Germany, Luftwaffe. An Officer’s Visor Cap, by H. Oldevend

(Luftwaffe Schirmmütze). A well-preserved Luftwaffe Officer’s visor cap, constructed of dark grey wool twill. The side walls of the cap are fully lined with a black cotton-blended cap band, trimmed along both the top and bottom with twisted and rolled silver aluminum wire piping. An additional band of silver aluminum wire piping fully surrounds the crown of the cap. Stitched onto the peak of the cap is an insignia in the form of a dark grey rayon backer bearing a hand-embroidered silver aluminum wire Luftwaffe eagle clutching a mobile swastika. The eagle insignia measures 70 mm (w) x 40 mm (h). Stitched onto the cap band underneath the eagle is an insignia in the form of a padded black wool backer bearing a hand-embroidered silver aluminum wire tricolour cockade and wreath, flanked by stylized wings of identical construction. The cap band insignia measures 160 mm (w) x 40 mm (h). It is flanked on each side by a pebbled magnetic metal button securing in place a decorative chinstrap constructed of multiple rows of silver aluminum wire. The chinstrap rests upon a protruding vulcanfibre visor, painted black on the obverse and dark green on the reverse. The interior features a dark grey leather sweatband, measuring 35 mm in width and secured in place by a row of machine stitching. Also present is a complete grey rayon liner with a silk texture. The crown bears a black ink maker’s mark of “H. OLDEVEND, HAMBURG”. The cap measures approximately 238 mm (w) x 245 mm (l) x 160 mm (h). It demonstrates some issues consistent with age and use, including fatigue and mothing of the exterior wool and wire, the loss of the interior moisture guard, soiling of the interior liner, and evident removal of the interior wire frame, the latter resulting in a crusher-style appearance and distortion of the overall structure. The cap is in an overall very fine condition.