Memorabilia Monday: X-rays of Hitler’s Skull?

Within the amazing Dick Hedges World War II Memorabilia Collection are some X-rays that have been sitting in our vault for many years. They are purported to be taken of Adolf Hitler’s skull  on September 19, 1944 and October 21, 1944.

 

 

The X-rays are connected to a report called “Hitler as seen by his doctors,” which is an interrogation report from six of his doctors. The first page is below. According to the report, some of the X-rays were taken after Hitler’s car wreck/assassination attempt on July 20, 1944.

We can neither confirm nor deny the validity of these X-rays.

Images from: Dick Hedges World War II Memorabilia Collection, MS 422, Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University.

 

Memorabilia Monday: The Gun in the Vault

Last week, while in the vault, I saw a box with this interesting label.

This is what was inside. This will be your only way to see the gun, which isn’t even on the finding aid for the Ralph Anderson, Jr. papers.

The owner of all of these items fought in World War II, most notably in the Battle of the Bulge. Anderson sustained a head wound during the battle and subsequently received a Purple Heart and Bronze Star for his valor. After graduating from Rice Institute with a B.S. in Architecture, Anderson designed the World Trade Center in Houston, the Astrodome, Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, the Houston Post Building, the Harris Court House Addition, and the Alice Pratt Brown Fine Arts Library.

Ralph Anderson, Jr., 1965

Image from: Ralph Anderson, Jr. Papers, 1860 -1989, MS 413, Box 21, Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University

Memorabilia Monday: WWII Pennants

The two pennants above come from the Claude Addison McElroy papers. During World War II, McElory was stationed on the USS LST 462 in the Pacific. While it’s unclear why he had the second banner from the HMAS Westralia, this banner probably celebrates the ship’s invasion of Lingayen Gulf.

Diary of an anonymous German girl, 1939-41 available online

The newly digitized Diary of an anonymous German girl, 1939-41, is available for viewing on its Rice Digital Scholarship web page: http://scholarship.rice.edu/handle/1911/27445.

The finding aid is located here: http://archives.library.rice.edu/repositories/2/resources/229.

The manuscript diary is by a young German girl from the Saarland area of Germany, possibly from a rich, Catholic family. The bulk of the diary pertains to the girl’s personal life and daily activities; however, comments about conditions in Germany during the war are also found in the work.

The diary is written in German. It was found in Saarburg by the donor, who arrived to the German town during World War II with occupation troops. According to donor’s letter, the town was deserted at the time of the diary’s discovery.

No biographical information about the diary’s author is available. The diary was found in Saarburg by the donor, who arrived to the German town during World War II with occupation troops. According to donor’s letter, the town was deserted at the time of the diary’s discovery.