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US ARMY QUARTERMASTER BARRACKS BED ENDS, PAIR:
As shown in The Army Called It Home by William L.
Brown, page 127, these Quartermaster Department Barracks
Beds are believed to have been available as early as
1897 and used through the early years of the 20Th
Century.
The Quartermaster Department
insignia as it appears on the cast pieces on these bed
steads was designed in September of 1896 by then Capt.
Oscar F. Long (USMA, 1876). Long was awarded the Medal
of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Bear Paw
Mountain in 1877 and retired as a Brigadier General in
1904.
Manufactured of iron rod and cast iron fittings, each
bed stead features a double-sided Quartermaster
Department insignia. Both the head board and foot board
measure 32” wide, with the head board being 36” high and
the foot board 32” high.
All of the cast iron
fittings and iron rods are complete and intact with no
damage or breakage, and the mounting tabs which held the
soldier’s name card are present. The heavy iron tubing
that make up the outer frame of each piece is free from
dents or other signs of heavy use or poor handling.
When found, this set was covered with heavy coats of
several different colors of paint over the original
white enamel applied by the army, and all of it chipped
and in poor condition. It was also applied in such
quantity to obliterate the Quartermaster Department
insignia. That collection of paint has now been removed
and the bed steads are in the bare iron. There seemed
little sense in painting the pieces only to ship them
and have the paint damaged, so painting this set will be
left to the next owner.
This set of barrack bed steads would make an interesting
support for a display of Spanish American War or early
20Th Century uniforms and equipment.
((0805) $425
NOTE ON SHIPPING: I have computed
the packing and shipping costs for this set based on
shipping them in separate cartons via UPS. The packing
and shipping costs for anywhere within the continental
United States will be $135 based on 2013 rates. In the
event of a dramatic increase in shipping costs, for
which I have no control, the costs will be adjusted
accordingly. For what it’s worth, I’m not adding any
fees for the packing materials or the time to prepare
the set for shipping. All in all, I think that's a
pretty good deal.
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