Scotland forever

Scotland forever!
A diorama with several stories

I recently received a large and special diorama as a gift. A hundred 54mm plastic Historex figures depict an important event during the Battle of Waterloo, 18 June 1815. A diorama to which multiple stories can be linked. In this article I list them.

The first story is personal. It must have been about 50 years ago that this exact diorama stood for a while in the window of the best-known and largest toy store in the city centre of Utrecht, The Netherlands. I lived nearby as a child and many times I stood, regularly with my father, looking at all the details that could be seen in it.

At one point a 'for sale' sign appeared on it. I don't remember the price, but my parents were adamant about buying it for me. That must have had to do with the price, but also with the size. The diorama, measuring over a metre long, 50 cm deep and at the time about 50 cm high, was not exactly suitable for my room. However, I have never forgotten it and it made such an impression on me as a 10-year-old viewer that it probably formed the basis for a lifelong passion for figures.

The years passed. My wife knew the story of ‘the’ diorama and this summer she pointed out to me that something like it was offered on an internet site. After asking the seller a few questions, it was inevitable that this was the diorama that had made such an indelible impression on me as a child. My wife entered into negotiations with the seller and the deal was concluded quite quickly. The seller was able to report that his father had indeed bought it a long time ago in a toy shop ‘somewhere in Utrecht’. He had owned it himself for years and had to part with it with a heavy heart due to lack of space. My wife’s story about my personal involvement eased the pain a little. There was no doubt in my mind, the memories came flooding back when I saw it (in a warehouse on an industrial estate): this was indeed ‘the’ diorama in question. Of course a great gift for my recent 60th birthday, complete with an official handover by the family during a party at a suitable location. It was temporarily in our home in Utrecht but moved later to the hall of our house in Germany.

Restoration
The diorama stood in a small room of a restaurant for years, then in a living room for decades. The wood of the box was very dried out, the hood with a one-meter fluorescent lamp in it was literally hanging together with Ducktape and the perspex plate at the front had a large number of scratches. The inside was dusty, especially at the front, and a dozen riders were missing their swords and/or were now loose on their horses. But, considering its age, the whole thing was exceptionally well preserved.

First, the box was tackled. The wood was sanded and varnished several times. The lid was completely replaced by a painted wooden plate with a closing edge. Instead of a fluorescent tube, the lighting now comes from an LED strip. That made the whole thing about 20 centimetres less high. The Perspex pane was also replaced by a new one. That confirmed the dating once again. The supplier of the new plate could see that the old one, partly in view of the way it was cut, had to be from before 1970. An engraved copper plate with ‘Scotland forever’ complemented the restoration of the outside.

Then it was the turn of the inside. The mirrors that are located on both sides and give the whole thing an impressive depth, are slightly damaged here and there. However, nothing could be done about that. Replacement would lead to too much damage. The back wall is painted and a work of art in itself. The fields of Waterloo are easy to recognise. Fortunately, nothing was damaged here.

All figures were once glued individually or in groups onto wooden or metal plates by the maker. Then placed in the box after which plaster was poured over it. The plaster was then painted and sprinkled with train track material. The plaster was slightly damaged in several places. This was repaired and painted again. Before that, the figures and the base plate were dusted. Most of the dust was at the front, directly behind the window. A precise job where you had to be careful not to damage the details.

Finally, the figures were added. They are almost all 54mm plastic Historex figures with a few Airfix figures (Scottish infantry). Here and there a rider was loose on the horse. This was quite easy to repair with some glue. The broken swords of the cavalrymen were lying between the horses and reappeared during cleaning. The swords were replaced by new ones.

I could not resist adding a few ‘own’ figures. Especially the Scottish infantry that marched behind the cavalry was very underexposed. I still had a few figures from Historex in the cupboard (to one day build a similar diorama like I had seen as a child….) and with the order of Scottish officers, a bagpipe player and drummer it was a bit more complete for me. At Historex in France you can still order almost everything that is in the box.

Building these figures made me realize what a huge job this diorama must have been. With Historex figures, every strap, button, stirrup, etc. must be glued separately. A cavalryman consists of over 90 parts. If you then consider that there are over 60 riders, you can estimate how many hours of work must have gone into this. After placing the last Scottish figures and a French infantryman carrying away a wounded drummer, the diorama was restored to satisfaction.

What does it represent?
The third story concerns the question of what can be seen? This is not just a nice diorama with a hundred figures. Anyone who knows something about the Battle of Waterloo will recognize the different uniforms, but may also see that the middle section of the cavalry charge is an almost exact 3D representation of the painting ‘Scotland forever’ by Lady Butler. This painting, one of the most famous of the Battle of Waterloo, depicts the attack of the Royal Scots Greys on the French artillery. Incidentally, the latter is not depicted in the painting, but it is in the diorama.

The painting can be recognized almost per figure and even the attributes that lie in front of the riders (headgear, etc.) can be found in the right place in the diorama. However, there is much more to see in the diorama than in the painting. It shows the surprise of the attack. The French troops literally jump up when they see riders storming over the hill. It also shows the craftsmanship of the diorama builder. Each figure has been carefully considered, plays on another figure or figures elsewhere and is made specifically for the place where it is located. Almost no figure is a standard figure as you buy it, each figure is composed of multiple figures or specially made.

Is the image correct? The figures depicted are correct insofar as they are a 1 on 1 image of the painting. They therefore also have the same errors as can be seen in the painting. For example, during the battle the bearskin hats were wrapped in a rainproof cover and that was not depicted in the painting. Also, the horses at the time of Waterloo were not all the same kind of grey anymore and will have trotted rather than galloped.

The French figures are not depicted in the painting. Here the maker was guided by paintings, some of his own imagination and possibly also by what figures were available. As far as can be determined, the uniforms of the figures are correct. However, after I had placed a few photos on the internet, there was mainly criticism of the French interpretation of the diorama. From France someone responded that it was a nice diorama but that the composition of the French troops in the diorama was a mess. Several infantrymen could never have been at that location at the time of the Scottish attack. That could of course be possible.

The maker(s)?
The last story remains, who made this and why? That also turns out to be the most difficult question. I know that the diorama must be at least 50 years old, that it is mainly Historex figures from the early 1960s with a single Airfix figure. Airfix first came out with the 54mm Scottish infantry kits in 1970. So that could be possible given the age. They may have been added later, which also seems to be confirmed somewhat by the level of painting. That is less for these figures than for the French infantrymen at the front.

As far as painting is concerned, there seems to be more difference between the figures. For example, the skin color of a number of figures is different. This would indicate that there may have been multiple makers involved. It is also possible that some figures have discoloured somewhat over the years due to the bright fluorescent light.

Contact with Historex in France yielded nothing. They had never seen the diorama. Even searching through archives of model building magazines from the 70s yielded no results. A call on Facebook gave many tips on how to continue searching, but only one real clue. An English model builder could remember a documentary from the early 70s by someone who had indeed recreated the painting of Lady Butler with Historex figures. The documentary was quickly found on the BBC website. Indeed, a report by someone who recreated the painting. For him, that meant sawing figures, adjusting them with plastic putty, etc. He spent several days on one figure. The final shot showed his end result. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a part of the painting with only a few riders who were exactly like in the painting. A job that took several months, but unfortunately not this diorama. The painting was also of a different level than the figures in the diorama. It does show what an enormous job it must have been to make this diorama.

The costs must also have been considerable. If we only assume the number of figures that are in it now, the purchase would amount to more than 2500 euros at current prices. We are only talking about the standard figures, so not the extras for better fitting arms, legs, paws and other parts. The costs of the box are difficult to estimate, but must be added.

In short, the question of who the maker was and why such a large and expensive diorama was built and also why it did not end up in a museum remains unanswered for the time being. We will continue to search for that because it would complete the story of this special diorama.

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