Welcome to the New Day Cafe! This is an open thread.
In honor of Valentine’s Day, I bring you a smattering of one of my favorite categories of collectibles: World War II sweetheart jewelry. Sweetheart jewelry was part of an array of items produced as a way to connect servicemen to loved ones, usually mothers, wives, and girlfriends.
Here’s a description from the National Museum of American History,
“Sweetheart jewelry of World War II vintage was made of a variety of materials. Due to the rationing placed on metals during the war, many of the items were made from alternate materials such as wood and plastic. Sterling silver was not rationed, so it was used to produce better quality jewelry.
Why was this type of jewelry so popular?
It was fashionable: rationing of material resulted in clothing with little embellishment. Pinning a brooch on a lapel or wearing a locket gave the wearer a little bit of glitz.
It was patriotic: many of the pieces were produced in the shape of patriotic symbols; the flag and the American eagle were most often depicted. The slogan ‘Remember Pearl Harbor’ found its way onto many pins, often accented with a pearl. Several of the costume jewelry manufacturers of the time, including Trifari and Coro, made patriotic-themed pieces.”
“It reflected a sense of service: many women proudly wore the pin version of a "man-in-service" flag, the blue star in the center, on a white background, with a red border, to indicate a son or husband in service. The service pins, more rarely, could have two or three stars, and rarer yet, could contain a gold star to indicate a death in service.”
Grab a cup of coffee,
a treat,
and share what’s on your mind this morning.
All are welcome to join the fun, the silliness, the conversations. If you don’t know...just ask! Some things really do require a bit of explanation.
There will be a few surprises along the way, all good ones, we hope.
We are here to keep building the Daily Kos Community.
We post Mon-Sun at 10:30 a.m. Eastern.
Pie fights will be met with outrageous ridicule and insults. Trolls will be incinerated and served at the next group BBQ. As briquettes.
This is an open thread. Please join us.