Napoleonic enthusiasts have several roads on which to march in pursuit of their passion. For many it starts with reading and collecting books and then advances into one or more additional expressions of their interest: Collecting prints, artifacts, militaria or coins, re-fighting battles on tabletop with wargames, joining a re-enactment group or listening to music of the period. Some choose a fascination shared by Napoleon and Winston Churchill: military miniatures.

Creating military figures began with earliest recorded history. The first "collector" soldiers can be traced back to ancient Egypt. Carved wooden statues of Egyptian troops were discovered in the tombs of some Pharaohs. The statues were not toys. They were buried with the king to symbolically protect him in the next life. Similarly, terra cotta warriors were found at a burial site from the first emperor and founder of the Qin dynasty of ancient China. Over 7,000 life sized figures, including horses, formed this pottery army mustered to replace human sacrifices.

Several thousand years after these burials, military miniatures were used on a game board as small scale representations of contemporary medieval European life. The game was chess and the pieces symbolized kings, queens, bishops, knights, castles, and foot soldiers.

Written evidence of toy soldiers exist, but precious few examples of these types of military miniatures survived to the present day. Napoleon is said to have had toy soldiers, and historians report he used figures to plan his coronation ceremony in Notre Dame.

The first commercial miniature soldiers were produced in Germany in the late 1700's and were generally 30mm (about 1-1/4 inches) tall, made of tin and "flat" or two-dimensional in style. In France, the first three-dimensional, 54mm (2-1/4 inches) tall, solid lead alloy painted miniatures of the French army were created by a Parisian metal worker, Lucotte, by pouring metal into a two part mold to create a raw casting, and then painting the finished figures with matt colors. The U.S. Military Academy Museum at West Point, New York boasts an impressive collection of "Lucottes," and it is easy to see why he dominated the miniatures field until the late 1850's.

Next came the French firm Mignot, still producing figures today, which began marketing its (mostly Napoleonic) miniatures in ornate, colorful boxes.

By 1890, miniatures had reached the general public in terms of affordability. William Britain of England began producing more quickly-made and less expensive hollow cast three-dimensional 54mm metal soldiers by utilizing a spinning machine using centrifugal force to spread the hot liquid metal more efficiently and more effectively into the smallest crevices of the figure mold. The miniatures were then painted more simplistically compared to Lucotte's and Mignot's, using gloss enamel paints. Today, when one hears the term "toy soldier," it's usually a figure in the Britain's form that comes to mind.

For half a century toy soldiers and collector figures continued in the style of Mignot and Britain. Then, in the decade of the 1950's, an explosion of military miniatures began. Collector figures were produced in a wider range of scales and in plastic as well as traditional metal alloys. In addition to purchasing figures already painted, the idea of a collector painting and even assembling his own miniatures developed.

Scale refers to the size of a miniature, the most popular scale still being 54mm and often expressed as 1/32nd scale. Thus, a six-foot tall man shrinks proportionately to a height of 2-1/4 inches, measuring from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet. A Grenadier 's bearskin hat would extend above the height of 54mm as the scale refers to the figure and not to what it is wearing.

Most commercially pre-painted figures are 54mm. The scales of paint-your-own miniatures run from tiny 6mm (1 /4 inch) wargaming soldiers to huge 200mm (8 inches) tall collector pieces and almost every size in between. Napoleonic enthusiasts are blessed with a vast number of collecting choices available to them. Most Napoleonic miniatures are military, but several interesting civilian subjects are available.

Painted toy soldiers: easiest to collect

The obvious advantage of commercially pre-painted miniatures is that they are "collector ready." You simply purchase and display the ones that interest you. The major disadvantage is that figure prices can be expensive depending on the painting quality, age and rarity of the miniature.

Modern Napoleonic toy soldiers, on foot, average from $10 to $12 each. They are usually sold in boxed sets of five or six foot figures or three figures mounted on horses. Although toy soldiers are produced in many countries, the majority are made in the U.S., England and France.

Toy soldiers were made of "white" metal, usually a combination of lead and tin in various amounts. Because of concern about lead and recent laws passed restricting items made with lead, many figures are now made of non-lead alloys collectively called pewter.

The raw casting is achieved by melting the metal alloy and pouring it into a spinning mold. After it has cooled enough to be handled, the mold is broken open and the figures cleaned of excess metal called "flash." Then the figure is hand-painted with gloss enamel paint which allows the collector to handle and set up his toy army with little risk of defacing or wearing off the paint.

The value of older antique toy soldiers has steadily increased. Some collectors enjoy following the results of the latest auctions to stay current with the

The most prolific maker of Napoleonic-era miniatures remains the French firm Mignot. Over the years this company has produced a set of nearly every regiment in Napoleon's army, as well as French allies and enemies. More information about toy soldiers and where to buy them can be found in Toy Soldier Review and Toy Soldier and Model Figures magazines. Both of these publications feature color photos, extensive reviews, news, and dealer advertising. Although they feature many periods of history, Napoleonics are regularly covered or advertised.

Collector figures: Do it yourself

The desire for higher quality painting standards along with more detailed castings led to the paint-your-own miniature concept. The painting quality achieved by some of today's enthusiasts equals or surpasses the finest two- dimensional miniature portraiture (in oils) of Napoleon's time.

There are numerous collector shows held around the United States and Europe. Both the casting's sculptor as well as the figure's numerous painters compete for recognition and prestigious awards.

Like toy soldiers, most of the collector figures are made of white metal or pewter, although hard plastic castings of epoxy resin materials are becoming more common. Almost all large scale castings are sold in kit form and require assembly with glue.

Wargaming figures are often painted with water-based acrylics and then a fixative sprayed over the soldiers to protect the paint finish from repeated handling. Individual collector figures are often painted with a thinner-based oil paint. While multiple wargaming miniatures are mounted on "stands" or bases representing infantry battalions, cavalry squadrons, or artillery batteries, collector figures are usually mounted individually on a wooden base which helps "frame" the piece and provides a safe way to pick up and examine a figure without marring the paint. Sometimes several figures are placed on a permanent display base to create a scene, referred to as a "diorama."

A Napoleonic enthusiast can find a collector figure of Napoleon in nearly all the different uniforms he wore throughout his career. There are also collector figures of famous people such as Josephine and all 26 French Marshals, as well as an incredible variety of uniforms exhibited on miniature soldiers representing almost every possible unit and nation of that era.

While there are a handful of retail stores that cater specifically to the collector miniature hobbyist, most of the literally hundreds of Napoleonic castings can be ordered directly from the manufacturers or from mail order dealers who carry a number of different lines. An unassembled, unpainted 54mm foot figure ranges in price from $9 to $22. Some of the most respected sculptors and firms producing high quality castings are located in the United States, England, France, Spain and Italy.

What if you want to collect but don't paint?

Even hobbyists who can do a nice job painting their own miniatures sometimes find it more convenient to let another artist locate and order the appropriate figures, research the uniforms, paint the soldiers, and mount the figures on bases for them. Some of the for-hire painters who advertise do amazing museum-quality work and will send photos or samples along with their price guide. (See the ads at the bottom of pages 44 and 45 for painting services.)

Some manufacturers also offer commercially painted collector figures starting around $50 for a 54mm casting and increasing in price according to scale and painting quality. The magazine Historical Miniature Art and Review Quarterly (formerly Military Miniature Art and Review Quarterly) features listings of shows, clubs, dealers, and how- to techniques for those who want to try painting their own figures.

Visiting a hobby store that stocks collector figures and obtaining copies of the magazines listed in this article are recommended for further research. Whether it's an individual figure of Napoleon or a mounted Polish lancer, a diorama of Napoleon and Josephine or the Emperor with one of his Marshals, or an entire battalion of Imperial Guard infantry, it's likely that the Napoleonic subjects you want are available (in some scale).

West Point Museum Grande Armee Display

Magazines for Miniatures Collectors

Thoughts on the Art of the Historical Miniature