What else do you collect beside toy soldiers (1 Viewer)

[Louis Badolato]

Louis, you have an amazing Steiff doll (and uniform) collection. I'm sure it would be the envy of quite a few museums. About how many figs do you have? Always enjoy viewing posts of your latest find. Chris

Chris,

I presently have 32 Steiff Soldier Dolls and 6 Harwin (Steiff's British competitor during WWI) Soldier Dolls, 16 of which are displayed with matching complete or partial uniforms. I have about 50 WWI and earlier uniforms or parts of uniforms on full or half mannequins on display. When this Covid mess is over, and we can hold a New York Symposium, I plan to bring the Uniforms and dolls downstairs, and displaying them throughout the house, thereby opening the display space back up so people can walk everywhere and enjoy the seating. I'm pretty sure my wife will let me take over the entire house for 2 days!:salute::

 

[Louis Badolato]

I got this from an online militaria dealer in France. It comes with the French army marked backpack (with a cloth bucket hanging from it) a folded tent section strapped to it, cooking pots/plates/cups strapped to it, inside are tent pegs and cords. I put it with my WWI French 1914 navy blue coat, kepi and bread bag. Figuring out how to put it all together from the kit on a 14 inch tall Tenue du Campaign figure was a pain in the ***. I probably did it all wrong (I have a couple of straps left over, which I tucked inside) but it looks like the kit on the Poilu figure.

I am trying to find some WWI French Red pants, and if I do I will put everything on a full mannequin.

I found the 1914 Red Pants (identified to the [FONT=&quot]65e infantry regiment nantes):

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[Louis Badolato]

I just made a deal to purchase "Ally," a Harwin WWI Highland Officer doll (like Steiff, Harwin made both more cartoonish looking and realistic looking Soldier dolls):

 

[Louis Badolato]

I got this from an online militaria dealer in France. It comes with the French army marked backpack (with a cloth bucket hanging from it) a folded tent section strapped to it, cooking pots/plates/cups strapped to it, inside are tent pegs and cords. I put it with my WWI French 1914 navy blue coat, kepi and bread bag. Figuring out how to put it all together from the kit on a 14 inch tall Tenue du Campaign figure was a pain in the ***. I probably did it all wrong (I have a couple of straps left over, which I tucked inside) but it looks like the kit on the Poilu figure.

I am trying to find some WWI French Red pants, and if I do I will put everything on a full mannequin.

Now that I purchased the red pants and the black gaiters, I moved the French uniform and equipment to a full mannequin, and made a couple of corrections to the way I rigged the field equipment (I'm looking for the second bag to hand diagonally across his chest over his left shoulder):

 

[Louis Badolato]

I just made a deal for a model 1860 Chasseur d'Afrique Lieutenant's tunic with sword belt. It looks just like a U.S. Civil War tunic.

 

[Louis Badolato]

The musette bag and the black leather gaiters arrived for my Poilu uniform, the belt and ammunition pouches cleared customs yesterday, and the red pants are also on their way, so my Poilu is almost complete, and is on display with the Zouave and German Infantryman uniforms, and the three matching Steiff dolls (French Infantryman, Zouave and German Infantryman):

 

[Louis Badolato]

The Poilu's belt, with ammunition pouches and bayonet arrived in today's mail, now once the red pants arrive the Poilu will be completed:

 

[Louis Badolato]

I managed to obtain another Steiff 1914 French Infantryman. He needs a hole patched in his tunic, five buttons re-attached (I have the buttons), and his face cleaned, but other than that he is in great shape for a 107 year old doll:

 

[Louis Badolato]

The pants arrived, and my 1914 Poilu Uniform with field equipment is complete:

 

[Louis Badolato]

I picked up a WWI bolero jacket, gilet (vest), and sash from a Tirailleur Algerian (Turco) uniform. I already had the fez and the spats, so all I need is a white sarouel (baggy pants) and I will have a full uniform to match my WWI Steiff doll, and the new First Legion Franco Prussian War figures:

 

[lancer]

I picked up a WWI bolero jacket, gilet (vest), and sash from a Tirailleur Algerian (Turco) uniform. I already had the fez and the spats, so all I need is a white sarouel (baggy pants) and I will have a full uniform to match my WWI Steiff doll, and the new First Legion Franco Prussian War figures:

The early war French uniforms, in all their colorful 19th Century glory, along with outmoded tactics, make clear why the first months of WW1 in 1914 were the most costly in terms of casualties to France than any other year of the war. It is an astounding image to visualize the French attacking time and again in their bright uniforms, in their regimental formations, and being slaughtered by the German machine guns and artillery. These uniforms are just magnificent, Louis. Congratulations on obtaining and preserving this history. -- Al

 

[Louis Badolato]

The early war French uniforms, in all their colorful 19th Century glory, along with outmoded tactics, make clear why the first months of WW1 in 1914 were the most costly in terms of casualties to France than any other year of the war. It is an astounding image to visualize the French attacking time and again in their bright uniforms, in their regimental formations, and being slaughtered by the German machine guns and artillery. These uniforms are just magnificent, Louis. Congratulations on obtaining and preserving this history. -- Al

Al,

I collect these early war French uniforms because our Civil War uniforms were modeled on French Uniforms, which didn't change that much in appearance between 1860 and 1914, and, frankly, except for the occasional chasseur cap or shako, I can't afford the Civil War uniforms. Now that I am getting into the Franco Pressian War, the early war French and pre-war German uniforms are even more interesting to me. I wholly agree that WWI, especially 1914, was possibly the stupidest war ever fought. Six million lives lost in the first year. The politicians and especially the generals responsible should have been lined up against a wall and shot.

 

[Louis Badolato]

I snapped up this Steiff WWI Austrian Infantryman, who will be sent to the Steiff restorer I ise for a full restoration (I have photos of the Austrian Infantryman doll with Field Equipment, and am going to ask the Steiff restorer to recreate the field equipment):

 

[GICOP]

FLIGHT JACKETS

I have had a love of A2 jackets for around 30 years, the first one I bought was made by Aero Leather. I now have A2's made by EASTMAN, AERO, MONARCH and SEFTON.

 

[Terp152]

FLIGHT JACKETS

I have had a love of A2 jackets for around 30 years, the first one I bought was made by Aero Leather. I now have A2's made by EASTMAN, AERO, MONARCH and SEFTON.

A beautiful collection. Chris

 

[Horus]

FLIGHT JACKETS

I have had a love of A2 jackets for around 30 years, the first one I bought was made by Aero Leather. I now have A2's made by EASTMAN, AERO, MONARCH and SEFTON.

Nice collection Martyn !

Not an original but I do have a version of an A2 jacket by Wested, who made leather jackets that appear in quite a few films. Probably their most famous one being that worn by Harrison Ford in the Indiana Jones Raiders film !

https://www.wested.com/

Steve

 

[GICOP]

A beautiful collection. Chris

Nice collection Martyn !

Not an original but I do have a version of an A2 jacket by Wested, who made leather jackets that appear in quite a few films. Probably their most famous one being that worn by Harrison Ford in the Indiana Jones Raiders film !

https://www.wested.com/

Steve

Many thanks Chris and Steve :salute::

Stay safe

Martyn

 

[Buster]

Looking good, Martyn ..... is there a favorite for cruising around Woking in the Mini. :wink2:^&grin

B.

 

[GICOP]

Looking good, Martyn ..... is there a favorite for cruising around Woking in the Mini. :wink2:^&grin

B.

Many thanks Buster :salute::

This is one of my favorites, the jacket has a full painted back and represents a flyer from the 499th Bombardment Squadron, 345th Bombardment Group, 5th USAAF. The Captains bars are original WW2 Sterling silver.

 

[Louis Badolato]

Very sharp, Martyn! I’m trying to find a real one WWII bomber crewmen’s jacket to display with cap and sheepskin overalls I already obtained to recreate my Uncle Joe’s uniform.