Andrew Hesketh Posted 23 November , 2005 Share Posted 23 November , 2005 Just thought I'd pop in to say that this thread continues to be excellent. Surely one of the classic forum threads? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 23 November , 2005 Share Posted 23 November , 2005 Oh, I've got a big lump in my throat! How pretty she is and how handsome he is. Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spike10764 Posted 23 November , 2005 Share Posted 23 November , 2005 Good to see this thread still going egbert. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Mackenzie Posted 23 November , 2005 Share Posted 23 November , 2005 Egbert. Excuse my ignorance but what exactly are 'myrtles'. Presumably they are flower related but I am ignorant (as always) as to the exact meaning. This is the best thread of 2005. Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susanhemmings Posted 23 November , 2005 Share Posted 23 November , 2005 I, too, am ignorant of what 'myrtles' are. And, yes, what a handsome couple. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 23 November , 2005 Share Posted 23 November , 2005 How old were they in 1914, Egbert? Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 23 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 23 November , 2005 Egbert. Excuse my ignorance but what exactly are 'myrtles'. Presumably they are flower related but I am ignorant (as always) as to the exact meaning. Neil <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Susan and Neil: you drive me nuts =i picked the expression as the correct translation from dictionary!??; myrtles are myrtles; the German word my Grandma used in the quoted note is "Hochzeitsmyrthen" which are =according to dictionary = wedding myrtles; ....and i thought my English is bad How old were they in 1914, Egbert? Marina <{POST_SNAPBACK}> The wedding pic is from 1912. 1914 Granddad was 32 years old and Grandmother 24 years young Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 23 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 23 November , 2005 Ian Turner "played " a bit with a color SW program and just sent me the following result. Colored version of wedding pic -Ian thank you for this marvelous piece Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susanhemmings Posted 23 November , 2005 Share Posted 23 November , 2005 Isn't it wonderful, what a bit of colour can do. Ian has done the picture proud. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 23 November , 2005 Share Posted 23 November , 2005 I think it must mean wedding bouquet. Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zooloo Posted 23 November , 2005 Share Posted 23 November , 2005 Myrtle is an evergreen shrub. There are several species/varieties. It does flower but they are quite small, only the leaves are usually used in arrangements. Sometimes including the small black berries. Can be grown as a hedge too if the fancy takes you. zoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 24 November , 2005 Share Posted 24 November , 2005 http://www.mountainvalleygrowers.com/myrcommuniscompacta.htm There's a lovely picture of a flowering scented on e here - but it doesn't look like anything in Grandmother's bouquet. (Egbert - what is Grandmother's name? It feels silly to be calling the young bride 'gran'!) Maybe 'wedding myrtles' is a regional expression? Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 24 November , 2005 Share Posted 24 November , 2005 Found this on the net: 'Myrtle is the herb of fertility and has been traditionally used at weddings for centuries. Lithuanians, Latvians, Ukrainians and Germans use a sprig of myrtle in their bridal veil or wedding bouquets. With the brides permission I often place a sprig in the groom's boutonniere. It also says that myrtle was first used at weddings in Ancient Greek times - as myrtle was Aphrodite the goddess of love's flower. Maybe Grandmother has a little sprig in her bouquet - or perhaps her headdress is made of myrtle. The plant has a lovely scent apparently - nice to think of her so sweetly scented! Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 24 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 24 November , 2005 93 year old dried flowers, now I understand why they crump - I should not have done it. Close up of the flowers; may be a botanist can help; the white stuff are fabrics from wedding dress Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the gunners dream Posted 24 November , 2005 Share Posted 24 November , 2005 Egbert, This just gets better and better! It's like you can touch the past with your fingers. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frev Posted 24 November , 2005 Share Posted 24 November , 2005 Maybe Grandmother has a little sprig in her bouquet - or perhaps her headdress is made of myrtle. Marina <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Great detective work Marina - I'd put my bet on the headdress - looking at the size of the sprigs (compared to the pen in the photo) & the quantity. Egbert - I hope you didn't 'crump' them too much - it would be sad to see them turn to powder - best you put them back in their bag for another 93 years (now that we've had the privilege of seeing them of course!) Cheers, Frev. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iggy Posted 24 November , 2005 Share Posted 24 November , 2005 I too have been following this thread with an intense interest. Egbert you have something uniquelly special here. My question to you is:- What about the Pikklehaube in the wedding photo, could that be in a corner of the trunk? If so, a photo please. Thanks for sharing this with us. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J T Gray Posted 24 November , 2005 Share Posted 24 November , 2005 (edited) Close up of the flowers; may be a botanist can help; the white stuff are fabrics from wedding dress <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I'm no botanist, Egbert, but I'm a bit of a gardener and I've also walked in Scotland where there is lots of bog myrtle growing in damp areas. I'm sure those leaves are myrtle, though I doubt any of the fragrance remains after 93 years - it's a little like pine resin. I don't think there is any myrtle in the wedding bouquet, so I'm guessing it's from her headdress - if you do a blow-up of the two I'll see what I can see if you'd like? What an incredible treasure chest that trunk has turned out to be - especially as it has obviously survived your family moving across Europe and the Atlantic Ocean too. God bless your Grandmother for being so devoted in the face of tragedy and disaster! Adrian (edited to make it make sense!) Edited 24 November , 2005 by J T Gray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 24 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 24 November , 2005 Zoo, Marina, , frv, you are right, thanx. It must be the hairdress!!! I will post a close up for Adrian and also will correct the "red circled pic posted earlier" Thank you all for contributing and add to solve mysteries; ALL your comments are encouraging! Ian (iggy) =no uniform artefacts whatsoever, not even in the "corners" Still no ammunition experts here for the bullet questions? I believe the forum is full of such experts, where are you hiding? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt_Hazell_Great_Grandson Posted 24 November , 2005 Share Posted 24 November , 2005 A quite stunning thread. Thank you. Roland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 24 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 24 November , 2005 Ian Turner most likely will continue refining/coloring the wedding pic; we try to get the original, most authentic color scheme; Jan (AOK4) already responded with useful hints and hinted to the following link: http://www.kaisersbunker.com/gtp/New/infantry1.htm I will also post a most likely color scheme from a 49er which I bought via ebay: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian turner Posted 24 November , 2005 Share Posted 24 November , 2005 Egbert, Re the bullet - have you done perhaps an obvious check, and measured the bullet's diameter (the copper jacket)? I realise it is a bit distorted but I hope you can estimate its original circumference and measure the diameter. If .303 ins then you know where to look! Probably an unscientific check, as the main rifle calibres of the various protagonists rifles were not that far apart in sizes? If the inner core is indeed part of this round, then of course there is still some missing, as it is only part of the overall length. That would mean some further filling would have been present in the original bullet. So, a pointer - what ammo had a copper jacket and more than one section to its core? I think there were bullets like that. It seems the jacket was not totally enclosing the core, and was slightly open at the blunt (rear) end. It does not appear to be 'boat-tailed' but the distortion may have altered its shape. These I think are some pointers to its heritage. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 24 November , 2005 Share Posted 24 November , 2005 Hello Egbert I grow myrtle in my herb garden. The small pointed leaves are myrtle. They are very dark green and quite resilient. It slowly grows into a small bush and the little branches are woody, not soft. I can use it an an antiseptic by macerating the leaves. The smell is rather like eucalyptus (which is a related plant): fresh, pleasant, penetrating, but less powerful than eucalyptus. If you sniff essential oil of myrtle, you'll see what I mean. The sprigs bound together with wire are how I would create little bunches to affix with wire to a larger structure. I think those in your pictures are the right size for the headdress and I'm sure they're myrtle. I could post you some real European myrtle if you wish! Then you can smell it! Just a thought. I wonder whether Grandad took some myrtle with him to remind him of the woman he loved when he was away from her. It would be a useful bactericide too. Gwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J T Gray Posted 24 November , 2005 Share Posted 24 November , 2005 Zoo, Marina, , frv, you are right, thanx. It must be the hairdress!!! I will post a close up for Adrian and also will correct the "red circled pic posted earlier" <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I'm almost certain that the myrtle is from the headdress, Egbert, having seen the picture. There are a few leaves in silhouette along the top of the headdress and they are the same shape as those in the bunches in the trunk. I don't think there is any in the bouquet, even myrtle flowers. What a fabulous find - how much must your Grandmother have loved him to always keep such a souvenir of their big day? Silly question, I guess.... By the way, I do like the colouration of the photograph - the tones are very like those fabulous French autochrome prints that surface every now and then. Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 24 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 24 November , 2005 Hello Egbert I grow myrtle in my herb garden. The small pointed leaves are myrtle. They are very dark green and quite resilient. It slowly grows into a small bush, about knee high and the little branches are woody, not soft. I can use it an an antiseptic by macerating the leaves. The smell is rather like eucalyptus (which is a related plant): fresh, pleasant, penetrating, but less powerful than eucalyptus. The sprigs bound together with wire are how I would create little bunches to affix with wire to a larger structure. I think those in your pictures are the right size for the headdress. I could post you some real European myrtle if you wish! Gwyn <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thanx Gwyn! Why don't you post myrtle in size of a small bunch? Also -when I opened them I sniffed immediately - nothing! all scent has gone of course Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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