I LIKE the things I LIKE!

Theology

2012-02-13T21:17:00.000-05:00

The three Bible guys were found in a bin of loose figures at the local hobby shop. Three for a dollar was pretty good. A coat of acrylic paint and they have joined the "cast." The maker was "CSI" made in China (of course) in 1997 and painted as the whitest middle easterners I've seen. There's a good number of MARX products, a ROSE Greek woman, and a Jescan Egyptian as the local constable.

A notable Birthday!

2012-02-12T07:05:00.000-05:00

Those Darn Uhlans.

2012-02-10T06:31:00.000-05:00

( Note that some of the troops with lances are actually kurassier units and dragoon units. The Germans seem to have armed them with lances as well.)

Uhlans, they bring em' in alive!

It takes a gang to bring them in....

They had to deal with technology... barbed wire.

Working with air power.....

Armored vehicles going after them......(click for the caption.) Imagine the TV show..Rat Patrol! In sepia!

Some artist did have a sense of humor about mechanization of the Uhlans.

Uhlans. Who liked them?

2012-02-08T06:23:00.000-05:00

Beautiful Women liked Uhlans....

Peasant women found them annoying before and during WW One.

French Peasant women especially found them annoying.

Uhlans liked Jesus and Jesus like them.

German Uhlans were really dashing guys according to the post cards.

Could this end any other way?

2012-02-06T19:54:00.000-05:00

"Defiance" by Winslow Homer....

Quick Limber Project

2012-02-05T09:39:00.000-05:00

The Americana Souvenirs limber is a slightly larger scale than the cannons I converted. I think it's supposed to fit to a slightly larger cannon in their catalog. I tweaked the limber by using some spare wheels from their cannon.
I don't plan on getting a batteries worth of limbers. One makes a nice display. We'll see.

Politics, Politics.......

2012-02-04T08:09:00.001-05:00

...starring some recasts of MARX's "Johnny Tremain" play set figures as some anonymous state legislators and a printer.

I have noticed that whenever some states in the United States claim "States Rights" it's never to give their own citizens MORE rights, better education, medical care, or generally more freedom. These states are often first in line for Federal aid when a disaster strikes.

Another day at work....

2012-02-03T07:04:00.000-05:00

...on the set of the Civil War movie TAP ROOTS. International Brotherhood of Starlet Corset Lacers, Local 603.

Editorial on the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850

2012-02-01T06:46:00.000-05:00

Getting mad at something that was settled in 1865......

"Trouble At The Mill!"

2012-01-30T06:46:00.000-05:00

Starring LEMAX conversions with a guess appearance by an old Cliff Sanderson figure.

LEMAX workers

2012-01-28T11:51:00.000-05:00

Working figures converted from LEMAX Christmas village figures.These could be painted to fit Civil War or late Victorian scenes including Wild West.

You can have some political fun as well since fellow collectors tend to be conservative folks.

No I'm not a socialist. The Union has already filed a "grievance" against me at work.

Bear Artillery!

2012-01-26T06:24:00.002-05:00

The Swiss had it and here's documentation. Plus it was adorable!

The Cannon Project...done!

2012-01-24T07:24:00.001-05:00

Some touch-ups, matte spray coating etc....

A brass tack replaces the piece Americana used. It's tough to get that one out. Be careful with the pliers and vice. One Hard Cider (Woodchuck, Magners or Strongbow) is enough during the job. Kid's ask your parents who will say no to the Cider.

Replace the wheel hubs carefully. I had to tap each hub into a hole in some wood that was a smaller diameter than the hub piece to get it to fit. CAREFULLY but firmly tap the axle from the opposite side.This pressed the hub over the axle and the hole in the wood allows the axle to go in pushing the hub...argggghhhh! You get it, Right?

I did paint the prolonge rope (sailors call it a "line") on the trail.

TSSD conversions to Union gunners....

TSSD conversions to Confederate gunners...

Thanks for watching!

The Cannon Project continues.....

2012-01-22T10:37:00.000-05:00

I've added the bucket hooks with smaller gauge paperclip metal and "Greenstuff" 2 part putty. When hard, I used some "Zap-A-Gap" adhesive (Crazy Glue will do as well.)

"CRAZY?! You Call Me Crazy??!! Well who do you call when things fall apart...Huh??! Who's CRAZY Then!?"

more to come......

Le Pantalon Féminin or No delay in the Cannon Project.

2012-01-20T19:03:00.000-05:00

I'm just waiting for the paint to dry etc. and I came across an on-line version of the 1906 classic;

Le Pantalon Féminin.

http://www.archive.org/details/lepantalonfmin00dufa

This is the 1916 edition which is"profusely illustrated." I haven't figured out how to use GOOGLE Translate on the pages yet but this appears to be a history of ........women's underpants up to the beginning of the 20th Century. If you have any questions of what women's underwear looked like in the opening years of World War One, (the film Flyboys got it wrong) then the following illustrations will help you out.

The one below appears to represent the mid 1800s....

The visible chemise tail showing out the back of the drawers is a common feature of this series of illustrations.

This one below may represent the late 1800s....

Cannon Project 2......

2012-01-18T06:39:00.000-05:00

...making mistakes so you don't have to.

1. use some primer on the metal.
2. paint in a well lit and warm place
3. allow paint to dry longer.

Taking a second look at these model cannon's carriages, there is a small "eye" located here.....

....as on the real carriages. I tried adding a bucket hook with paper clip metal as I found in my "stash" six old artillery bucket from when I made guns for sale back in the 80's BUT after making them....

... 1, the hooks just don't look right in the WRONG location which of course is under the axle and they look a little "clunky" anyway. Plus this detail adds a breakable "fiddly bit".

More to come.

Cannon Project

2012-01-16T06:42:00.000-05:00

I'm making six Napoleons for my Toy Soldiers of San Diego artillerymen. I'm using Americana Souvenirs & Gifts cannons. Now these will be "toys" but nicer looking toys (I hope) than the slightly larger Penn Craft cannon.

Remove the plastic wheel hubs with pliers...

CAREFULLY tap out the barrel trunnion metal rod

Count all your piece and put the wheel hubs in a cup....

Spray with a dark green that looks close to the Union artillery paint. Do this in warmer room than my basement with GOOD ventilation. Kids, ask your parents...and STAY IN SCHOOL.

MORE to Come......

I'm not even a Football Fan But.....

2012-01-15T09:47:00.000-05:00

..the New England Patriots beat the Denver Broncos despite any "divine intervention."

A Happy Ending for "Spring Awakening"

2012-01-13T19:09:00.000-05:00

A tip O' the Kepi to my daughter for the ideas of how to give Spring Awakening a happy ending. See my earlier blog post on the Spring Awakening playset.

http://ilikethethingsilike.blogspot.com/2012/01/spring-awakening-playset.html

The actual play and modern musical has two dead teenagers, one by suicide, the other by a botched abortion, and a third nearly die in the final act. Adults do not look good in this story. Here's the ending we might like to see....

Great period images of Cantinieres.

2012-01-10T18:47:00.000-05:00

I found them here on this interesting French forum. L'armée de Napoléon III, Histoire et Reconstitution

http://18edelignesecondempire.xooit.fr/t338-dessins-de-fantassins-en-Crimee-bis.htm?q=cantiniere

French Cantinieres seem to have been thick on the ground in the Crimea. Be sure to click on the images.

The "Spring Awakening" Playset

2012-01-08T11:41:00.000-05:00

Spring Awakening is a musical based on the play Frühlings Erwachen (Untertitel „Eine Kindertragödie) written by Frank Wedekind 1891 and first performed in 1901. The adult themes of sex and suicide makes it a controversial play. My 16 year old daughter recently read me the play (in English), a three night project. She has seen the modern musical version on YouTube. She had a LOT of questions! This work aimed at teens makes a good teaching opportunity for parents. I jokingly suggested a "Spring Awakening play set" to my daughter, and after her suggestions, here it is, based on the play and the musical, for next Christmas....

See the Wikipedia entries...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_Awakening_%28play%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_Awakening

or talk to your teen age daughter.

Christmas, the truth can now be told!

2012-01-06T06:49:00.001-05:00

Christmas is a combination of pre-Christian myths about sun gods and the winter solstice, given a definite date by Christian Romans in 336 CE to December 25. Modern Christmas is mainly an invention of several Victorians including Charles Dickens, Clement Moore, Queen Victoria (very Victorian), and Thomas Nast.
In that light, modern Christmas has inspired yet more "fan fiction" which can be seen on the Hallmark Channel and other U.S. cable networks which have added the watching of Christmas movies and specials to our "traditions." (Stay away from the Star Wars Wookie Life Day special) I won't go into all the songs from beautiful to silly to unintentionally horrible. Example Christmas Shoes, where God kills a poor child's mother so that a grumpy man learns the meaning of Christmas.
Here's my addition to holiday fan fiction starring a LEMAX figure, Toy Soldiers of San Diego figures, some old Imrie/ Risley metal figures and Safari Fairies.

HaT 1/32 Prussians

2012-01-03T21:09:00.000-05:00

I picked them up a while back. These are nice figures in good poses with the added feature of having swop-able hats and caps. While they are meant to be 7 Years War figures, they are close to American War of Independence "Hessians."

You can make units of musketeers, fusiliers, and grenadiers. Officers and musicians will soon be available from HaT. They blend in well with Accurate's AWI figures.

Here is a comparison of other 7 Years War and Hessian series with HaT's figures.

It's hard to do 1/32 scale on a small table.

2011-12-30T14:58:00.001-05:00

I picked up a repro MARX limber and cannon set and added a "extra" two horses to make the correct number for a six horse team. It's a nice sturdy "toy" model that's stronger than the 1960s MARX play set version that broke on Christmas morning 50 years ago. (Yes 50!) The thing is 17 1/2 inches long making it hard to add any more to the battery in terms of table space. I'd need 5 more limber teams and six more caisson teams just for the Union side. Too much $$$$ and space are needed.

I looked up a period artillery manual on-line to see what the actual distances between guns and limbers was.

http://books.google.com/books?printsec=frontcover&id=P7MVAAAAYAAJ#v=onepage&q&f=false

You really need more that a 8 foot by 4 foot standard plywood sheet to hold a 54mm/1/32 battery even without the line of caisson limbers behind the first line on limbers if you set them up in scale.

I'm guessing that a war game scale battery at 28mm could be set up in scale but that might defeat the purpose of war game figures.

Painted Zombie Skeletons

2011-12-28T13:44:00.001-05:00

I converted and painted the figures I blogged about a while back...

http://ilikethethingsilike.blogspot.com/2011/12/zombie-skeletons.html

The figures were painted with acrylic washes and dry brushing. I thought that these figures should be "Bronze Age" hence the armor and weapons painted to look like old bronze. Having these figures be supernatural is fun. They are more likely clock work or steam powered automatons created to scare away treasure hunters by a Victorian Super Villain.

The Victorian skirt-less lady was converted from an old Cliff Sanderson/ Monarch metal figure.

It looks bad for the Victorian Adventurers made from Armies In Plastic Boer War figures.

Robert E. Lee has ENOUGH!

2011-12-26T08:45:00.000-05:00

Gettysburg, July 2,1863, General Robert E. Lee's headquarters. General "JEB" Stuart finally arrives......

Happy December 25....

2011-12-25T08:31:00.000-05:00

Tom Nixon's Christmas Joke!

2011-12-23T17:45:00.000-05:00

Tom is out there somewhere. At Civil War reenactments he would take old dirty jokes, retool them for the 1860s as happening to his "Uncle Hezekiah , and tell them around the campfire as if it was the 1860s. (He could recite Shakespeare as well.) One night he noticed that a troop of Girls Scouts camping near the reenactment site had infiltrated the campfire audience while he was entertaining us. He had to tone down the jokes a bit. He's a gentleman. Here's a version of one of his stories about his "Uncle Hezekiah" meeting future Civil War General Daniel Sickles and his wife one Christmas.

Dickens! You Magnificent Bastard! I read your Book!

2011-12-21T06:19:00.000-05:00

I really like the George C. Scott version of A Christmas Carol. These was nothing whiny about Scott's portrayal of Ebenezer Scrooge.

When THIS guy came alone in 2000, you'd have thought he was channeling George C. Scott!

But with Scott I couldn't help but think of a more famous role he played......

...and this scene...

..so when I think Scott, I think Patton even when he is playing Scrooge.

Disney Villains

2011-12-19T06:32:00.002-05:00

Along with the Italian Disney franchises versions of Cantinieres, I got a kick out of the Disney villains in military uniforms. This was before Jafar, Scar, Gaston, Hades, Clayton of the newer movies. Most of the REALLY evil movie Disney villains were women except Capt. Hook.That left these guys....

Who's afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? The Russians!

I'd suggest that if anyone is looking for an avatar for their reenactment unit, these are the guys.

During WW II "Pete" was the mascot of the U.S. Merchant Marine.

The Professionals beat me to it.

2011-12-17T08:50:00.000-05:00

It is their job.

While Superman wears Chuck Norris pajamas, Chuck Norris wears Christoper Hitchens pajamas.

Goodbye Christopher Hitchens.

2011-12-16T11:32:00.002-05:00

I'm working on an appropriate blog entry.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45695152/ns/today-books/t/christopher-hitchens-militant-pundit-dies/?ocid=ansmsnbc11

I love you Doris Kearns Goodwin

2011-12-14T18:45:00.000-05:00

Disney's Cantinieres

2011-12-13T06:21:00.001-05:00

Back in the 1970s, the Italian franchise of Disney did comic book covers of Disney characters in historical uniforms. Despite being worn by anthropomorphized animals, they look fairly authentic.

Bag O' Africans

2011-12-11T07:22:00.000-05:00

The White Hunters look waaaaay more violent than the Natives. Also the poses are awful.

The scale is close to MARX.

The poses include to women who are not National Geographic models. At least they don't have coconut bras.

More like women on Skull Island.

ZOMBIE Skeletons!!!!!!

2011-12-09T08:43:00.000-05:00

I just got these on Amazon for less than one hour's U.S. minimum wage. 30 figures with 6 poses. I see possibilities for changing the poses a bit for more "individuals" using hot water or swapping limbs with plastic rod and "Crazy Glue."

Usefulness you might ask. They are slightly smaller than 54 mm. They have a slight Bronze Age look and could have sprung from the desert on unwary Legionnaires!

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition OR a Zombie Skeleton attack!

For war gamers.....Nephilim attack!

(40 year old Jack Scruby 25mm French)

Nephilim hoax photo...

Hey...it's in the Bible!

MARX on Religion (MARX toy soldiers)

2011-12-08T06:33:00.001-05:00

(Technically, these men bellow got in.)

Tell that to David Barton!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Barton_%28author%29

Citberi Création Christmas Ornaments.

2011-12-06T06:30:00.000-05:00

Because nothing says Christmas like French Imperialism! These are really cool! But they would have to live on a Christmas tree in a home without children or pets.

http://citberi.over-blog.com/

Cute Vivandiere!

Historical Reenacting with REAL Veterans

2011-12-04T10:10:00.000-05:00

Based on actual events. Don't let this happen to you!

Yet more on women's underwear of the 1800s.

2011-12-03T09:12:00.000-05:00

I was "worried" about what this German lady was doing when I first saw her blog entree........

Re: Ein paar Krustentiere - bright eyed and bushy tailed
So Nov 13, 2011 21:37 pm.........

http://natronundsoda.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=57704#p2063174

She wears her chemise over the drawers at first...

But as she goes on, she wears the chemise inside her drawers....

Then she then wears her corset over both........

Too bad she couldn't get her friend to shot the photos instead of using the mirror. Many period images show the corset worn as the lady is doing, over both the chemise and drawers.

(The picture above is from LIFE Magazine with no date. If anyone recognizes the artist, please let me know.)

"Womens" Underwear 1870

2011-12-01T06:54:00.000-05:00

My ongoing side study of women's clothing in the 19th Century sometimes turns up data that can be of interest to both reenactors and miniature makers. Occasionally period documentation shows up that is unexpected like this image below....................

The illustration appears to show a woman wearing her chemise over the top of her drawers, the opposite way that I have proposed from other period sources. Now here is the source of the incident...

So that if the illustrator of the first image was an eye witness to the exposure of Boulton or Park, one of the men wore his chemise over the top of his open drawers. If this is accurate, perhaps a man in women's clothing found that method of dress more convenient for reliving himself. If the artist was not there, then he drew from an account or drew from his own experience of how women dressed.

The first image is certainly a statistical outlier and should be used with caution to prove that women wore their clothing one way or another. Fun stuff though!

More on Women's Underwear...1868

2011-11-29T07:00:00.000-05:00

I have blogged in the past on my research on this subject. Documentation sometimes shows up in places that are unexpected. I was looking at Le Journal Amusant on-line.....

http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb327966940/date.r=Journal+comique+et+illustr%C3%A9.langEN

...at cartoons from the 1860s and found a small cartoon in a series of camp life at the training camp at Chalons in 1868. Click to enlarge

From GOOGLE Translation..the annoyed woman is telling the soldier, an orderly for an officer to just throw a letter on her bed and she will read it later.

The dutiful orderly replies that his lieutenant ordered him to hand it to her and await a reply.

It's clear that the woman wears her chemise tails under her drawers in this example. I have been looking for period documentation that this was the custom.

more to come......

OK, I'll play the Lt. Pike meme...

2011-11-27T10:09:00.000-05:00

A case for mixing figure scales.....

2011-11-26T10:58:00.000-05:00

...at least in recreating the German Army.

THANKS GIVING

2011-11-25T09:02:00.000-05:00

New England Humor

2011-11-23T09:00:00.000-05:00

For European and American "Fly-Over State" followers, New England Humor involves dry wit and long detailed descriptions and non-sequitur observations up until the punchline with the Yankee getting the best of another character.

See Bert and I......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bert_%26_I

This is my tribute to a famous "Bert and I" "Which Way to Millinocket?" story but set in Vermont in 1864 and starring a LEMAX Christmas figure, Replicant Confederates, and assorted accessories from BMC and MARX.

Now if you think I messed with history, there's this movie about the Confederate raid on St. Albans Vermont .........

Lincoln at Fort Stevens

2011-11-21T10:13:00.000-05:00

I've been re-reading Shelby Foot's trilogy on the Civil War and this incident in July 1864 during Gen'l Early's drive on Washington, D.C. I did a quick set up of Armies in Plastic Heavy Artillery (with some conversions) and a trusty MARX Lincoln.

The President and Mrs. Lincoln were present when casualties were brought in.

The Last Cartridges

2011-11-19T07:47:00.001-05:00

The Painting

The film!

Les dernières cartouches (original title) 1897

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0223130/

Little kids reenacting the scene!

LEMAX Christmas figures...CONTEXT

2011-11-16T06:58:00.000-05:00

This Santa set is right out of the package....

This one is a conversion.....

Sacred and Profane .....

You can repaint these LEMAX figures or just color code them in one color to fit in with unpainted plastic soldiers. These figures are resin and difficult to work with as they can be brittle. They will take Milliput putty and can be sawed or filed with hobby tools. They are CHEAP and can be ordered on line from Amazon or
eHobby Tools.
http://ehobbytools.com/

CTS Civil War figures and Friends

2011-11-14T21:59:00.000-05:00

Mannie Gentile gave us a funny and detailed review of Classic Toy Soldier's new Confederate 1/32 scale figures.

http://toysoldiersforever.blogspot.com/2011/10/cts-confederates-pass-in-review.html

I picked some Confederates up along with CTS's Union Figures cast in gray plastic and mixed some of the heads. Cunnyngham Collectibles' Confederates fit right in with these figures plus their heads can be swopped around as well. Finally a few figures from Conte Collectables such as officers and color bearers give you more poses to make a unit.

Intrepid Women.

2011-11-12T10:20:00.000-05:00

http://www.cantinieres.com/

I recommend Thomas Cardoza's book on the subject. If you are a war gamer or miniature collector, you may want to include a vivandiere with your French forces. Mr. Cardoza's book documents the presence of these women with the French army from the Royal Army to the Armies of 2nd Empire. A number of the accounts of real women involved in combat because of the close proximity to their units would make great dioramas if not a movie!

French Mystery

2011-11-10T06:59:00.000-05:00

This is a cover from the French anti-clerical magazine LA CALOTTE. LA CALOTTE was published from from 1906 to 1912 and was "profusely illustrated." You can thumb through the issues here.

http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb32736598v/date

If you are offended by French early 1900s anti-clericalism you can skip it.
One 1907 issue featured a cover with a "Mystere". The caption has the sister asking what are these for or what are these? She is holding female under drawers of the period style that are divided in the middle and worn over a woman's chemise. The center division makes relieving one self easy without getting undressed.
Does the sister not know what they are or how they function? Is she that isolated? Maybe she is wondering what these fancy drawers are doing where she is. It's likely the 1907 reader got the joke.

If you can figure out what the mystery is, please comment but keep it "family friendly."

BTW, if you are looking for good inexpensive figures in 1/32 -54 mm of nuns, LEMAX has a good number of European looking figures that can work for several hundred years of history. Below is the "factory paint."

Politics!!!

2011-11-09T06:29:00.000-05:00

Door in the United States Capital Building

(shot last August on our family trip to DC)

Highland Jessie!

2011-11-06T08:57:00.002-05:00

THE RELIEF OF LUCKNOW. (October 25, 1857.)

BY R.T.S. LOWELL.

"Then Jessie Brown stood listening, And then a broad gladness broke All over her face, and she took my hand And drew me near and spoke:

"_The Highlanders!_ Oh! dinna ye hear The slogan far awa-- The McGregor's? Ah! I ken it weel; It's the grandest o' them a'.

"God bless thae bonny Highlanders! We're saved! we're saved!" she cried: And fell on her knees, and thanks to God Pour'd forth, like a full flood-tide."

I'd like to see a movie of this incident AND the dime novel version of the adventures of Jesse!

There was a play.....

Jessie Brown; or, the Relief of Lucknow

The Oxford Companion to American Theatre | 2004 | Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak | 700+ words | Copyright

Jessie Brown; or, the Relief of Lucknow (1858), a drama by Dion Boucicault. [Wallack's Theatre, 42 perf.] Led by the treacherous Nena Sahib (Boucicault), the Sepoy Rebellion has succeeded in trapping a garrison of European troops at Lucknow. As the days move on, the situation seems more and more hopeless. The women and children, even the soldiers (though they are reluctant to admit it), have begun to despair as it appears that surrender is their only recourse. As fear grows, a young Scottish girl, Jessie Brown ( Agnes Robertson), slowly raises her head and listens. She tells her neighbors she can hear the Campbell's pibroch. At first they are disbelieving, but in time the sound of the bagpipes grows louder, and before long kilted Highlanders have broken through to rescue the besieged. So fresh was the memory of these events that, according to popular theatre legend, no actor would assume the role of Nena Sahib for fear of being hissed off stage, so Boucicault was forced to play the role himself. Pronounced a “capital drama” by William Winter, the play held the boards for over twenty years.

Nena Sahib........

JOIN THE GERMAN ARMY.....

2011-11-04T06:21:00.000-04:00

...and see women's underwear.

A common misunderstanding....

2011-11-02T21:52:00.001-04:00

Those TERRIBLE Germans!

2011-11-01T06:26:00.000-04:00

In WW I they were reputed to loot.....

...and give their loot to their bovine "schveet haarrts."

The saddest Model Railroad !

2011-10-30T08:10:00.001-04:00

I was looking for plastic figures near to 1/32 scale and came across these German made large scale examples. What a depressing layout one must make with these!

Violence!

Prostitution!

Satan worship!

Violent Crime!

Public nudity and flaunting the law!

Alcoholism!

Infidelity!

Depression!

Disrespect for women and Schadenfreude!

Gambling!

Disrespectful Children!

Superstition!

Adultery!

Clergy Pedophilia!

Cold washcloths!

Wow! Military miniatures, wargaming, and toy soldiers don't get anywhere as "dark!"

Swiss Military Women!

2011-10-28T06:51:00.000-04:00

It's only pre-World War One Humor that mirrored the French and German theme of what if emancipated women joined the military. For you war gamers, these pictures might be an inspiration for fantasy troops to fight Hinterland's beautiful female hussar series.

The proposed female recruits would do the wife and mom work...

Perhaps red stockings mean artillery and green mean rifles.

They even staged this humor for the camera. I've noticed that when men dress like women it's usually funny but when women dress like men it's usually sexy.

Swiss Cantinieres...Maybe

2011-10-26T07:19:00.000-04:00

I found a few period images of what may be Cantinieres or Marketenderin in the Swiss army. As the women wear female civilian clothing it's hard to tell if the women are civilian employees, soldier's wives or independent merchants.

The two versions of the same subject are from the 1860s....

The more modern images are from the early 20th Century and female canteen employees, again in civilian clothing.

In the last image, the woman might be a local woman being offered a taste of army food or a civilian employed to purchase local food. In the French Army, Cantinieres and Vivandieres made their living purchasing the local food and drink then selling them to the troops. This was an effort to augment army rations and to keep soldiers near the camp rather than foraging or looting.

Women with Machine Guns

2011-10-24T20:41:00.001-04:00

Pulp....

Actress/Dancer Ann Miller..

A poser...

Some kind of Medieval multi-barrel "Gunne" with a female crew.

Polish WW One era reenactors...

The women's unit they portray...

Great fantasy war game figures by Hinterland....(Sorry! someone else painted these...NOT me.)

The movie Viva Maria

Sculpture.

Two Minor Dickens Characters

2011-10-22T14:54:00.001-04:00

Cantiniere in a group photogragh.

2011-10-20T06:32:00.000-04:00

This French regiment looks like a chasseur unit. Click to enlarge. She is in the left side near either the band, sapeurs, or grenadiers. I'm not a "buff" yet to know for sure. If anyone can tell me more, please comment.

Poetry Corner

2011-10-18T06:38:00.000-04:00

Starring MARX figures and Arab Tent with a guess performance by a TIMPO knight's pavilion.

Sunday LEMAX figure humor

2011-10-16T07:32:00.001-04:00

Some LEMAX Christmas figures walk into a bar.......

LEMAX's figures painted or unpainted, with some flash removed and the bases lowered, can be plugged into dioramas and set-ups with the larger 1/32 scale TSSD and Conte Collectable figures.

For you fantasy buffs, I see the German barmaid as Rosie Cotton the hottest girl in the Shire.

More HOLLYWOOD Confederates!

2011-10-14T06:46:00.000-04:00

I really like Toy Soldiers Of San Diego's figures. That said I have to add that their dismounted U.S. Cavalry sets try to be Civil War/ Indian Wars and don't quite meet either because of lack of carbine slings and a few other details. One being shirts with buttons all the way down the front when pull over shirts were the style. Another is men wearing haversacks that would have be left on the saddle.
I have picked up more loose TSSD figures and just went ahead and painted them to add to the figures I already have. They are "Hollywood Confederates", that is Rebs from 1940-50s movies and TV that were too well dressed and too uniform. Besides, there might have been a CS cavalry unit sometime in the war that had good uniforms but not enough issue gear like carbine slings or sabers.

One figure in the wounded and dead TSSD set is the "last stand" officer.

I put some more work in this one. Rather than "Hollywood" he's from a small independent film. (humor)

(In the back is the TSSD's Confederate officer from an early set. A VERY useful figure as an Infantry, Cavalry, or Artillery officer, Union or Confederate.)

TSSD Conversions to The Paris Commune

2011-10-11T19:13:00.000-04:00

These figures sat, mostly half painted, for over a year until my painting spurt this last week. I can't claim absolute authenticity as to uniforms. The mix/match coats and trouser plus the lack of gaiters and Chassepot Rifles on these troops can only be justified that uniforms wore out and that muzzle loaders do show up in period pictures.
These were stock Toy Soldiers Of San Diego Civil War soldiers.

Cantinieres at the Seige Of Paris 1870.

2011-10-09T07:46:00.000-04:00

The more you look, the more images of cantinieres show up. You have take into consideration if the artist was actually in Paris at the time and if the the subject is the Siege or the Commune. Also if the image of a cantiniere is only added dressing for a picture. Here's a few "new" images I've found on the "internets."

Click for the large version.

The detail....

The cantiniere below stands behind the muzzle of the 1st cannon.

Resembles the cantiniere in this image of the 10th Regiment.

A Happy Ending.........

2011-10-07T06:29:00.000-04:00

My almost 16 year old daughter requested a happy ending to my post of the Holier Than Thou Replicants.
http://ilikethethingsilike.blogspot.com/2011/10/holier-than-thou-replicant-figures.html
She reads a lot of 19th Century fiction and is also moved by the modern musical Spring Awakening set in 19th century Germany involving kids her age. Let's see if I can have Replicant figures have a happy ending.

The new MARIANNE

2011-10-05T19:59:00.000-04:00

...at the Occupy Wall Street Protest.

I hope she becomes Iconic.

LEMAX Wolfman!

2011-10-04T18:52:00.000-04:00

I thought it might have been a mistake to get this figure....

But if you put another head on the figure like the "Sarge" figure head from Toy Soldiers Of San Diego.

File down the hand and feet to human shape and you have a ragged cigar choppin' hero saving a damsel.

"Holier Than Thou" Replicant figures.

2011-10-02T14:26:00.000-04:00

LEMAX Zombie "Soiled Doves"

2011-09-30T20:28:00.000-04:00

LEMAX's Spooky Town Bordello figure set reminds us that sex is both dirty and scarey. (Save it ONLY for the person you love!)

The one below is just too scarey! Most of the Spooky Town series is funny except this one!

This one has potential for conversion. It does look like another scarey ghoul!

Using a Toy Soldiers of San Diego Russian female sniper head, I got a tall thin woman in a slip or chemise.

The next figure wears "combinations", kind of an adult "one-zy" that could be correct in the late 1800s early 1900s but isn't that fashionable.

With a new head from another LEMAX figure, this one makes a good companion on the pouch of the "Ranch."

Jelly Bean Humour....

2011-09-29T19:05:00.000-04:00

...some sexist, some racist. Sorry. I usually am being ironic. Almost anything can be used to tell a story.

"Don't ask, don't tell" is OVER in our armed forces! Good!

The death of the Prince Imperial, 1 June 1879...

Lexington Green, 1775...

Iwo Jima...

Rorke's Drift....

Sorry........really. The Jelly Beans were then eaten.

Lucky French Children

2011-09-28T06:25:00.000-04:00

Art class at a French Museum.....

A whole lotta LEEs

2011-09-26T18:59:00.000-04:00

Plastic Robert E. Lee figures from various sources. I remember that the officer from Barzso's Mexican war set is supposed to be Lee but now I can't confirm that as the set isn't on Barzso's site any more.

BMC's and BMC/Americana's Lee are readily available. The WOtW Lee is a repro of the old 1960s Warriors Of The World (by MARX!) You can still find original MARX playset Lees at collector show. Replicant's Harper's Ferry Lee comes with the play set or can be ordered separately.

AIP Conversions more...

2011-09-24T08:12:00.000-04:00

I took the heads from AIP's WW One Russians to use for something else. I also have tons of heads in my "Head Drawer" from other projects. "VIOLA!" Some fictional troops to use as loyal allies or the villain's henchmen.

With so much "serious" history to try to recreate, these little guys can only be an occasional break in the process.

Armies In Plastic Conversions.

2011-09-21T19:41:00.000-04:00

Late Victorian/Early Edwardian Heroes! These were made from Armies In Plastic figures, mostly Boers and Boer War era figures. A few fictional heroes as well. (Sorry...paint brush text doesn't have Spell Check)

More to come I hope.

More LEMAX 1/32 scale Civilians

2011-09-19T07:27:00.000-04:00

At less than two USD each it's a worth experimenting with these figures. One can repaint them to match painted military figures or paint them one color to go with unpainted plastic figures. They are on the large size for some figure lines but can work with Toy Soldiers of San Diego and Conte figures..

The Untouchables...

2011-09-17T13:14:00.001-04:00

Three reproduction of figures from the Marx UNTOUCHABLES playset based on the 1960s TV show. A 4th from an unknown set. "Ness" is based on Robert Stack and "Capone" is Neville Brand.

School Bullys Beware!!!!!

2011-09-15T06:51:00.000-04:00

Kevin got his wish!

General "Lo " Armistead

2011-09-13T22:09:00.000-04:00

Sure I was moved by the late Richard Jordan's performance as General Lewis Armistead in Gettysburg (1993) See the clip on YouTube...

"Armistead's Gethsemane....."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGFkW39Ljho

I imagined the scene this way.......Armistead to Longstreet......

TOOT!

2011-09-11T07:12:00.000-04:00

Yep! I "borrowed" the joke from a classic BEETLE BAILEY..

Bad Reenactor Advice Deux

2011-09-09T06:24:00.000-04:00

Bad Reenactor Advice

2011-09-07T18:44:00.000-04:00

Based on TRUE incidents!

Use it BEFORE you chafe!

Shelby Foote Story of General Lee

2011-09-05T06:39:00.000-04:00

".........Once there was some man brought before him for an
infraction of the rules. And can you imagine being
brought before General Lee for having broken the rules?..."

Shelby Foote had THAT as the punch line.

Classic Toy Soldiers' Union Army

2011-09-03T07:57:00.000-04:00

I was able to pick up some loose figures from CTS's 16 figure, 8 pose set...

I picked out only the fighting figures wearing knapsacks...

Some details of the knapsack are missing as are some bayonet scabbards..

This officer below will also look great commanding artillery, dismounted cavalry, or maybe French Franco-Prussian War troops....

Not to complain but the problem of making figures with mixed gear gives you an army where kneeling firing men wear blankets rolls and the standing men wear knapsacks. It's noticable. CTS has released Confederate troops, also in mixed gear, so I may cull the knapsack wearers to convert to Union troops.

CTS's two offerings are pretty lively and the Confederates, using figures from the Union set, should be a fun force to build.

Summer's End

2011-09-01T06:33:00.002-04:00

I get home from work around 7 PM but my daughter convinced me to go for a walk on Wingaersheek Beach while the sun was still shining. Wingaersheek Beach must have designed by postcard printers rather than time and tide. There's a lighthouse in view and Ipswitch Bay plus sand dunes and summer cottages. The Annisquam River is the right of the beach making for a lot of pleasure craft traffic. Along the river bank is the "Redneck Riverea" (as I call it) where regular folks pull up their boats and picnic. Gas is expensive and the economy down so a short trip to Wingearsheek is cheaper and one can moor for the day for free. At low tide the sand bar goes out about 1/4 mile into the bay and makes a great walking place. This possibly last walk on the beach this summer made me think fast and grab my camera plus some of "Louis' Beauties." These were plastic figures made my MARX and handed out by Louis Marx to friends. There was a reclining nude in the group that someone is reproducing but I haven't gotten yet as the plastic is not flesh color.. The figures look very 1940s early 1950s.

A couple of Old Jokes

2011-08-30T06:10:00.000-04:00

MARX on Ayn Rand

2011-08-28T07:34:00.000-04:00

I read Atlas Shrugged about 30 years ago and Rand's twisting of the Robin Hood legend bothered me.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_Shrugged
One of her characters Ragnar Danneskjöld robbed shipping and gave back to the productive rich! He claimed that people (in the Rand universe) now thought Robin Hood robbed the productive and gave to the undeserving. Ragnar was just giving back.

I just acquired a bag of reproduction MARX Robin Hood figures and had some fun.....

Is your job boring?

2011-08-27T07:59:00.000-04:00

Both Kim Novak and the man in Brotherhood of Starlet Wetters, Local #53 look like this is just another day at work.

One day on the African Savannah...

2011-08-25T06:15:00.001-04:00

150 year old subject for dioramas.

2011-08-23T07:20:00.000-04:00

A beautiful LDS "Pioneer Trek" reenactor.

2011-08-21T06:58:00.000-04:00

This lady has a blog entry about her Latter Day Saints (The Mormons) reenacting clothing. The entry has her showing the stages of dress in the 1840-50s of a Mormon women trekking to Utah. She has the stages of dress correct to what I have found.

There's a lot of room in the seat for the chemise. The open inseam and loose chemise aid in a woman relieving herself without undressing.

See her blog entry for the complete outfit........

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

My Pioneer Clothing

http://averseofmysong.blogspot.com/2011/06/my-pioneer-clothing.html

I'd like to see Toy Soldiers Of San Diego or Armies In Plastic do a set of 1/32 scale settlers civilians to add to mid to late 1800s subjects. I'm thinking Boer War, American West, US Civil War etc. as the figures would not have to be "stylish", just work clothing. The War Game folks do have these kinds of figures available in 28mm.

In plastic we have the old Airfix examples...

I'd like to see IMEX's figures in 1/32 scale per these examples....