels the technicians are handling so a large skull "warning" patch on their jackets as a warning symbol would make sense IMO.

The fact that the technicians are not wearing gloves etc might mean they are simply in a non hazardous part of the lab when the photo was taken.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if a rare lab technicians coat with skull patch will turn up for sale shortly now this obviously very unusual and probably rare photo evidence has been "published" .

[HPL2008]

I would agree and there is a vague and blurred visual suggestion of blacked out teeth in the skull mouth on the coat of the lab techinition in the backround of the OP photo such as indicated in the sports swimmer patch thread you linked to...a curious photo then.

It's not just the teeth, actually. The general design, the proportions, the lines on the skull; everything checks out. Whatever it is, this is really the same type of patch. I have composited the images for clarity:

I wouldn't be at all surprised if a rare lab technicians coat with skull patch will turn up for sale shortly now this obviously very unusual and probably rare photo evidence has been "published" .

Me neither. Think I'll pre-order mine from Snyder right now!