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1st Life Guards, Mess Dress, c1896 (Ensign Miniatures)

Discussion in 'Completed Figures' started by arj, Sep 20, 2020.

  1. arj A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Another dig down into the OOP box came up with this one. I can’t remember where I got it, but somewhere I do have another one in a kilt (from the same maker).

    This is a Lieutenant, 1st Life Guards in Mess Dress, c1896, made by Ensign Miniatures (54mm).

    Painted in oils over enamels with printers ink mixed with Humbrol matt varnish for the lace.
    The floor is marquetry veneer, cut to size and individually laid. Then sanded and varnished.

    IMG_4038r.jpg IMG_4039r.jpg IMG_4040r.jpg IMG_4041r.jpg

    Cheers,
    Andrew
  2. MoboSchreuder A Fixture

    Very nice paintwork Andrew

    Mobo
    arj likes this.
  3. Scott Sheltz Well-Known Member

    Country:
    United-States
    Great looking paint work!
    arj likes this.
  4. Nap Moderator

    Country:
    England
    Hi Andrew

    Good to see your painting and thanks for sharing

    Nicely done both painting and the basework

    Wish I had bought the Mess dress series from Ensign ...always liked them ...( infact liked all releases ! ) think there was a full set on the front of a Mil Mod magazine once

    Hope we see the one in the kilt painted up

    Happy benchtime

    Stay safe

    Nap
    arj likes this.
  5. MCPWilk A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Id love to do some of these in 120mm or 200mm for Victory or Gordon, but I doubt that it would be an economic proposition.

    Mike
    Nap likes this.
  6. Nap Moderator

    Country:
    England

    Would make a great bust series as well

    Nap
  7. Blind Pew A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Nice one Andrew, to do a figure in mess dress your painting has to be very crisp and 100% spot on. That's certainly the case here, a job very well done.
    arj likes this.
  8. arj A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Thank you Mobo.

    Cheers,
    Andrew
  9. arj A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Thank you Scott.

    Cheers,
    Andrew
  10. arj A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Hi Kevin,

    Thank you for looking and taking the time to comment.

    The fiddly bit with the parquet flooring was trimming the edges.
    Quite a number of tiny bits flaked off and had to be re-fitted.

    You're quite right about the MM cover (check out the price) ...

    MM April 77.jpg

    They did look superb as a group.

    Cheers,
    Andrew
  11. lightbob Member

    Hello Andrew really like your Ensign Mess Kit Series 1st Life Guard -- infact it is MD1 in the Mess Dress Series. The MD series and The Undress Series British and Colonial are simple, but great figures and have stood thetest of timeand all originally for the grand price of £2.75 each. I have some myself, sadly they cost me a bit more than the original price. See the Ensign ranges at https://www.mirofsoft.com/nostalgia-old-catalog-pdf
    Mirof ,well known on this site, and greatly appreciated by me, especially the nostalgia section.
    Douglas aka Lightbob
    arj and Nap like this.
  12. Nap Moderator

    Country:
    England
    Hi Andrew

    That's the one would love to see more pics of the article if there's one , wonder who painted the diorama ?

    Hi Douglas

    Nice to see you posting ...what a price @ £2.75 ...oh how wish it was now ! .....always nice to see figures from the hobby in the past

    I am so tempted to get these if they ever turn up !

    Stay safe all

    Nap
    arj likes this.
  13. Partner Member

    Country:
    Canada
    Great work. Love the Ensign Mess Dress series.
    arj likes this.
  14. Mirofsoft A Fixture

    Country:
    Belgium
    Always loved this serie from Ensign ( in fact no; almost everything from them )
    Usualy one piece casting, seems crude when first seeing them but when painting, always a trill
    Particulary the Undress Serie ( Yeomanry ) and the Vignettes, just add a dog from Phoenix, accessories from Historex and combine 2 vignettes in 1 ( painted Humbrol and oils in the 70ies

    DSC00977 02 reduced.jpg

    I took the picture as if I was lying on the ground, in fact the way the dog is seeing them ...
    but I think the guy on the right saw me ...
    ;)

    There was also a 5 pages report on Ensign in Gazette des Armes in Mar 1977

    Let us see more from you
    Best
    KenBoyle, arj and Nap like this.
  15. arj A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Thank you for your very kind comment BP.

    Cheers,
    Andrew
  16. arj A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    I'm pleased you like him Douglas.
    Like you, I regularly frequent the Nostalgia section on Mirofsoft's website.
    It's a treasure trove of days gone by.
    I just checked the kilted EM that I have. It's MD27 - Lt. Black Watch, 1900.
    It still has the price of £1.50, from the person who no longer wanted it in his GA (a long time ago).

    Cheers,
    Andrew
  17. arj A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Hi Kevin,

    If I come across any detailed article on the Mess Dress set, I'll scan and post it.
    I can top that £2.75 with £1.50 (see post #16 above). My Life Guard was the same price.

    Cheers,
    Andrew
    Nap likes this.
  18. arj A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Thank you 'Partner'.
    While I only have the two MD figures, the first one was fun to paint.
    The Black Watch one will take a bit more effort.

    Cheers,
    Andrew
  19. arj A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Couldn't agree with you more.
    Love your vignette, and the description.
    Looking through my old photos, I found these oldies from Ensign (all bought second hand).

    FN1 & FN2:-

    IMG_1338.JPG

    and VFN1:-

    IMG_1354.JPG

    Apart from MD27, that's all I've got from their Range(s).

    Cheers,
    Andrew
    KenBoyle and Nap like this.
  20. Mirofsoft A Fixture

    Country:
    Belgium
    Another dio I made with, as background , a DCS , plaster kit from Verlindan, adding for hinges and lock a sheet of lead punched with a ball point

    WR-Yeomanry-2.jpg

    And "Yeomanry"
    WR-Yeomanry-54mm-1.jpg WR-Yeomanry-54mm-2.jpg WR-DSC_0159.jpg WR-DSC_0161.jpg
    KenBoyle, arj and Nap like this.

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