TOY SOLDIERS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 925, 21 November 1933, Page 14

TOY SOLDIERS.

A Collector’s Exhibition in Paris.

One of the moot tnirious organisations in the world —the International Society of Collectors of Lead Soldiers—recently held an exhibition in Paris. More than 10,000 miniature warriors were displayed. Massed oil a field of battle, ther represented almost every existing army and many periods. Some of them wore the picturesque uniforms of the six* teenth century. Several of the members of the International Society also belong to a kindred German organisation, the League of Culture by Means of Toy' Soldiers. The German society's membership is very large, comprising nearly the entire adult male population of certain villages. Neighbouring villages in the Fatherland sometimes combine to reproduce a famous battle—Leipzig, for instance. One village will concentrate on Russian soldiers, another on Napoleon's forces, a third on Austrian artillery, and so on. Britain has a large share of the toy soldier trade, shipping metal expeditionary forces all over the world. Perhaps the largest a.nd most representative of the many Knglish collections of tov soldiers is that of Maurice Klvey, film director, who has upward of 10.000. He has Assyrian, Greek, Macedonian and Roman armies. British designers of toy soldiers are sticklers for accuracy. The army list and army clothing factory are always consulted when new types of British lead soldiers are produced. One of the leading designers is a woman. And women have some of the nicest jobs in the business. At the foctories, girls do all the painting, assembling and packing. They put on the officers’ swords and give the guards their rod coats. King George is keen on toy soldiers; he always makes a point of seeing tlie display at the annual British Industries Fair.