The John Bannister Collection - D-Day and Militaria
Lot 2273:
Description
This collection offers a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the “China Marines” stationed in Peking (Peiping) during the late 1930s. Included are seven issues of “The Peiping Marine” (Vols 1.2; 1.3; 1.4; 1.5; 1.6; 1.8; 2.3) and a “Souvenir Program” for the 4th Marines Club dated April 9th, 1938. Unlike standard military magazines, these were produced in small quantities for a specific unit stationed in a city that was under Japanese occupation at the time. Items from the 4th Marines in Shanghai are particularly rare because the unit was almost entirely captured or destroyed at Corregidor in 1942. These publications, printed by the American Embassy Guard in Peiping, China, are historically significant artifacts documenting American military presence in the Far East just prior to the outbreak of World War II. The covers feature striking graphics, including a detailed map of the “Tartar City,” traditional Chinese Buddhist iconography, and portraits of commanding officers. The ephemeral nature of these military unit publications makes a grouping of this size particularly desirable for collectors of USMC history or Sino-American relations. The items appear to be in excellent condition, well-preserved in individual plastic sleeves, with only minor edge wear and light age-toning consistent with 85-plus-year-old paper ephemera. H 11″, W 8.5″ Please see photos.
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