In this feature, we hear from Jon Felz, an expert appraiser from RZM Fine Arts & Antiques, who provides valuable insights on evaluating prized possessions. Have something you're curious about having appraised? Reach out to Jon for a chance to have your items featured in a future "Ask the Appraiser" column.
Note to Appraiser:
Dear Mr. Felz,
I truly enjoy your appraisals and knowledgeable commentary. Enclosed are photographs of my uncle, Pvt. First Class Gustave H. Hansen of the 306th Field Artillery, 77th Division, along with some of his wartime belongings. A native of Washington Heights in Manhattan, he was inducted into the American Expeditionary Forces and served in Europe.
He kept a neatly painted record of his campaigns on his gas mask carrier and maintained two handwritten diaries of more than 200 pages each. His helmet, with a fully intact liner and the Statue of Liberty insignia, remains in excellent condition.
I would imagine these World War I artifacts might interest many collectors or historians. I am also curious about their value. My mother, his sister discarded the original gas mask long ago, thinking it was too dirty to keep, but thankfully she saved the carrier and helmet.
Thank you for your help,
A.J. Mergenthaler
Appraisal Response:
What an exceptional and well-preserved identified World War I grouping. Your uncle served in a division that saw significant action during the Great War.
The 306th Field Artillery Regiment was formed Aug. 5, 1917, as part of the United States National Army and organized later that month at Camp Upton, New York. The 77th Division, including the 306th Field Artillery, was a major component of the American Expeditionary Forces. The division trained with British forces, adopting their tactics, and played a vital role in several major Allied offensives.
Your uncle’s unit participated in the Oise-Aisne, Meuse-Argonne, Champagne and Lorraine campaigns. Because the division was largely made up of New Yorkers, it became known as the “Statue of Liberty Division”—the reason your uncle’s helmet features the hand-painted Statue of Liberty insignia.
The 77th Division is perhaps most widely remembered for the “Lost Battalion,” a group of soldiers cut off and surrounded by German forces during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. While exact casualty numbers for the 306th Field Artillery are not known, artillery units experienced extraordinarily high losses throughout the war. Roughly half of all World War I casualties were caused by artillery fire, making your uncle’s service both dangerous and deeply consequential.
Having had the privilege to carefully read through his diaries, I was struck by the raw accounts of the carnage and suffering he witnessed at just 20 years old. There is no doubt these experiences shaped him for the rest of his life.
You are correct that this grouping would be of significant interest to military collectors and historians. The diaries, in particular, elevate the importance and monetary value of the collection. They allow your uncle to speak directly across time, providing firsthand testimony that brings each artifact to life.
Your grouping includes his US Army portrait in Doughboy uniform, his helmet with the division insignia in vibrant, original paint, his service medals with ribbons and his gas mask carrier. Together, these items create what collectors call “the sum of all parts” a complete, identified and historically rich representation of a single soldier’s service.
The current market value of this outstanding World War I U.S. Army Doughboy grouping is $4,000.
Thank you for sharing your uncle’s remarkable diaries and artifacts. I hope this grouping remains in your family for generations, preserving the legacy and heroism of Pvt. First Class Gustave H. Hansen and offering future relatives a firsthand understanding of the profound sacrifices made during the Great War.
Jon Felz - Senior Appraiser
RZM Fine Arts & Antiques, Inc.
Address: 132 Dexter Avenue, Pearl River, NY
Phone: 845-735-1313
Email: rzmantique@aol.com