My initial article regarding the series of embossed die cut paper soldiers produced by the French firm Hachette & Cie appeared in Old Toy Soldier, Volume 39, Number 2, Summer 2015.
My collection at that time consisted of four out of the twelve sets of the embossed die cut figures and a
complete set of the twelve albums published by Emile Guerin based on the Hachette & Cie figures. Recently I was able to acquire a very large collection of the Hachette & Cie figures that included some surprises and mysteries.
Before exploring my current acquisition, a brief history and examination of these unique paper soldiers is in order. For a more detailed study please refer to my article in Old Toy Soldier Summer, 2015. In
chronological order the French firms of Perrin, Hachette & Cie and Emile Guerin published the series of twelve regiments. The Perrin and Guerin series were printed on paper sheets and bound as an album. The Hachette & Cie series were embossed and die cut, made to stand as individual pieces or in groups of three to five figures. Twelve sets were published, representing six cavalry and six infantry regiments of the French Army in 1890 uniforms. The Guerin album cavalry sets; Dragons, Chasseurs à Cheval, Cuirassiers, Hussards, Chasseurs d’Afrique and Spahis Algériens were of 18 figures. Infantry sets of the Guerin albums varied, the number of figures shown in parenthesis: Infanterie de Ligne (19), Chasseurs à Pied (21), Tirailleurs Algériens (20), Zouaves (20), Chasseurs Alpins (19), and Musique de la Garde (21).
Infantry figures measured five inches tall and cavalry six inches. Hachette & Cie regiments could be purchased in individual regimental boxes or in a larger box containing four regiments. Perrin, the initial publisher, printed the figures in an album format as did Emile Guerin the final publisher of the
series of regiments. The Perrin and Guerin albums had a heavy paper cover sheet portraying figures of
the regiment. Attached to the cover page were an additional five panels of figures, when folded out accordion style, the Guerin series measured an impressive 8”x 51”. Hachette & Cie created their own unique system of displaying their figures. Single boxed regiments were made up of individual figures. The owner could choose to cut their own wooden blocks to mount the figures on or purchase a box of
metal stands specifically designed for the figures. Regiments sold in boxes of four utilized a more unique display system. The figures were produced in stands of three, four or five connected figures, with five stands per regiment. Starting with the back stand, two connecting cardboard strips slightly
shorter than the height of the base of the stand were glued to the front of the stand; one on the right side the other on the left. These connecting strips were folded in half and then glued onto the back of the next preceding stand of figures. This process was continued until all stands were connected. With
the connecting strips folded in half, this allowed the stands to fold on top of one another and fit into the box. When taken out of the box, the stands expanded accordion style, allowing them to stand.
My latest acquisition was a combination of complete sets, numerous intact stands of four to five figures depending on the regiment, a staggering number of individual figures and fortunately several boxes. Initially the sheer number of figures was overwhelming, but presented a welcomed challenge. The condition of a majority of the figures was very good. Rifles, scabbards, swords and flag finials are often missing. Given the fragile state of the figures, being one hundred and twenty years old, damage is to be expected. I realized that utilizing all the pieces would enable me to put together a complete set of all twelve regiments made by Hachette & Cie. Little did I know at this point that my efforts would result in multiple examples of several regiments. When putting together different regiments from three different publishers, the number of inconsistencies became apparent. Production of these magnificent sets may be divided into three distinct periods of publication.
PERRIN PERIOD 1890-1897
According to Christian Blondieau’s Petits Soldats, Perrin, a Parisian publishing firm since the 1700s, was the initial publisher. A picture and description appearing in Petits Soldats of a “fold out “panel depicting five musicians of the Musique de la Garde confirms the album format. A total of twelve albums were published representing six infantry and six cavalry regiments. In each album every figure has their own unique physical characteristics, (Photo 1). The detail of the 1890’s uniform is so precise that we can identify individual regiments by the color of their cuffs, collar tabs or for the Zouave, Spahi
Algérien and Tirailleur Algérien the color of the tombeau on their jacket. No two figures are the same, as the “designer” Coppens draws a unique face for every individual. Blondieau states that the albums were published “around 1900”, but, as will be seen later there is physical evidence that Perrin did not publish albums past 1897. Existing examples of Perrin albums are exceedingly rare.
HACHETTE & CIE 1897-1905
Exactly how Hachette & Cie acquired the rights/property of the Perrin albums is unknown. Hachette & Cie were one of the premier French publishers known for producing a quality product. Not content to simply reprint the twelve Perrin albums, Hachette & Cie decided to take the Perrin figures to the next level. Abandoning the album format, the existing figures were die cut and embossed resulting in brighter colors with a glossy finish, (Photo 2). The lithography process was called; Images-Chromos découpés, translated to; cutout embossed images. The result was stunning, making these paper soldiers in my opinion the finest paper soldiers ever made. The regiments were now available in boxes with several options. Boxes containing a single regiment were comprised of all individual pieces. Larger boxes containing four different regiments were available, as was a box with all twelve regiments. These regiments utilized the elaborate cardboard hinge system as previously described, connecting four to five stands of four to five figures per stand together. A small number, barely visible, appears on the base of the right-side figure of the stand. I believe the purpose of the number was to indicate to the worker the order of the stands to be glued to the cardboard connecting strips.
Hachette published a military themed booklet, Almanach du Drapeau from 1900-1909. The first known
advertisements for their Imageschromos découpés series titled, “L’Armée Francaise en Réduction” appeared in 1900. At this point in time the figures were available in three series of four regiments per
box, (two infantry plus two cavalry per box). A box of all twelve regiments in the series was also available. Them advertisement does not show a box for an individual regiment, but we know this was an option as we have examples of single regiment boxes. A box of one hundred metal stands was available for displaying single figures. The advertisement suddenly disappears after 1905, as ownership
of the twelve-regiment series once again changes hands.
EMILE GUERIN 1906-1914?
Publisher Emile Guerin becomes the final steward of Perrin’s creation and decides to revert to the series’ original twelve album format. A heavy cover panel was attached to five more panels that once again opened accordion style. The figures of each panel corresponded identically to a stand of figures published by Hachette & Cie. There is a slight, noticeable difference in color between the Hachette & Cie and Guerin figures, but this is due to the different printing technique used by each publisher, (Photo 3). There is no evidence explaining why Hachette & Cie abandoned their “L’ Armée Française en Reduction”. My theory is that the Images-chromos découpés process was too expensive and therefore not very profitable. Based on today’s rate of exchange, a box of four regiments would have been almost $21 and a box of twelve regiments $63, obviously affordable for adult collectors only. I believe Guerin thought the twelve-regiment series was still popular with collectors, especially if he were to reduce
production costs by returning to the album format. To date I have been unable to determine the price of a Guerin album. Despite the nineteen albums in my collection none have a price printed on them. Guerin made the albums available from the bookseller Librairie Theodore Lefèvre et Cie. I have given the end date of 1914 for Guerin’s involvement. I doubt there was sufficient interest in the albums for Guerin to continue publication once World War I had begun.
Within two weeks of finalizing my purchase of the collection, the parcel finally arrived from France. Unpacking the box and organizing its’ contents was both exhilarating and overwhelming. I used twelve separate boxes to sort the figures by regiment. In each box were complete and partial stands, and what seemed to be an endless number of individual pieces. In addition to the figures there were six Guerin albums and to my surprise and delight, six complete regiments that retained 100% of their attached cardboard hinges. Also included was a four-regiment box in great condition and mounted on individual wooden blocks were eighteen Chasseurs Alpins and twenty Infanterie de Ligne.
Initially I wasn’t focused on the two groups mounted on wooden blocks, as I was in the midst of unpacking what ended up to be almost six hundred Hachette & Cie paper soldiers. Once everything was sorted out, I revisited the individual wood-based figures. Upon closer examination it appeared the paper these figures were printed on was quite thick. Could these be from a Perrin album or were they Guerin album pieces? I consulted the Chasseurs Alpins and Infanterie de Ligne Guerin albums in my collection. By comparing and contrasting the albums versus the block mounted figures it became apparent that there were two different physical characteristics between the groups of figures. The paper used for the wood-based figures is thicker than the paper used by Guerin. The second
difference is the paper of the woodbased figures had a slightly “rough” texture compared to the smooth paper of the Guerin album panel. Based on the physical evidence I am confident that the wood-based figures are those of Perrin, truly a rare find and welcome addition to my collection.
Turning my attention to the Hachette & Cie figures, I knew I had to create an effective and efficient process for making complete regiments out of individual and partial stands of figures. The created regiments had to be composed of the same figures in the exact order as they originally appeared on their four or five figure stands. I started first with complete stands of figures, then partial stands,
eventually using the correct individual figures to complete the stand. To ensure complete and total accuracy I decided to use the Guerin albums as my “blueprint” as each panel was identical to one stand of Hachette & Cie figures. My progress quickly slowed when figure(s) were required to complete a stand. As each figure possessed their own unique subtle physical characteristics, it became extremely difficult, frustrating and time consuming to search for the correct figure(s). After much trial and
error, I discovered the quickest and most accurate criteria to use were the shadows printed on the base of the figure. Once I used the “shadow technique” to determine the correct sequence of the figures, things moved right along.
Once the figures were in their proper sequence, the next issue to address was how to mount them. Given the complexity of the hinged cardboard strip system, replicating this was not an option. I decided on wood quarter round trim as the base, cut to the appropriate length. To adhere the
figures to the flat side of the base I used Dap adhesive putty. A small ball applied to the middle and each end of the piece of quarter round trim allowed the figures to easily be pressed onto the base. (Photo 4).
Due to the amount of time and constant repetition of viewing and handling the Hachette & Cie figures and Guerin albums, I noticed several differences between the two groups of figures. The first difference is the placement of the name of the regiment. The Guerin albums were consistent with their placement of the name of the regiment. A stand of the appropriate soldiers appeared on the cover panel of the regiment’s album. Printed across the bottom of the stand was “ PARIS, EMILE GUERIN, EDITEUR”, and below this was the name of the regiment. Hachette & Cie had to be a little more creative for placing the name of the regiment. There are two reasons for this. First was the sequence of the number of figures per stand attached to each other. Infantry regiments had a single figure as the first stand with
the four and five figure stands trailing behind (Photo 5). Three regiments; Infanterie de Ligne, Chasseurs Alpins and Chasseurs à Pied were led by a trumpeter with the regiment name across the bottom of the base. The Zouaves were led by a very impressive zouave drum major with “Zouaves” printed across the bottom of his stand. The Musique de la Garde were led by a chef de musique but with
no regimental name on his base, nor anywhere else. This is puzzling because the band figures were five
inches tall, but the band leader stands a half inch taller providing adequate space on the base for the regiment’s name to appear. The second reason is the length of the regiment’s name. The “Tirailleurs Algériens” is just too much to fit on a single figure stand. Hence the first stand for the Tirailleurs Algériens is a four-figure stand providing more than enough room. Cavalry regiment names were
applied in a similar manner. Dragons, Chasseurs à Cheval and Hussards were led by a single officer figure. The Dragons and Chasseurs à Cheval have their names across the bottom of the base while the Hussards have no name. The Cuirassier, Spahis Algériens and Chasseurs d’Afrique all have their regimental name on a fourfigure stand.
The next thing I noticed was that not all figures are created equal. As was already mentioned, the chef de musique towers a half inch above his peers. The Infanterie de Ligne regiment has an officer on foot
curiously marching backwards with a baton, making sure his men maintain their correct spacing and pace. This uniquely posed figure is also five and a half inches tall. Of the six cavalry regiments, five are composed of the standard six-inch tall figures. For some unknown reason, all members of the Spahis Algériens including their European officers are only five and three quarters inches tall. There is even a third size for mounted figures. Infantry regiments have a stand of two mounted officers and this stand is either the second or third stand in line.
To make the mounted officers more visible they are six and a half inches tall, a half inch taller than their cavalry counterparts.
While these differences may seem trivial, the reason I find them interesting is because it demonstrates that Hachette & Cie took no shortcuts in producing their figures. It would have been easy to make each lead stand a four-figure piece with the regiment’s name on the bottom of the stand. They chose instead to produce an extra figure, usually a trumpeter or officer to bear the name of the regiment. They could have made the mounted infantry officers the standard cavalry six-inch size, but chose to make them a half inch taller so they are more visible to the collector. Lastly it would have been easy to make the Spahis Algeriens the same six-inch size as the other five cavalry regiments but for some reason did not.
It was my last discovery however that I found the most interesting. When building the additional regiments I discovered a total of six figures that Hachette & Cie printed that were absent in the Guerin albums. It is unfortunate that when Guerin became publisher of the series he chose to omit these six figures as four of the six were some of the most interesting of the entire series.
Two of the figures eliminated by Guerin were the single figure with the name of the regiment printed on them; Chasseurs à Cheval and Chasseurs Alpins. The Chasseurs Alpins area of operations is typically in mountainous regions. Expert skiers and trained mountain climbers, moving their supplies through the difficult terrain was a challenge. The solution was to incorporate mules into the regiment. The surefooted animal proved adept at carrying any type of load and was led by a handler. Hachette & Cie created a two-figure stand depicting a mule loaded with supplies led by a handler, (Photo 6). You can see in the photo a rectangular blotch on the base. This is where the cardboard connecting strip had been glued connecting the mule and handler to the stand in front of them.
As already mentioned, the backwards marching foot officer with baton of the Infanterie de Ligne marches alone in the Guerin album. The Hachette & Cie version shows that the officer is accompanied by the regimental mascot; a poodle named “Pompon” (also shown in Photo 6). Fortunately, “Pompon” and the foot officer are meant to be together. When both figures are combined on a single stand, the printed “Infanterie de Ligne” appears across the bottom of their combined bases (Photo 7).
The final eliminated figure from the Guerin albums is in my opinion the best figure of the entire Hachette & Cie portfolio; a Zouave drum major. Marching towards us, resplendent in his zouave uniform this bearded figure emits the elan that the zouaves were known for. The uniform detail
is outstanding from the musician’s braid on the cuffs and collar, the tassel attached to his baton to the
Constantine medal pinned on the left side of his jacket, this is truly a great figure, (Photo 8).
As to why Guerin choose to eliminate these interesting figures, we can only guess. I believe it was done to lower production costs. If these figures were added to their respective albums an extra panel may have been needed. If Guerin chose to add the figures, he would have had to eliminate a comparable number of figures in the current album. This would have required some additional labor, an expense Guerin evidently did not want to incur.
Fortunately, I now have examples of the different boxes Hachette & Cie used for their figures. Boxes for single regiments measure three inches wide and seven and a half inches tall and an inch and a quarter in depth. The name of the regiment is printed on the upper part of the hinged lid that opens left to right (Photo 9). A previous owner has embellished the lid by gluing one of the figures onto the box lid.On the edge of the lid is the number the regiment is in the series and below that is the name of the regiment (Photo 10). On the left edge of the lid is “Armée Française” and printed on the box below is the name of the regiment, (Photo 11).
The four-regiment box is more interesting. The box is nine inches wide, eight inches tall and one inch in depth. Using a traditional box lid that lifts off, a cuirass and helmet adorn the center of the lid. Behind this are various weapons and flags. A scroll across the top reads, “Armée Française” and the bottom scroll has the Hachette & Cie logo above the words, “Troupes de France”, (Photo 12). In the lower right corner is, “Po. GIR-97”.” (Photo 13). This is the artist’s signature and the “97” indicates the year 1897. We now have solid evidence that Hachette & Cie began publishing the twelveregiment series in 1897. Further exploring the box lid, on both top and bottom is “Fabrication FrançaisDéposé”. On the right and left side of the box lid “Armée Française” occupies half the side followed by the regiments inside; Infanterie de Ligne, Chasseurs à Pied, Cuirassiers and Chasseurs à Cheval, (Photo 14). Consulting the advertisement from Almanach du Drapeau, this box is No. 2 in the series. Zouaves, Tirailleurs Algériens, Spahis and Chasseurs d’ Afrique were the first box of the series. Box No.3 was the last of the series and included: Garde Républicaine (band), Chasseurs Alpins, Dragons and Hussards. Inside the box, each regiment was placed in their own envelope. “Armée Française” is printed on the face of the envelope and below is the regiment, in this case Cuirassiers with the Hachette & Cie logo beneath (Photo 15). The trifold envelope measures eight and a half inches wide and eighteen inches in
length when unfolded. The figures (Photo 16) were placed in the middle third of the envelope. The bottom third of the envelope folded up and the top third folded down and the envelope then placed in the box (Photo 17).
Even though I was able to discover much new information regarding these paper soldiers there is still more to learn. Information regarding the Perrin albums would be most helpful and the facts regarding the sale of rights/ property from each publisher to the next would answer many questions.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bednarek, Russ. Old Toy Soldier, Volume 29, Number 2, 2015
Blondieau, Christian. Petits Soldats, Le Képi Rouge, 1996
Pemzec, Edouard. Figurines et Soldats de Plomb, Hachette, 2001
Ryan, Edward. Paper Soldiers, New Cavendish Books Ltd, 1995
Toiati, Luigi. The History of Toy Soldiers, 2019