Miniatures Artillery Diorama

[R. Porter]

What impressed me the most were the facial expressions. Were they modeled on real people? Fantastic!

 

[Championhilz]

The figures and the cannon look great, but the posing and way the implements are used is wrong. The #4 pulling the lanyard is turned the wrong way - he should not have his back to the cannon. The #2 man should not have the worm - the worm was rarely used, it mostly stayed stored under the cannon - in the rare cases where it was used, the #1 man would be the one to worm the cannon. Most of the men are wearing thick gloves which you would not want to do when firing. The #1 and #2 men are not standing correctly for firing the gun, and you probably would not see them wearing pistols either. This looks like someone based their diorama on pictures of Civil War artillery reenactors and not from period pictures. Shown below is a photo of the 1st Connecticut Artillery manning a 20-pounder Parrott Rifle with the correct positioning and use of implements.

 

[Rhea Cole]

Made in 1/6th scale by a very talented Modeller Mikey Tavarez based in New York.
Guntown.
2nd United States Colored Light Artillery Rgt.
Battery "F"
Mississippi
1864.

This for me has to be one of the best and most realistic looking Artillery diorama's ever. Truly amazing work.

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Very nice work. FYI: The hand over the ear is a modern reenactor affectation. As is the #2 holding the worm. The worm was used to retract round after a misfire.

An excellent variety of images of artillery crews is in 'The Artillery" volume of the 'Ten Volume Photographic History of the Civil War.' It is available online & in hardback.

There you will see examples of six gun batteries with each crewman posing in the steps of the drill. By 1860, 500 years of evolution had eliminated every hint of superfluous movement from the drill.

Artillery men were not issued pistols. Thick gauntlets are a reenactor affectation. Note the postures of the crewmen in the photos below.

The National Park Service drill practiced in "black powder parks" is, apart from a few minor safety refinements, identical to Civil War practice. #3 no longer places their hand over top of the friction primer while #4 steps out, e.g.

Here #3 holds the lanyard down with their finger tips until #4 nods his head. I know a man, who in an excess of historical accuracy did it the old way, yanking away at the order, "Fire!" Fortunately, the friction primer & jet of flame exited through the web of his thumb.

Look carefully & you can see the friction primer rocketing upward, the lanyard snaking away & only the light can be seen a nanosecond after the charge was ignited.

You will also notice the posture of # 1 & #2. In the drill it is their duty to watch the muzzle to see if the gun fires. Obviously, that is something you can't do bent over with a hand on your ear. I know this is counterintuitive, but in the midst of a battery fire it really isn't always obvious to the gunner that, "the primer has failed."

As an artist / illustrator & one time modeler I am intimately aware of how much work goes into creating a diorama like this one. Much as it vexes me, I appreciate learning that I didn't get something right.

What you have created are modern USCTA reenactors honoring their heritage. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Note: Stones River NB 1841 six pounder, Chicago Board of Trade Battery position Dec 31, 1862. Image taken with an iPad by author. You are free to use it.

 

[DixieRifles]

FYI: The hand over the ear is a modern reenactor affectation. As is the #2 holding the worm.

I noticed some similarities of the pose with my diorama of French Napoleonic Artillery.

 

[scooter748driver]

Not sure but I think he has a Facebook page.

He does. I searched FB for his name and found his site. he has hundreds of photos of his work - very impressive!

 

[bayonet]

The figures and the cannon look great, but the posing and way the implements are used is wrong. The #4 pulling the lanyard is turned the wrong way - he should not have his back to the cannon. The #2 man should not have the worm - the worm was rarely used, it mostly stayed stored under the cannon - in the rare cases where it was used, the #1 man would be the one to worm the cannon. Most of the men are wearing thick gloves which you would not want to do when firing. The #1 and #2 men are not standing correctly for firing the gun, and you probably would not see them wearing pistols either. This looks like someone based their diorama on pictures of Civil War artillery reenactors and not from period pictures. Shown below is a photo of the 1st Connecticut Artillery manning a 20-pounder Parrott Rifle with the correct positioning and use of implements.

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Or maybe they are poorly trained newbies and this their first day on the job. Lot of that going around these days. Or maybe their battery commander got tossed out of West Point the first month he was there!

 

[Rhea Cole]

I noticed some similarities of the pose with my diorama of French Napoleonic Artillery.

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At Stones River Waters Alabama battery had something all too common to deal with. The CSA manufactured friction primers issued were useless. They stayed up all night before the battle making quill primers. We do a fire by slow match & quill primer program to commentate Waters' vexation. You should see the anxious expressions & tiptoed posture of trainees as they swing the linstock & touch the first time! A model would look like stepping on a frog barefoot!

Nice piece of work.

 

[rebel brit]

What you have created are modern USCTA reenactors honoring their heritage. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

I wish I could take credit for this work but unfortunately it's not one of mine. The Artist is a guy called Mikey Tavarez.

 

[dlofting]

He does. I searched FB for his name and found his site. he has hundreds of photos of his work - very impressive!

According to his Facebook posts, he does sell his work. Probably message him and ask what he has available if you're interested. Maybe he'd take a commission.

 

[James R.]

I can't stop looking at these photos. Masterful work!

 

[Tyger]

Photolike Proportions!