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The helmets are real, the art is not. I may get yelled at for this, and I'm not one to screw up original pieces, these were helmets that were in pretty rotten shape when I got them. Anyway, they look good with the appropriate display. The Machine Gun Corp helmet is British manufacture. All artwork done by me, thought some may like to see them. Enjoy!
Nice art work!
Originals are really going up in value, and those look nice. Worn out rusty WWI helmet shells are plentiful and have very little value. I don't see anything wrong with this.
Most originals were painted after the end of WWI and kept as souvenirs . There were shops in Europe and the US that specialized in painting them. Doughboys were allowed to keep their helmets after the end of the war and many copied the brightly colored helmets they saw the Germans wearing during the war. I have an original in my collection. In the green area on the left you can see where the original 35th Div symbol was over painted.
Also added an old newspaper article from Chris Armold's book 'Painted Steel Pots'
Great helmet, and interesting article. I like the little lightning marks in the white, wonder what those represent. No, there's no WAY that I would touch up or paint over a pristine WW1 helmet, or any well preserved piece of historical militaria for that matter. As you said, originals are getting pretty expensive, these are for my own use. I would never put them off as the real thing. However, will definitely be adding an authentic one soon. Thanks for the pics!