Dioramas! (1 Viewer)

[Jack]

I am lucky enough to be doing some employer funded world travel for a number of research projects. One of them is gathering material for a chapter in an edited book about how conflict has been represented across a variety of media. I pitched my idea to the editors that dioramas using toy soldiers would be a vital part of any such publication. They agreed, so I opened my account by visiting the Rifles museum in Winchester and interviewing some staff (they were very helpful!). It was a beautiful museum and certainly well worth the visit on its own terms. The Waterloo diorama, which has just been subject to a major conservation program, was just stunning. The small sound and light show that accompanied it explained the battle in a clear and concise manner. So, thumbs up all around. Next week I am off to Leeds and the Agincourt diorama with a stop to speak to someone at Perry Miniatures. In November it will be off to NZ to see the Gallipoli diorama followed by Canberra in the New Year. Then next year it will be Gettysburg, West Point and Spain.

A couple of other interesting points: I found this table hanging off a wall near the museum. Anyone recognise it? A second interesting development was that I joked with one of the staff at the museum that Australians generally believe that the dioramas in Canberra are the best in the world. Without missing a beat he said, 'don't worry about that, there was a time when you probably felt you had the best rugby team in the world and look how that turned out'. I had to laugh, particularly when he transpired that he was an old boy of Rugby School. In the spirit of full disclosure, I am one of the editors of the book so pitching my idea was pretty close to a sure thing!

 

[The Military Workshop]

Finally you have turned up ! Hope the cruise was fun and you did not mention the war too much.

Can I be first to say "nice dio"! Not a bad looking table.

I am guessing you noted the signage to left on the wall highlighting the role of women in the Napoleonic wars and women at Waterloo (looks like there were 4).

Look forward to further reports and pics.

 

[Jack]

Finally you have turned up ! Hope the cruise was fun and you did not mention the war too much.

Can I be first to say "nice dio"! Not a bad looking table.

I am guessing you noted the signage to left on the wall highlighting the role of women in the Napoleonic wars and women at Waterloo (looks like there were 4).

Look forward to further reports and pics.

Yes ... the eagle eyes of the military workshop do not miss a thing! What might interest you is that there is a figure (hidden among 21000 others soldiers and 9000 horses) urinating. It would seem that TS manufactures (or at least the British ones!) share the same interests.

As for an investigation of the role of women, which I did not pursue in my interview, I wonder whether it is seen as an historic corrective or whether the successful pursuit of heritage lottery funding required a more rounded view of events. That said, the staff I met were fantastic and rightly very proud of their museum. They also mentioned the significant help offered by ex members of the regiment. I assume that the Royal Hong Kong police find you to be a generous benefactor. Or do you just apologise for being part of a colonial administration that was symptomatic of a system that subjugated untold millions? {sm4}

Hope all is well in Brisbane. It is hot here in England, that's for sure.

 

[The Military Workshop]

Yes ... the eagle eyes of the military workshop do not miss a thing! What might interest you is that there is a figure (hidden among 21000 others soldiers and 9000 horses) urinating. It would seem that TS manufactures (or at least the British ones!) share the same interests.

As for an investigation of the role of women, which I did not pursue in my interview, I wonder whether it is seen as an historic corrective or whether the successful pursuit of heritage lottery funding required a more rounded view of events. That said, the staff I met were fantastic and rightly very proud of their museum. They also mentioned the significant help offered by ex members of the regiment. I assume that the Royal Hong Kong police find you to be a generous benefactor. Or do you just apologise for being part of a colonial administration that was symptomatic of a system that subjugated untold millions? {sm4}

Hope all is well in Brisbane. It is hot here in England, that's for sure.

That was one of the museums I remember visiting when about 14 when my Dad was based in Winchester. Also saw the table.The many medal sets was what I remembered about the Museum.

I suspect you are right about the funding.

Regarding your comments about the RHKP (now HKP) I have no doubt the organisation is eternally grateful for my contribution :salute::

 

[REVWARBUFF]

Jack,

Do you have any close up pics of that large diorama that you can post?

Mark

 

[Fitzgibbon]

Warm and wet in Brisbane Doc. Good looking dio. Bet it would be a real b..... to move. And the screen no doubt is glass. Ah the luxury

 

[ivanmoe]

View attachment 198788


Okay Martin, where are the rest of the pics? Surely you're not suggesting that you've got this TS-dream-gig happening, and, "oh, my camera batteries went dead." No, Martin, we the faithful expect some images to emerge from this little soirée of yours. Don't let us down!{sm0}:wink2:

-Moe

 

[The Military Workshop]

Moe,
You might have to buy the book !{sm3}

 

[Jack]

I visited the D-Day Museum at Portsmouth as part of my research. The book has a chapter on embroideries/tapestries that depict conflict so the Overlord Embroidery was the first on the list. The Bayeux Tapestry and the Boer trekker embroidery will be among the others. I took a couple of photographs outside the museum, which is a decent little museum but one that has just won big in term of lottery funding.

 

[Jack]

View attachment 198788


Okay Martin, where are the rest of the pics? Surely you're not suggesting that you've got this TS-dream-gig happening, and, "oh, my camera batteries went dead." No, Martin, we the faithful expect some images to emerge from this little soirée of yours. Don't let us down!{sm0}:wink2:

-Moe

Moe

Just ran out of time after the interview and did not want to do a runner as though the rest of the museum was not of interest. I grabbed a few other photographs of this diorama and a few other smaller ones but that is about it. I will hopefully have access to some that they had done professionally so I did not get too concerned.

Jack

 

[Jack]

I went to Nottingham on Tuesday and spent a lovely couple of hours with the Perry Brothers (of Perry Miniatures fame). After the interview we had a nice lunch in a 500 year old pub. They dished the dirt on Peter Jackson (nice man, respectful of people who work with him and great attention to detail), showed me the war games room, and talked about the full scale fibreglass Lancasters that Jackson has organised (when I heard the price I asked if I could buy one!) for the remake of The Dambusters. One thing I was very jealous of was when I heard that they do the sculpting for Wingnuts. I mentioned that they have not yet brought out their promised figures which look fantastic. Quite literally Alan picked up a figure from the desk in front of me and said 'here is one. We have done them but they just haven't been released yet'. I encouraged them to look away while I pocketed it but they were too smart for me. They did show me some pictures of the other figures and they were just stunning. Somehow they found they could not sculpt the standing gunner for one of the RFC 'Pusher' types without experience so Alan got a ride in one to assess the appropriate stance. Good work if you can get it!

Off to Leeds on Friday to see the Agincourt and Waterloo dioramas!

 

[waynepoo]

I went to Nottingham on Tuesday and spent a lovely couple of hours with the Perry Brothers (of Perry Miniatures fame). After the interview we had a nice lunch in a 500 year old pub. They dished the dirt on Peter Jackson (nice man, respectful of people who work with him and great attention to detail), showed me the war games room, and talked about the full scale fibreglass Lancasters that Jackson has organised (when I heard the price I asked if I could buy one!) for the remake of The Dambusters. One thing I was very jealous of was when I heard that they do the sculpting for Wingnuts. I mentioned that they have not yet brought out their promised figures which look fantastic. Quite literally Alan picked up a figure from the desk in front of me and said 'here is one. We have done them but they just haven't been released yet'. I encouraged them to look away while I pocketed it but they were too smart for me. They did show me some pictures of the other figures and they were just stunning. Somehow they found they could not sculpt the standing gunner for one of the RFC 'Pusher' types without experience so Alan got a ride in one to assess the appropriate stance. Good work if you can get it!

Off to Leeds on Friday to see the Agincourt and Waterloo dioramas!

Nottingham! Leeds! I assume you wouldn't be coming to the BBQ on Sunday..............:wink2: