Types of USA Forces Infantry (Service Dress)
Model Soldier Set
ca. 1930 (manufactured)
ca. 1930 (manufactured)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
William Britain (1828-1906) established himself as a toymaker in north-east London in the 1840s. He originally made mechanical toys and moved on to model soldiers in the 1890s. It is his son, William Britain Junior (1860-1933) who is credited with inventing the hollow-casting process for which the company became famous. This type of soldier came on the market in 1893 and was taken on immediately by the famous London toystore, Gamages. The hollow-casting process involved using less material and resulted in a lighter, cheaper product, giving Britains a competitive edge over its rivals, who were in the main, German firms.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 4 parts.
|
| Title | Types of USA Forces Infantry (Service Dress) (manufacturer's title) |
| Brief description | Boxed set of USA Infantry soldiers made in England by William Britain in about 1930 |
| Credit line | Given by Peter Carolin |
| Object history | The soldiers were bought in Dublin for the donor in 1946 as a 10th birthday present. Even though they were purchased post Second World War they are pre-war in date and probably came from a shop carrying old stock. |
| Summary | William Britain (1828-1906) established himself as a toymaker in north-east London in the 1840s. He originally made mechanical toys and moved on to model soldiers in the 1890s. It is his son, William Britain Junior (1860-1933) who is credited with inventing the hollow-casting process for which the company became famous. This type of soldier came on the market in 1893 and was taken on immediately by the famous London toystore, Gamages. The hollow-casting process involved using less material and resulted in a lighter, cheaper product, giving Britains a competitive edge over its rivals, who were in the main, German firms. |
| Other number | 227 - series number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | B.273:1-4-2011 |
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| Record created | June 26, 2012 |
| Record URL |
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