Samuel Begg (1854–1936), The Great Offensive❄️🌲❄️🌲❄️

This striking illustration by British artist Samuel Begg was originally published in The Illustrated London News in 1916. It shows children staging a vast toy-soldier battle across a domestic interior, turning play into a reflection of contemporary warfare. The image was later reproduced in the Russian children’s magazine Mirok (December 1916), where it appeared under the Russian title Bol’shoe nastuplenie (“The Great Offensive”). The print poignantly captures how the imagery and language of the First World War permeated even the world of childhood.

Wooden model of the T17E1 Staghound armoured car, late 1940s.🇩🇪🇫🇷

French-made wooden vehicle shown with Froha composition soldiers produced in Germany, illustrating post-war European toy production and early Cold War military themes.

 

Winterhilfswerk at Christmas 🎄🌲⛪️

This display of Elastolin, Lineol, and Kienel composition figures reflects imagery associated with the Winterhilfswerk des Deutschen Volkes (WHW), the national winter relief campaign active from 1933 to 1945, which reached its symbolic climax each year shortly before Christmas during the Tag der Nationalen Solidarität (Day of National Solidarity).

Bundeswehr manoeuvres with Leyla composition figures, 1950s.🇩🇪🇩🇪🇩🇪💥💥💥

Infantry and light armour in field positions, with the Gescha 65-6 tinplate tank in the background, reflecting early Bundeswehr equipment in mid-1950s German toy production.

Bundeswehr composition figures by Leyla (Germany), 1950s.🇩🇪🇩🇪🇩🇪🥁🎺🎷

These early Bundeswehr figures show Leyla’s strong sculpting and paint quality, with well-observed uniforms and convincing marching poses. Made from traditional composition material, they reflect West German toy production in the early Cold War period and remain solid examples of 1950s military figure manufacture.

“Michels ungedienter Landsturm” – Primus Postcard No. 1070

“Michels ungedienter Landsturm” (“Michel’s Untrained Home Guard”) – Primus Postcard No. 1070 Artist postcard by Wally Fialkowska, published as Primus-Postkarte No. 1070 (c. 1905–1914). The illustration humorously depicts a child inspecting a line of toy soldiers—a familiar pre-WWI theme.

Lineol & Elastolin – Early “Bio-Drones” of the 1930s 🕊️🕊️🕊️

These vintage Lineol and Elastolin composition figures, produced in Germany in the 1930s, show soldiers operating messenger pigeons from a camouflaged field position. Long before the digital age, trained pigeons played a crucial role in battlefield communication, reconnaissance, and message delivery. Seen through a modern lens, these pigeons can almost be viewed as the original “bio-drones” — living, autonomous carriers used to gather or transmit information where radio silence or reliability was critical.

Wehrmacht Soldiers by Kienel (Germany), 1930s 🪖🪖🪖🔥🔥🔥

A dynamic combat scene featuring German composition soldiers produced by Kienel in the 1930s. These figures show typical Kienel characteristics: expressive poses, solid modelling, and hand-painted details. The bunker is also a Kienel product, typical of the firm’s 1930s battlefield accessories.

Imperial German Army – Paper Soldiers (c. 1900) 🏰🏰🏰⚔️⚔️⚔️

A wonderful display of Deutsches Heer paper soldiers produced by Luxus Papierfabrik, Berlin, around 1900. Printed in vivid colours on sturdy card, these figures depict infantry, cavalry (including hussars and chevaulegers), and artillerymen in pre-WW1 Imperial uniforms.

7.5 cm Ski Troops – Lineol, Elastolin & NB (1930s) ❄️❄️❄️⛷️⛷️⛷️🎿🎿🎿

A small winter scene featuring classic 7.5 cm composition skiers produced in the 1930s by the well-known German makers Lineol and Elastolin, as well as the Belgian manufacturer NB. A very atmospheric set that illustrates how European toy companies of the 1930s depicted alpine and winter warfare.

WW1 German Army soldiers produced by Manz

WW1 German infantry in field-grey tunics with red piping, pickelhaube helmets, puttees, and brown boots. Sharing a small group of early First World War German composition soldiers (7.5-8 cm) produced by Manz in Germany during 1914–1918.

Red Army Winter Troops by Salpa (Lucca, Italy), 1940s–50s ❄️❄️❄️

Here is a small but very striking group of Red Army composition 8 cm soldiers produced by Salpa, a lesser-known Italian maker active in Lucca in the 1940s–50s. Salpa figures are instantly recognisable for their hand-modelled poses, warm colour palette, and thick, durable composition material typical of the immediate postwar Italian toy industry. These three soldiers are clearly sculpted for a winter campaign setting. The long greatcoats with fur trim, ushanka-style caps with red stars, and heavy boots all point toward depictions inspired by the Winter War (1939–40) between the USSR and Finland, or early WWII Eastern Front scenes.