PAPER SOLDIERS
Also spotted at Eurofigurines were these delightful Paper Soldiers.
The example shown here shows L’Armée Française: Chasseurs d’Afrique, published in Paris, by Émile Guérin, Éditeur, circa 1900.
The booklet comprises 18 figures (22 including the trumpeters duplicated on the cover). These mounted figures are just under 6” tall. Foot figures scale out at just under 4½”. Beautifully drawn and coloured, it would be a sin to cut them out! Others in the same series include: the Chasseurs Alpins, with mounted officers, Hussards, Zouaves, and Musique de la Garde. No doubt the full range would include all the main French Army types from around 1900. If any readers know more about this series,
please let us know.
Another recent eBay find was this rare Crescent card castle. The packaging for these 5 rather unexciting figures in khaki unfolds to form a square fortification. The figures are still tied into the inner packaging at the rear of the photo. The two side walls also slip neatly into the outer part of the box. Not many of these rather fragile castles have survived intact.
A very rare find on eBay was this set – Tom Mix and Tony, by Don and Honey Ray, a souvenir from Tex Austin’s World’s Championship Rodeo. These figures were modified versions of Britains figures sold by the Rays with additional details added based on real leather and related materials to provide chaps, saddles, reins, etc. For more details of these figures, see the article in Vol 39, no3. This set, in a nice original box, attracted interest from almost 30 bidders and was finally sold for £528 ($660).
Spotted at Auction
Following up on our recent article on Heyde sets commemorating polar expeditions. The SS Roosevelt can be removed from its icy prison to enhance play value. Bertoia Auctions in April had this rare Heyde artic set, depicting Peary’s 1906 expedition aboard the SS Roosevelt, for sale (as shown in the accompanying image). This rare set eventually went under the hammer for $6,000.
Show finds at Eurofigurines and Sandown
3 very nice studio painted knights by Stadden,
picked up at Eurofigurines
Another acquisition at Eurofigurines was this small group of Paris Office Indians. Note the tails and manes are not painted a different colour on the grey horses – a characteristic feature of Britains French production. This was a lucky spot on one of the dealer’s tables.
Pixyland Kew Cricket set in original box – an exceptionally rare set with a complete set of figures spotted at Sandown. This was on offer for £1,500 ($1,900).
Also acquired in Paris, from the same source, was this magnificent group of Paris Office Prussian infantry in service dress. This was part of a pre-arranged deal, the chance of picking up such a rare set group at random is extremely slight!
Their British opponents –
another nice grouping, based on
the chauffeur body casting.
A rare Paris Office group, acquired as part of the prearranged
deal, was this version of the Britains scout display. Purchased
over 100 years ago, and retained in the same family ever since,
this set includes rare scenic items previously unrecorded as part
of the Paris Office’s production. A more extensive discussion and
description of this group will follow in a future issue.