Pickelhaube collection at French museum: Fort de la Pompelle

Bungo

Bungo

Member
Has anyone here ever visited the museum at the Fort de la Pompelle in Reims?

Apparently it has a collection of over 500 Imperial German helmets and headgear.

I think I'm adding that to my itinerary next time I'm in France...


http://www.reims-tourism.com/Discover/Heritage/Museums/(fiche" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)/127670


http://www.reims.fr/culture-patrimoine/musees-et-collections-permanentes/fort-pompelle.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

visuel_7.jpg
 
The whole collection was amassed, in years when hardly anybody was interested in these objects, by a single individual, Charles Friese, who was an architect in the city of Nantes, in Western France.
I have spent a lot of time at La Pompelle, at a (long-time gone) time when the curator would open the windows for me and let me touch and inspect the helmets. I have not seen the new display though.
Bruno
 
i have been there past july /august on a little trip and it was a verry big dissapointment
in the section welcome to pickelhaubes.com we all welcomed louise ,i have posted there some of my pics taken inside the fort but i doubt it if the see me again in there museum
normaly the have 560 helmets in display,wenn i was there the had not more of 20 or 30 in display as you can see on those pics
in 2016 the would move back som helmets but not all of them
if you made your trip down there you could let us know what ther status is on the pickelhaubes in display

jonas
 
kaiser said:
i have been there past july /august on a little trip and it was a verry big dissapointment
in the section welcome to pickelhaubes.com we all welcomed louise ,i have posted there some of my pics taken inside the fort but i doubt it if the see me again in there museum
normaly the have 560 helmets in display,wenn i was there the had not more of 20 or 30 in display as you can see on those pics
in 2016 the would move back som helmets but not all of them
if you made your trip down there you could let us know what ther status is on the pickelhaubes in display

jonas
Click to expand...

Only 20 or 30? That would be a BIG disappointment for me as well! I know museums must 'pick and choose' what they display, but if your museum is known for its collection of something like Pickelhaube, then show them all!

:D Ron
 
Was there last week. First thing that nearly struck me was the ad random 78 piece part of the Friese collection at the start of the exhibition. Next one of the people that worked there then told me that 150 pieces are now in the archives. The rest is now on display per "Land". No longer per branch...they made a complete mess out of it. My Missus agreed with me right away-as she is "in the picture" by now. The same guy told me: they refuse collectors within the volunteercorps. In order to not lead someone into temptation...Things like: the Artillery or Kurassier "Regiment" etc...instead of branch....WT¿...So sad, so sad....
-an imperial german sun helmet was labelled "colonial Husar helmet regiment nr 5"
- :-({|= the musicians vitrine had a Jäger musician Tschako with the red horsehair plume. Nice and correct.
-and...a Bavarian artillery officers helmet with the red yack Haarbusch...marked as musicians helmet.
Right now I'm taking the original J-L Larcade books from the shelf at hand and weep :x
 
I was too in thé source museum some months ago and noticed that some regimentals marking don't fit with the wappen. For instance a Jr 96 wappen on a helmet with à FAR marking...
Most of the mecklenburg helmets have a bavarian spike.
So be careful
 
festwagner said:
I was too in thé source museum some months ago and noticed that some regimentals marking don't fit with the wappen. For instance a Jr 96 wappen on a helmet with à FAR marking...
Most of the mecklenburg helmets have a bavarian spike.
So be careful
Click to expand...

I have seen this too. It seems that museums build helmets, suits of armor, etc., to make them look good with a total disregard of actual history. I've seen this in French museums (including the Louvre), German museums and U.S. museums. Perhaps a museum is not the best place to do research. Once an exhibit displays little interest with the public, it is removed. It's all about money!

John :(
 
I remember seeing a Prussian EM ( Brass ) at the Smithsonian Historical Museum and it had double Riechs cocardes on it.
 
I was there in 2006
It was a rushed look as they were
about to close

A collector friend was there in the 1980's
and they had a lot of helmets on display then
plus a " real " Prussian Line Infantry flag
in blue .
I have a lot of photos from there
but I have done no photo posting since
the down fall of Photo Bucket
too bad
Steve
 
I was there 5 times now. Many pictures. Guess I posted many here. The mess they caused now...
Glad I still have those old pics.
In an interview an older local lady stated: "it seems to me that the Fort has lost its soul"...
 
Khukri said:
"it seems to me that the Fort has lost its soul"...
Click to expand...

And many of the helmets, their historical truth, because of mixing and replacing parts, original or not...... :cry:

Philippe
:wink:
 
Many years ago the Missus noticed that they messed up the labels in Les Invalides in Paris 1870/1871 collection.
 
Khukri said:
Many years ago the Missus noticed that they messed up the labels in Les Invalides in Paris 1870/1871 collection.
Click to expand...

I saw that too when I was in Paris and when I brought it up to a docent he turned a-hole on me. I wrote the director of the museum after that saying that I was not used to docents acting that way, especially in a city as influential as Paris.... no response.

Ron
 
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