Besides Peter Laing figures, another interest of mine are 30mm semi round figures from the late 1800s-early 1900s. Recently there were two lots on Ebay, one of three lancers and the other of three what appears to be mounted infantry. They came in the mail yesterday and was money well spent.
While deciding to paint recent homecasts in the toy soldier style, it became obvious that my original search for Peter Laings has gone off course. My main interest was to get a collection of Victorian Parade figures to have table top battles which would look like the pictures in "Little Wars", even if the rules themselves weren't used. With the help of Ian Dury I have acquired several of the parade figures (more than I expected to ever get once the search started) and what's more, he gave or traded many of these figures to me; a most kind act. One of the figures I haven't been able to get was a marching guardsmen figure. For now I will try to convert a home cast British Infantryman with spiked helmet into a guardsman. Below is a shot of an experimental figure. It still needs some work but it will fill a gap for now. I also completed a mold of the Victorian Parade Rifleman Officer and Bugler in one day; hopefully it will be put to the test today.
Last is some Marching Germans painted as New York State Militia from the 1880s. Inspiration for these figures wwas a company call McLoughlin Bros. who produced toy soldiers and used German style toy soldiers and painted them as American soldiers. Of course American spiked helmets of the time were more of the British style than Germanic. Still, I think they make good looking "toy soldiers", not military miniatures.
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| Peter Laing New York State Militia |
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| Another Militia unit forming, marching in review by a formed unit. |
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| Two of the semi round figures recently purchased. The figures I believe are a little smaller than 30mm but of course look the part to support 30mm infantry. |
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| Another shot, showing the mounted infantryman. |
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| The first sample of a converted Guardsman. For my needs they will have to do. |
Love the new home casts, I wish I had bought more of those Prussian figures
ReplyDeleteIt seems Peter Laing was willing to create unusual lines of figures than the other companies won't. Are the Victorian Parade figures so hard to find because they weren't too popular, or those who have them won't part with them?
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