Curious, Not Sure About 45"x225" Building Banner
Wondering what you folks think. Your professional opinion will be greatly valued. Real interested in the small label stitched at bottom of banner and the faded circle ink stamp. Is this a cotton banner? Picked up from family in Texas. Please save your time and not comment on how these large flags and banners are difficult to display and / or how the larger the flag / banner the less money they command. FWIW, I have little money invested. Thank you for your comments and opinions. Von Ritt
Adding some interesting finds....after airing out and steam ironing, came across some new observations; this might be a vehicle banner. Uneducated guess.
(1.) Located two stamps on the folded over pocket end. Still cannot make out what the letters are. (2.) Square and circular stains run parallel with the long end. (3.) Small double pin holes also run parallel with the long end. (4.) Opposite the folded over pocket end, bottom end, there are a few grease marks.
IF this is a vehicle banner, what type might it have been draped over?
Pics supplied, enjoy!
smh
I'd take someone else's word over mine because this is not my specialty, but I don't think it was a vehicle ID drape. I think those made specifically for that purpose had four grommets, one on each corner. Also, the ones I've seen for vehicle drapes are smaller. An almost 19-foot banner is awfully long for that purpose. Again, this is just my opinion. I would guess it was a building banner like you previously thought.
Edit: I'm seeing some longer ones online, and they had six grommets.
A nice printed NSDAP vertical banner.. This would have been too large for a vehicle ID panel..
One end of the flag has the reinforced stitching for a pole to slide through..
I am still researching the makers tag.. The last name under Mannheim is Schmid
Still looking at the first name under Heidelberg..
It is a maker that I have not been able to find yet but this appears to be a very nice period authentic flag..
I will update you when I can find out more about the maker.
The 2 ink stamps I will look into more as well
Smitty
Ok,
So my wife who is German was able to translate the maker tag.. a little challenging due to the Sütterlin script but... This is the firm Schmid..
The first word is Fahnen which means Flag.
This is Schmid flags who made flags in both Heidelberg and Mannheim in WW2.
What is interesting about this firm is that it is now an American Based Company in Virginia. The firm moved here after WW2 and today is still an embroidery company..
Smitty
Awesome, Smitty! And thank you to your wife! I was doing my best trying to decifer that tag myself, and I was having no luck. That is a tricky font. Just on the first word I thought it looked like "Forfrum", if that shows you how bad I was doing, haha. Really neat to hear that they're still an embroidery company today.
Smitty Sir,
My most sincere thanks to you and your very helpful wife. Very appreciative for your time and your efforts to guide me further into this project. Von Ritt
Von Ritt,
It was a pleasure and it was a fun project that my wife eagerly took on.. She often helps me translate some of the letters and other things we have,, We do admit though that the Sütterlin script is challenging but once you look through the letters the process comes easy.. Once we have a few letters placed together then we are able to do better searches..
The giveaway was the last name Schmid.. Once we nailed down the name we concentrated on those flag makers in Mannheim and Heidelberg and found the Schmid firm had businesses in both towns...
My wife gets the credit for finding the firm moved to the United States and is still an embroidery company to this day..
She took particular interest as she grew up in Mannheim/Ludwigshafen and went to see friends in Heidelberg most of her childhood..
I will also note that this is a rather difficult maker tag to find. Your tag is the first example that I have seen and there is a database of flag makers on another forum that has been complied by a rather knowledgeable and scholarly flag collector and his database currently has 72 known makers and this one has not yet surfaced.. I would have to imagine that it is rated in the rare makers category, at least for now..
You did quite well as the maker tags that are with the flags are an added bonus..
I only have 1 flag in my collection of several that has a maker tag,, A Hitler Youth flag made by the firm: Bernard Richter Fahnenfabrik Koln.
Smitty
Smitty & Mrs. Smitty,
Wow. Never dreamed this banner would have such history and possible importance. Will treasure for a long time. I can't thank you enough for the excellent and insightful information provided. This too is the only flag in my collection with maker tag.
Some of my young adult life was spent playing tennis in various towns in West Germany. I was born in Nuremberg and lived in Munich too.
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