Without Britains, toy-soldier collectors would have a much heavier load to bear. That’s because company-founder William Britain, Jr. invented the hollow-casting method, which revolutionized the industry by greatly reducing the weight, and cost, of these toys. Sold at various times under the names William Britain, W. Britain, Britains, and Petite, today the company’s most highly-prized products are its first, 19th-century toy soldier sets still string-tied into their original packaging. William Britain’s father was a London toy-maker who recognized a potential business opportunity in the huge quantity of miniature soldiers imported to the U.K. during the late 19th century. In 1893, Britain developed his ingenious casting technology, and the company quickly outshone the German manufacturers who had previously dominated the market. Britain’s new hollow-cast method utilized molds with an opening that allowed excess lead to escape before fully hardening, creating a hollow figurine.
Since lead was the most costly part of toy soldier production, the new technique enabled Britains to drastically lower its prices, altering the entire marketplace. After a successful lawsuit to protect its designs from cheap imitations, Britains copyrighted its individual figures with a paper sticker underneath each base; later models were marked with an embossed stamp. Britains’ first models included a set of mounted military “Life Guards,” followed by other series based on British troops. Gamages department store in London, famous for its elaborate Christmas displays, quickly became a major distributor of Britains toys, and by 1906, Gamages stopped selling German imports entirely. Besides their affordability, many Britains figures came with movable arms, a unique feature making them very appealing to children. At a full height of 54mm, these soldiers also matched the standard model-train gauge, further ensuring their success as playthings. After Britains opened an additional facility in Paris, its lines expanded to include French military units.
Both manufacturing plants operated at limited capacity during World War I, and World War II halted production entirely. Postwar restrictions on the use of lead in the United Kingdom forced Britains to supplement its slow domestic market by concentrating on sales overseas, as well as adding many more foreign troops to its product line. In 1954, Britains acquired rival manufacturer Herald and its greatest designer, Roy Selwyn Smith, who would create popular series of historic figures, like the dramatic “Knights of Agincourt” in all their armored splendor. Herald was known for its meticulous plastic figurines, and Britains would continue to use the Herald name through the 1980s. Britains most popular plastic lines were its “Swoppet” range, made with interchangeable parts and equipment, and the “Eyes Right” range, which depicted soldiers wearing full ceremonial attire, a return to classic toy soldier styles. From 1959 to 1965, the company offered its “Picture Packs” of individual soldiers from existing sets, whose scarcity makes them highly sought-after by collectors.
Though regulations forced Britains to stop production of all lead toys in 1966, the company introduced its “Deetail” series in 1971, which featured plastic figures mounted on met... Around the same time, Britains recognized a growing nostalgia market among adult collectors, and in 1973 unveiled its “New Metal Model” series. By the late 1980s, these items were no longer included in Britains’ regular toy catalogs, instead given their own magazine geared to collectors. An official “William Britain Collectors Club” launched in 1993.About our sources | Got something to add?▼ Expand to read the full article ▼ Museum of ChildhoodEmbrace your inner child on this website from the Victoria and Albert Museum, filled with high-quality images and i… [read review or visit site] The WheelmenThis elegant tribute to turn-of-the-century bicycling includes memorabilia, photographs, and an index of 3140 bicyc… [read review or visit site] 10 used & new from Sold by VTM TOYS and Fulfilled by Amazon.
COBI 2477 "Tiger 131" Army ModelDetailsCOBI 3011 Matilda Tank Model FREE Delivery in the UK. Product Dimensions50 x 6.6 x 30.5 cm Manufacturer recommended age:6 - 18 years Number of Puzzle Pieces500 78,442 in Toys & Games (See top 100) Date First Available17 Feb. 2016181 Panzerkampfwagen VI ausf. E – Tiger I was taken over by the British in Tunis during World War II. Currently it is displayed in The Tank Museum in Bovington, England and is the only efficient tank of this type in the world. It was produced at the beginning of 1943 in Kessel. This historically accurate block model has a rotating turret, regulated barrel and 4 operable trap doors. • 500 blocks • 2 figures – The Tank museum workers with accessories • Bodywork with pad printing • Easy to follow instruction manual • Compatible with other leading brands of construction blocks • Model dimensions: 285mm x 130mm x 95mm (length x width x height) not appropriate for children under the age of 3
Small Army 2466 WWII PzKpfw V Panther Ausf. G, 400 Building Bricks Small Army WWII 2462 - PzKpfw VI Tiger Ausf. E, 500 Building Bricks See all 5 customer reviews Mrs. Claire M. Banner See all 5 customer reviews (newest first) on Amazon.co.uk Toys & Games > Building & Construction Toys Tags: Flickr, Lego military, Lego WW2 This is Grant´s vision of a WW2 skirmish… And a really ravishing one! “They are too many of them. I can see their boot and the ringing tracks on the Tigers. Me and my team are hiding out in a basement of a bombed-out inn. We weren’t expecting this when we landed. I hear them coming down the stairs….”-Zebulon Vance Saunders It has its own story… I highy recommend a visit to Grant´s Gallery. I hope you liked it! Tags: Flickr, HispaLUG, Lego Artillery, Lego military, Lego WW2, Lego WWII, YiharuaBlog MOCs I am proud to present you the World War Two British Artillery QF 6 Pounder (Formally, Ordnance Quick Firing 6 Pounder)
“The Ordnance Quick-Firing 6-pounder 7 cwt, or just 6 pounder, was a British 57 mm gun, their primary anti-tank gun during the middle of World War II, as well as the main armament for a number of armoured fighting vehicles. It was first used in North Africa in April 1942, and quickly replaced the 2 pounderin the anti-tank role, allowing the 25 pounder to revert to its intended artillery role. The United States Army also adopted the 6 pdr as their primary anti-tank gun under the designation 57 mm Gun M1.” The story of the creation of this MOC begins long ago. At Christmas, in my free time, I was doing several different vehicles designs of the World War II. Some came out, some not, but I generally did not want to recreate them. My main objective was to finish the M4A3 Lego Sherman. Once the parts arrived and I had built the Sherman, I realised that with the leftover pieces and some of my other pieces it could be possible to recreate this model that I had already designed!
What happy I was! The Lego QF 6 Pounder consists of about 100 pieces, not counting the Willys Jeep that carries it, of course. The soldiers are the minifigures of the rebels of Endor, the Lego Star Wars line. They are very useful to resemble allied soldiers of the 40s, and they are a lot cheaper than the custom minifigures that some shops sell … With one of the custom shops minifigures, I can buy six of these. Logically the legs of the artillery can move from side to side. They can conect to the jeep to. As final considerations I would like to acknowledge the work that Stijn Oom and Antonio Bellon do on FlickR. They are great inspirers. You can check his galleries here and here. You may download the instructions (LDD file format .lxf) right here below. I hope you liked it! Tags: Lego military, Lego SWW, Lego Tanks, Lego Vehicles, Lego WW2, Lego WWII The Lego M4A3 Sherman that we, YiharuaBlog, made some days ago has instructions (In LDD format .lxf).
You can download them right now by clicking this link. I hope you like it! Please note that if you recreate this Lego Sherman M4A3 I would love to be given some credits. One year of hard work require them! Tags: Lego military, Lego Sherman, Lego SWW, Lego Tank, Lego Vehicles, Lego WW2, Lego WWII, YiharuaBlog MOCs “The M4 Sherman, formally Medium Tank, M4, was the primary tank produced by the United States during World War II. Total production Sherman M4 exceeded 50,000 units and its chassis served as the basis for other designs, such as tank destroyers, recovery vehicles and self-propelled artillery. In the United Kingdom, the M4 were called “Sherman” becouse of the General W. Tecumseh Sherman. Later, the name started being used in the United States.” I had two primary goals while redesigning my old M4 Sherman. I -Reduce the size to resemble the real scale. -Keep the design of the entire hull. Redesigning the front and the tower. I have child soul :D)
Although these were the main objectives, I also wanted to remake the suspension system, which I didn´t like, and build a detailed interior. Fortunately I was able to meet all my goals, including redoing the interior. Furthermore, it increases a lot the gameplay. You will see thorugh the post. The front view shows that the sides and bottom of the front hull have maintained their style, with several curved slopes and lights. However, the front where the machine gun is has been modified so that it had the proper tilt, as the real M4 Sherman. And we have another detail. There are chains in the front, as in many real tanks. The side also keeps the look of the first version of my creation, as well as the Sherman, but there are a number of changes and improvements. We will not consider the turret, which is going to be seen later. As we can see, the hull is the same, with a little change; there are two tiles on it. I just wanted the Sherman to look like the original, again.
The second noticeable change are the front wheels. While the original Sherman used 24 tooth gears, the new ones have 16 tooth. I also change the suspension, reducing its size and adding those tires that seemed very appropriate. Size reduction has led me to save about 50 chains. The length was reduced from 24 to 21 and a half studs. On the back the most recognizable change is the size. The width of the new model is 10 studs, much more acceptable than the previous 12 studs. A The rest remains the same, except the central panel that protects the engine, which has been made studless, and tiles have been put in that place. Even the rear hatch is the same. The turret suffered a clean slate. .t was completely redesigned. Based on several network designs (See Bibliography at the end) and with a few more details, I got it to be more rounded. It was hard work, because the size was smaller than in the previous version. Of course, the tower can be drawn from the tank. T
he gunner of the tower can be removed and is suited in very easily, and the gate closes or opens with the same simplicity. It is completely built with the Studless technique. It was the easiest way to detail a small part. Here you can see the technique. Even the barrel is SNOT. I have to forgive me, I placed a yellow piece. I’m very proud of how the new turret is. It is much more similar to the original Sherman turret. Finally, and of course, the turret can go up and down. The Sherman that has been designed gave me the possibility to add interior details. It was not in the original plan, but I saw that it was possible and I asked myself wether or not to include. The result has been positive. Everything starts by removing four pieces. They are very easy to remove, they are the top of the tank. Two slopes and two tiles. Then you remove a bunch of bricks. A And voila, we get inside. This includes a seat for the driver, some control pads, an armrest that can serve to hold a gun, and some cannon balls.
And this is my Lego M4 A3 Sherman. 😀 Thank you for reading this huge article. Of course, it is a YiharauBlog MOC. 😉 Tags: Flickr, Lego Planes, Lego WW2 This diorama, which was made by Ralph S (Mad Physicist) has really impressed me. It is holded in a 48×48 Lego baseplate, and represents a scene where some vehicles prepare a P-61 “Black Widow” to take off. This famous plane took part in the WW2, and was one of the most important for American forces. It was the first aircraft with the capability of carrying a radar system on it, giving precious advantage to Allied forces. I hope you liked the article and the diorama! You can search for more photos about this plane at this gallery. Have a nice Tuesday! Tags: Brickmania, Lego WW2 “Brickmania display at Brickfair NE. Can you spot the new BrickArms’ Japanese prototype weapons?” How much money is put into the 1×1 round plates that cover the see? Wow The ability of Brickmania to make big and wonderful displays is admirable.
You can find more here. Tags: Brickmania, Daniel Siskind, Lego Tank, Lego WW2 Daniel Siskind, the brickmania main designer, is the author of this Lego Tank MOC. I must admitt that he has done it quite well… We have to mention that there is a very limited variety of Lego green pieces out there, but he has done it with such small stock… The green Lego Toy Story soldiers will be happy :D. Tags: Brickmania, Lego Ambulance, Lego Vehicles, Lego WW2 I have always wanted to do one of this, and i have some ldd projects on my computer, but Daniel Siskind has made it faster than me! And it looks nice. The decal of the backdoor is something neccesary, as we couldnt do it with standard lego pieces. It has plenty of details. You Isnt it nice? It will probably be a brickmania set this year. Hoping the price is not so high! :E Tags: Lego Mecha, Lego military, Lego WW2, Legohaulic I must say legohaulic is one of the greatest lego Mocers… You can view more photos here.