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VINTAGE WORLD WAR II U.S. ARMY AIR FORCES \"SWEETHEART\" SOUVENIR PILLOW COVER WITH ORIGINAL SEWN-IN FACTORY INSPECTION TAG
Up for sale is a beautiful, highly preserved piece of WWII home front memorabilia. This original 1940s \"sweetheart\" pillow sham features iconic U.S. Army Air Forces imagery, including early aviator graphics, bomber planes, and the historical Hap Arnold winged-star insignia.The center showcases a clean, fully legible romantic sweetheart poem printed onto a vibrant yellow satin-weave acetate/rayon face. The edge is beautifully finished with a complete, unfaded blue and yellow twisted rope fringe trim. The reverse side features a matching clean yellow satin finish with a traditional envelope-style slit opening for inserting a pillow form.SPECIAL COLLECTOR\'S NOTE:
This unique piece retains its original paper factory inspector tag (Number \"26\") sewn directly into the inner seam stitching from the manufacturing assembly line. Because these paper tags are incredibly fragile and typically tore away or disintegrated with any standard handling, its presence indicates that this keepsake has been stored safely flat and unused for over 80 years.Branch Graphics: The top features prominent US Air Force text alongside the historical Army Air Forces Hap Arnold emblem and illustrations of period aircraft, bombers and pilots.
Origin & Purpose: Service members stationed at bases during basic training or deployment would buy these fringed satin or rayon covers at the base post exchange (PX) or local souvenir shops. They mailed them home as patriotic tokens of affection to family members, in this case, \"Sweetheart\".The Poem: The center contains a sentimental tribute titled \"Sweetheart,\" a common poetic element used on these homefront mementos to keep families connected across long distances.Condition Details:
Good Vintage Condition: Extremely bright, bold color retention on both the front illustration graphics and the exterior fringe.
Fabric: No visible holes, dry rot, or tears on the delicate wartime materials. Has a few small stains as seen on the pictures (one right under the poem).
Fringe: Intact on all four sides with no notable losses or heavy fraying.
Dimensions: Approximately 19\" x 17.5\" (excluding fringe trim).
Closure remains open unless manually stitched.Check out 2 other similar items posted and can combine shipping.
