Abadie, Einzelfiguren, Deutsche Armee

Hello,

Unfortunately, I’ve been very busy lately, which is why there hasn’t been an update for nearly a month. I promise to do better.

In any case, today I’m showing you a few more Abadie figures. Since the (Abadie) "catalog" is my way of organizing and displaying the well-known sheets, all that remains are the individual (Abadie) figures. Unfortunately, I have no background information on them. I can only say that there were a great many of these figures and that they were likely included—either singly or in groups of two or three—with specific packs of cigarette paper.

The German figures shown here all depict Wehrmacht personnel from 1935 or 1936. I am not entirely certain about the artillery group, however. The extensive red piping on the uniforms was really a feature of World War I-era uniforms. Did the artist simply want more contrast, or are there different series of German figures?

Best regards,

Andreas

Armée Russe, Equipages de la Flotte - Marcel Vagné No.965

Hello,

Today I am showing you another Vagné sheet from my collection. It bears the number 965 and depicts Russian naval personnel.

Best regards,

Andreas

Wurtz-Pées - Bavarian Infantry

 Hello,

Today, I’m sharing another magazine insert from "Soldats Napoléoniens" featuring hand-painted figures from the Wurtz-Pées collection. This time, the six pages cover Bavarian infantry. As beautiful as these figures are to look at—and as impressive as this family collection of paper figures is—these Bavarian examples clearly demonstrate that they are unsuitable for drawing historical conclusions about Napoleonic-era uniforms. I consider myself a hobbyist uniform researcher, and Bavarian uniforms are a particular passion of mine (being Bavarian myself). Unfortunately, a glance at these figures reveals many painted details that bear little resemblance to the reality of the period depicted. For instance, Bavarian non-commissioned officers did not wear French-style sleeve rank insignia; regimental musicians wore long coats and hats; and officers never wore gorgets and sashes simultaneously... Some of the reverse sides are interesting, too. The cardboard backing used here sometimes bears the date 1856! This suggests that these figures originated in the final phase of the collection's creation, whereas the production period is usually cited as 1825 to 1850.

Best regards,

Andreas

Kaiserlich Deutsche Marine - Oehmigke & Riemschneider Neuruppin Nr.9703

Hello,

A few weeks ago, I managed to find this lovely sheet by Oehmigke & Riemschneider at a small online antiquarian shop. 

Based on the number 9703, it can be dated to 1896 (or the 1895–97 timeframe). The sheet is stencil-colored and depicts the Imperial German Navy—specifically sailors, soldiers of the See-Battalion, and naval artillerymen—in combat poses. 

Best regards, Andreas.

Updates

Abadie Catalog: I have added a total of 12 new plates and some new information.

Best regards,

Andreas

Czechoslovak soldiers, Road Praha

 Hello,

Today I’m showing you Czechoslovak soldiers in pre-1938 uniforms. 

The figures come from a leaflet published in 1992. Unfortunately, the cover of my copy is quite faded. The figures themselves are on two pages in the center. The back features an explanation of the history and insignia colors of the Czechoslovak army. Interspersed among the figures—alongside the bases—there is also a sort of puzzle. The figures are about 10 cm tall.

Best regards,

Andreas

Armée Indienne - Garde, Imagerie Delhalt Nancy No.2

 Hello,

Today I’m showing you a printed sheet from Nancy.

The image itself is somewhat exotic, depicting the Indian Army Guard. And, befitting the magnificent style of the uniforms, no expense was spared with the gold ink. This sheet—numbered 2—was printed sometime between 1892 and 1903 by Alfred Delhalt.

Best regards,

Andreas