Operation Photo Rescue's Online Community

This is my present project. 

(http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g353/klassylady25/BrownawellA16_08_8x10.jpg)
(http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g353/klassylady25/BrownawellA16_08_8x10adj.jpg)


I am on the lookout for a certificate that I can get that lovely crest from.  If not I'll work with what I have.

Here's where it stand tonight.

It's looking beautiful Candy. There's a better copy of the badge here. Not very large though.
http://www.whshistoryproject.org/ww2/Images/mr_gorman/certificate.jpg

Quote from: Tess (Tassie D) on May 20, 2012, 03:47:19 AM
It's looking beautiful Candy. There's a better copy of the badge here. Not very large though.
http://www.whshistoryproject.org/ww2/Images/mr_gorman/certificate.jpg

Thanks for the crest Tess.  I was also able to find this one off a 1943 letter head.  I've also written to the U.S. Army Ordnance Corp asking if they have a crest that they might be able to share. (http://www.goordnance.army.mil/contact.html (http://www.goordnance.army.mil/contact.html))

We'll see what happens.

http://wwiiletters.blogspot.com/2009/08/ordnance-school-aberdeen-proving-ground.html (http://wwiiletters.blogspot.com/2009/08/ordnance-school-aberdeen-proving-ground.html)

(http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/6524/img0002tu.jpg)

(http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g353/klassylady25/BrownawellA16_08_8x10.jpg)

A couple of thoughts Candy

The printing is not Black black as I suspect the original would have been.

Also the paper looks too flat, perhaps a soft light layer filled 50% grey and set to soft light. The use render, clouds and back off to 20-30%  to provide some sudo random variation in brightness.

Didn't try but a small amount of noise may also help

Good job with the gold, I think it is the worst colour to try to recreate

Athol

(http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g353/klassylady25/BrownawellA16_08_8x10adj2.jpg)
(http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g353/klassylady25/BrownawellA16_08_8x10adj-1.jpg)

Athol, your suggestion taken on top picture.  The bottom picture was the one posted earlier for contrast. 

Here's were it stands now.

Candy

Hi Candy

I see you've done your usual stellar job on the certificate.  My question is probably more for admin than for you.  Wouldn't it be likely that the original certificate would have the entire gold stamp (for lack of a better word) attached than for it to be cut off? On the original it appears to have been folded a little and the edge of the paper looks to be in pretty bad shape as well.  I can't imagine that only part of the stamp would have been attached to the original.  Just checking.

Cheers

GK

I wondered about that Glenna and it's easy enough to fix.  Let's see what the powers that be say and then I'll change it, or I should say, I'll have it changed and if they agree then it will be ready!   ::)

Candy, fortunately, if the whole stamp is needed, at least it's a quick fix. I can always go for those!

Candy, you're doing a great job on this.

The family presented the certificate in an old wooden frame and unfortunately we were unable to remove it for copying.  Otherwise you would be able to see the entire gold seal.  Below is the file before it was cropped.

(http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc406/PatsPhotos1/CandyRef.jpg)

Pat

Thank you Pat.  It was an easy enough fix.  What think ye now?

Pat, it would seem to me, then, that the entire certificate would have been a standard size, either 8x10 or 8-1/2x11.  Could a margin be added equally around the certificate to allow it to be a standard size, making room for the stamp?

I see that Candy posted already.  That still leaves my question.  If the certificate is to be framed again, it should be a standard size.  So I'll ask the same thing that Candy did: what think ye now?

If the certificate is to be framed again, I can double the layer,  then resize the top layer giving it a 1/2 boarder for framing.  That's what I would do.   

Again, an easy fix.  I haven't finalized it so you can see the edges, but you get the drift. See below:

I think that would be wonderful Candy!  The finished file including border would have to be the standard 8x10.  I can see you have no problem accomplishing that.

Please be sure to get final approval from Bambi as this came from her gallery.

Really nice work Candy :up:

Pat

Pat what you are viewing is the original size.  I'll finish it up and send it on after posting the final here and getting the "green" light to do so.  :)

Looks awesome, Candy.  Kudos!

Thank you Glenna.

Beautiful restoration, Candy. And great tips from all your friends.

It's on it's way Bambi and I do appreciate all the help given. 

Thank you all.  :-*

Candice, this looks great! As to the size, we do not print anything over an 8 x 10. So if it is over, it will be reduced to fit.

Margie

Margie I think you will find that it was returned with the original dimensions in tack.  :)

Candice, I figured it was returned with the original dimension intact, but I got to wondering when GK suggested the
8 1/2 x 11 size.  :cool:

Margie

 :)

I'd like to share with you all the response that came in for Ordnance certificate I worked on. 
I told you that sometimes I go the source and in this case I received a lovely reply:

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE

Dear Candice Roy,


As far as we can tell, this type of certificate went into the personnel file for individual soldiers but copies were not retained in the organizational records of the issuing agency (in this case the U.S. Army Ordnance School). Because of this the personnel records are the only source for this type of document. You would need to know the name of other soldiers that received this type of certificate and then consult their personnel files. To complicate matters, the US Army personnel records for veterans are sent to the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis, Missouri, but there was a tragic fire at NPRC in 1973 that destroyed the majority of personnel files for veterans that had served from 1917-1973. Because of this, it may be very difficult to find another of these certificates.

If you are able to identify other soldiers that may have been given this same certificate, you can contact the NPRC to ask if the personnel records for that soldier still survive. Contact information and instruction for requesting records can be found on this website:

http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/ (http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/)

We apologize we could not provide more information but we hope this helps. Please let us know if you have any questions.



Sincerely,

James Tobias
Historical Resources Branch
U.S. Army Center of Military History
102 4th Avenue, Building 35
Ft. McNair, DC 20319-5060

Candice, thanks for sharing and what a nice letter. What a shame about the fire at NPRC in 1973.

Margie

There were probably a lot of things lost in that fire.  Can you imagine how helpful we might have been then?