Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-11-06
MAKING TOY SOLDIERS.
An Industry Springing From the
Prussian Military Spirit.

E. Leon Duplessis, the Vice Consul
of France at Nuremburg, has contributed
to the Bulletin Consulaire very inter-
esting description of the manufacture of
the toy soldiers in lead for which the
artisans of Nuremburg and Furth have
long been famous. After tracing the
early history of this industry, which
dates from the Seven Years War and is
due to the influence of the Prusssian mil
itary spirit and to the enthusiasm eXcit-
ed by Frederick the Great and describing
the phases through which it has passed,
NJ. Duplessis described in detail the diff
eren operations by which the rough
metal is converted into smart looking
soldier with knapsack on back and arm
in hand
The first thing is to make sketche of
the intended figures. Great pains are
bestowed on them. The best artists do
not hesitate when asked to supply mod
els for these toy soldiers, and in making
their sketches they have to bear in mind
certain fixed rules, while when they
make colored sketches they have to
avoid deep tints and select gauky colors,
which children so much prefer. They
must also possess a full knowledge of
the military costumes of the period to
which the soldier they represent be-
longed, any anachronlsm in this respect
being fatal to the success of the model.
At Nuremberg and at Furth slate
moulds are used for figures, while brass
moulds are employed for those in relief.
| The slate for the former is bought at
Sonneberg, in Thuringia and the tin,
which is purchased in England, is melted
| and poured into them through small
oritice. The sketches of the figures have,
of course, first of all been engraved up IN
the moulds. The metal soon hardens
when it has been poured in, and the
workman then removes the figures, cut
ting off any cXcresences which may have
been caused by the molten metal running
over into the interstices.
The soldiers then have to be painted
and this is always done by women, who
work at home, each woman being giver
certain number of figures at the begin
ming of the week. The system generally
adopted is to place dozen figures or Sc
upon piece of wood slit up the centre 81
as to hold them IN fixed position. WheI
one side of the figure is dry she turns i
round and paints the other. Her wage
are very poor, not amounting to NOR
than five or six marks week, from whicl
must be deducted the cost of the brusl
and colors, which she has to buy herself
! The wages of the men in the foundr,
average about nineteen marks Il week
while there are good many womel
also employed as founders who earn gooC
wages.
The final process, also intrusted to wo
men, is that of packing the soldiers
which are placed in boxes of 80, 60, 12t
or 240 pieces (weighing one-eighth, one
quarter, one half or one pound) for tn,
infantry, and of 12, "a, As or 9G piece
(of the same weighD for the cavalry
These wooden boxes all come from Son
neberg, in Thuringia, the cost of thos,
holding one-eighth of a pound, whlcl
are by far the most numerous, not exceed
ing one shilling per 100. These boxe
: are all hand made, so it is easy to imagine
how poorly the workmen who produc
them are paid, and who, it is said, nearl
all die of consumption. The soldier
made of solid lead are generally packed
|. in the cardboard boxes with glass case
.. . made in Nuremberg, and resembling tn
celebrated gingerbread boxes made ther
by the book binders. Each layer o
leaden soldiers is separated by thir
sheet of paper, and the whole regimen
is bedded between two beds of wooC
shavngs, the latter taking the place oI
the paper shavings formerly used.