The Largest Collection of Carlist Artifacts in the Old Northwest!

Now that sounds like a contender for Top 5 Failed American Museum Concepts!

Somewhere after the Newseum, though.

And yet, the title accurately describes another quirk of their father for my children to puzzle over after I shuffle off this mortal coil.

But at least this one is stored in a small, easily-lifted-and-moved box, so will be of less annoyance than volumes about the Byzantine Empire. Less annoyance, if not bafflement. 

I have spoken of the Carlists before--here is the main post.

And, over time, I have snaffled a few pieces of Carlist history. Periodically, I will share them with you, who will likely be a slightly-less baffled audience.

Probably.

For my part, the Carlists and the Basques are the most sympathetic participants in the War, and there is no small overlap between the two. Neither one got what they wanted from the conflict, though nowadays the Basques may one day realize their dream--and then promptly become a small cog in the German-run entity that is the EU. Careful what you wish for, as they say.

Today's collection consists of three of the four ration coupon posters I own (and have laminated as the paper was getting brittle). The posters are themselves 1940s reproductions of Carlist recruitment posters from the Spanish Civil War. They are perforated to allow removal of one of the 10 coupons for food or other items printed on the back. 

After the war, the Falangists ran the economy of Spain until roughly 1959, when Franco decided to put more-liberal minded Opus Dei economists in charge. Like all command economy fanatics, the Falange had a hard time working out the kinks with supply and demand. This was most painfully evident in food production, which was borderline famine-level in the mid-1940s. 

Hence the continuation of wartime rationing coupons (when Nationalist Spain actually ate reasonably well--especially compared to the Republicans). American economic aid following the 1953 Pact of Madrid led to stabilization of Spain, but the economy would not take off until the 1960s.

Boinas rojas manning something like a French 75.

Urging enlistment ("alistaros") in the 62nd Division. Enlistment was not a problem in Navarra, which was all-in for the Carlist cause.

More Navarran patriotism on display. Don't know how to flip it, alas.

The Cross of Burgundy is still used by the Spanish military as well as the Carlists. 

Amongst the options: lentils, bread, sugar, a herring, potatoes, cooking oil and...tobacco.