Collecting Toy Soldiers

For centuries, model soldiers have been and still are produced for children. But besides being used for games, the model soldiers have also attracted the serious attention of adults, who have eagerly collected them. The activity of these collectors and their modern followers does not end in keeping up treasures, however: they reconstruct the ancient uniforms, and some of them even build dioramas of battle scenes on the basis of historical documents, thus giving new life to a distant past. The author is a passionate collector, and traces back the history of the collectors' soldiers and at the same time tells the story of those dynasties of model soldier manufacturers who turned the production of toy soldiers into a fine art. The book was written in collaboration with Paul Martin, prior conservator at the city museums of Strasbourg and authorative military historian. The many illustrations included in the book were taken from all the great collections of the world.