Pappy presents this very rare WWI collectible by ARMOR BRONZE COMPAN.Y, NY CITY. This is the RHEIMS CATHEDRAL, officially known as the CATHEDRAL OF NOTRE-DAME. Back in WWI, the Germans bombed the Cathedral repeatedly, inflicting major damage. LOOK CLOSELY at the bookends. The one on the left is depicting 1914,before the shelling, and the one on the right from 1918, after the shelling. These are in good condition for their age( see pics). One reads Rheims Cathedral 1914 the other Rheims Cathedral 1918. They are about 9\" tall 7 1/4\" wide and 4 3/4\" deep and weigh almost 8 pounds. These are all original and have the Armor Bronze labels on the bottom of the felt. Please read description and inspect the pics closely as my sales are AS-IS.
Fast payment is most appreciated. I package well and ship FAST! Pay by 10 AM, CT and it will be mailed that day M-F!
offer WITH CONFIDENCE. Please check out my other sales and my fabulous NEW store. Thanks, PAPPY.
Here\'s some history:
On the outbreak of the First World War, the cathedral was commissioned as a hospital, and troops and arms were removed from its immediate vicinity. German shellfire during the opening engagements on 20 September 1914 burned, damaged and destroyed important parts of the cathedral. Scaffolding around the north tower caught fire, spreading the blaze to all parts of the carpentry superstructure. The lead of the roofs melted and poured through the stone gargoyles, destroying in turn the bishop\'s palace. Images of the cathedral in ruins were shown during the war by the indignant French, accusing the Germans of the deliberate destruction of buildings rich in national and cultural heritage. The German Government said that orders had been given to spare the cathedral. [17]
Restoration work began in 1919, under the direction of Henri Deneux, a native of Reims and chief architect of the Monuments Historiques; the cathedral was fully reopened in 1938, thanks in part to financial support from the Rockefellers, but work has been steadily going on since.
