Civil war dioramas.

[Waterloo50]

As the title says.
I was just looking at the thread 'Add your Burnside Bridge' and there's a fantastic museum diorama. I absolutely love that sort of thing and I was wondering if any of our members have either made a civil war diorama or have photos of dioramas that they have made, perhaps we could include photos of dioramas that have been put together by museums and societies etc.

Regards Waterloo50.

 

[Belle Montgomery]

OMG! I am in LOVE with this! As I said on the post I am almost done with my dollhouse and need to get downstairs and finish it. It's the figures I'm a bit behind on. I design, poor the mold etc. … I'm planning a third floor ballroom dance with a rotating dance floor. I will share when I'm done.

 

[Belle Montgomery]

Do you have a shot of the entire thing? Looks like a mini railroad in it too!

 

[Waterloo50]

OMG! I am in LOVE with this! As I said on the post I am almost done with my dollhouse and need to get downstairs and finish it. It's the figures I'm a bit behind on. I design, poor the mold etc. … I'm planning a third floor ballroom dance with a rotating dance floor. I will share when I'm done.

I copied the image from google but I'm sure there are more photos of the Artillery Ridge diorama, I'll take a look to see if I can find more.
I'm looking forward to seeing the pics of your dollhouse, I occasionally build dioramas myself so I know how much work can go into those type of things.

 

[Waterloo50]

OMG! I am in LOVE with this! As I said on the post I am almost done with my dollhouse and need to get downstairs and finish it. It's the figures I'm a bit behind on. I design, poor the mold etc. … I'm planning a third floor ballroom dance with a rotating dance floor. I will share when I'm done.

 

[Stiles/Akin]

View attachment 218753

As the title says.
I was just looking at the thread 'Add your Burnside Bridge' and there's a fantastic museum diorama. I absolutely love that sort of thing and I was wondering if any of our members have either made a civil war diorama or have photos of dioramas that they have made, perhaps we could include photos of dioramas that have been put together by museums and societies etc.

Regards Waterloo50.

I want to do this for Cassville, Georgia. I just lack the skill. Please send any advice you have.

 

[Boonslick]

This diorama from my folk art collection, isn't CW related but it is a nice late 19th. century example.

 

[Stiles/Akin]

View attachment 218775

Yes this looks like it

 

[Waterloo50]

I want to do this for Cassville, Georgia. I just lack the skill. Please send any advice you have.

You've already chosen the setting for your diorama, next you need to know what size/scale you want it to be. You'd need to have a baseboard to set your diorama on.
Here's what I do,
1. Use plaster of Paris or filler to form the contours.
2.Paint the entire section with a Matt earth colour then use PVA glue diluted with water and a drop of washing up liquid to apply scatter materials.
3. Form buildings and structures out of plastic card or balsa wood.
You can also buy weathering powders to add dirt and grime to structures.
To be honest the best place to look for advice on modelling techniques is on YouTube, the best models are to be found in the model railroad vids. The techniques used for dioramas are exactly the same as model railroads.
There are plenty of companies on line and in model shops that stock the scatter materials.
Research is the key, get as many reference photos of your chosen site as you can.
Take a look at this vid and you'll see what you need for a diorama.

 

[Waterloo50]

This diorama from my folk art collection, isn't CW related but it is a nice late 19th. century example.

View attachment 218820

I really like that, your attention to detail is impressive. I've looked at the picture of your diorama and I spy something new every time. Nice work.

 

[Stiles/Akin]

You've already chosen the setting for your diorama, next you need to know what size/scale you want it to be. You'd need to have a baseboard to set your diorama on.
Here's what I do,
1. Use plaster of Paris or filler to form the contours.
2.Paint the entire section with a Matt earth colour then use PVA glue diluted with water and a drop of washing up liquid to apply scatter materials.
3. Form buildings and structures out of plastic card or balsa wood.
You can also buy weathering powders to add dirt and grime to structures.
To be honest the best place to look for advice on modelling techniques is on YouTube, the best models are to be found in the model railroad vids. The techniques used for dioramas are exactly the same as model railroads.
There are plenty of companies on line and in model shops that stock the scatter materials.
Research is the key, get as many reference photos of your chosen site as you can.
Take a look at this vid and you'll see what you need for a diorama.

http://www.scv670.org/Cassmap/cassmap.html

 

[John Hartwell]

And then there's Civil War Tails at the Homestead Diorama Museum, featuring meticulously accurate dioramas of the battle of Gettysburg ... being fought by cats!
Here's the 20th Maine on Little Round Top:

And The Angle during Pickett's Charge. Yes, they're all cats!

 

[Kurt G]

Mini diorama , 1/32 scale.

 

[Belle Montgomery]

View attachment 218775

AMAZING!!! One of my favorite Twilight Zone episodes was "Stopover in a Quiet Town" only I'm the alien child! Lot more people here to play with too! Night at the Museum truly amused me too! On the other hand I couldn't even finish watching "Downsizing"
I've been enamored by miniatures since I can remember and have always been drawn to anything like dollhouses, dioramas etc. Perhaps I'm just a closet control freak who loves controlling the little environment!

 

[Waterloo50]

This is a remarkable diorama.

 

[Cavalry Charger]

And then there's Civil War Tails at the Homestead Diorama Museum, featuring meticulously accurate dioramas of the battle of Gettysburg ... being fought by cats!
Here's the 20th Maine on Little Round Top:

View attachment 218849​

And The Angle during Pickett's Charge. Yes, they're all cats!

View attachment 218851​

How quirky!

 

[Cavalry Charger]

AMAZING!!! One of my favorite Twilight Zone episodes was "Stopover in a Quiet Town" only I'm the alien child! Lot more people here to play with too! Night at the Museum truly amused me too! On the other hand I couldn't even finish watching "Downsizing"
I've been enamored by miniatures since I can remember and have always been drawn to anything like dollhouses, dioramas etc. Perhaps I'm just a closet control freak who loves controlling the little environment!

 

[Cavalry Charger]

This is a remarkable diorama.

That really is awesome.

 

[James N.]

Here's a link to a thread I created about the above Gettysburg Diorama and History Center: https://civilwartalk.com/threads/gettysburg-diorama-and-history-center.104476/ And of course the long-running thread about the old favorite of many of us here, Chattanooga's Confederama: https://civilwartalk.com/threads/classic-roadside-attraction-the-confederama.90654/

 

[rebel brit]

Great thread, I love dioramas . Here's another link to some excellent Dioramas
https://civilwartalk.com/threads/learning-from-toy-soldiers.140539/