Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Varus disaster diorama by Kevin Townsend
#16
Beautiful work, Kevin! My fellow legionaries know of my near obsessive interest in the Battle of the Teutoburger Wald and the Augustan period of the Roman army in general. They made it possible for me to go to New Ulm last September, for which I am eternally grateful. I second P. Clodius Secundus about the possibility of displaying it at the Higgins Armory Museum in Worcester, MA. We did mention it to them. If arranged, it would be a short-term display and would, of course, remain your property. And it is NOT too far away. I saw lots of New Jersey cars in Massachusetts as I drove to Worcester from Connecticut on Saturday in the rain.
Thank you for sharing the diorama and your information.
Quinton Johansen
Marcus Quintius Clavus, Optio Secundae Pili Prioris Legionis III Cyrenaicae
Reply
#17
Kevin,
I knew my friend Quintius would be excited to hear about your work. He's almost as obsessive about Teutoberg as I am about carts and artillery. As he said, I did have a chance to speak with Dr. Geoffrey Forgeng, the Chief Curator of Exhibits at Higgins. He seemed very interested in displaying your diorama upstairs the Classics Gallery near the Greek, Roman, and Egyptian pieces. (They have a magnificent Hoplomachus Helmet BTW). He suggested that you could contact him through their website Higgins.org to discuss the possibilities. I hope something can be worked out.
P. Clodius Secundus (Randi Richert), Legio III Cyrenaica
"Caesar\'s Conquerors"
Reply
#18
Quote:Beautiful work, Kevin! My fellow legionaries know of my near obsessive interest in the Battle of the Teutoburger Wald and the Augustan period of the Roman army in general. They made it possible for me to go to New Ulm last September, for which I am eternally grateful. I second P. Clodius Secundus about the possibility of displaying it at the Higgins Armory Museum in Worcester, MA. We did mention it to them. If arranged, it would be a short-term display and would, of course, remain your property. And it is NOT too far away. I saw lots of New Jersey cars in Massachusetts as I drove to Worcester from Connecticut on Saturday in the rain.
Thank you for sharing the diorama and your information.

I'm glad you enjoyed New Ulm. Originally, Jim Corless (Time Machine Miniatures) and myself were planning on possibly making last September's trip to New Ulm with the diorama, but the last pieces were not yet cast and ready in time so it was not a finished project. I spent this last weekend trapped in my New Jersey home - 8 utility poles snapped in front of the house and I was buried in downed wires and poles.

Quote:I knew my friend Quintius would be excited to hear about your work. He's almost as obsessive about Teutoberg as I am about carts and artillery. As he said, I did have a chance to speak with Dr. Geoffrey Forgeng, the Chief Curator of Exhibits at Higgins. He seemed very interested in displaying your diorama upstairs the Classics Gallery near the Greek, Roman, and Egyptian pieces. (They have a magnificent Hoplomachus Helmet BTW). He suggested that you could contact him through their website Higgins.org to discuss the possibilities. I hope something can be worked out.

Thanks for the recon! I will be happy to contact Dr Forgeng. I hope Quintius enjoys it. I'd be interested in hearing feedback (positive/negative/or otherwise) about the historical information in the booklet.
Kevin
Reply
#19
wow. very, very lovely work you did here. kudos! Big Grin
Raphael Exequiel L. Marbella, MD
[url:17uzn2yp]http://rapmarbella.multiply.com/[/url]


[Image: ninong_ninang-1.jpg]



[size=150:17uzn2yp]cogito ergo sum[/size]
Reply
#20
Wonderful Diorama work Kevin Confusedhock: ! My congratulations!
I can see you are very in to the subject and that’s how you manage to achieve such a good restoration of this event!
I am stand modeler my self and I love to do dioramas in 1:32 and 1:35. I guess the scale of your figures is about 1:32!
I am still new :? roll:
My twin brother is very fond of all about Roman Empire and he is making his first stapes in Ancient Roman Reenactment.
We are very close and we discuses a lot about roman history!
I dream to do some scale model concerning Roman history Idea It’s just a question of time :mrgreen:
Yordan Kolchev
Lucius Campanius Verecundus Signifer Legio quarta Scythica
A.K.A. Yordan Kolchev
Reply
#21
It's not all that often that one can praise a diorama as a true work of art, but I think the term is fully justified here. I've already spent hours gazing at the photos in the linked pdf (I've not even read any of the text yet - just stared at the pictures!). I wish I could see it "in the flesh".

The figure of Arminius holding a sword aloft in triumph while dragging the imperial portrait through the dust would make a fine single figure study. Have you considered producing that one as a commercial casting? Perhaps you could also offer an eagle standard as an optional alternative to the emperor's portrait. I'm certain that miniature figure painters would buy a thing like that.
Hello, my name is Harry.
Reply
#22
Hello, Harry

Glad you're enjoying it, and I wish folks could see it in the flesh, too! It has been to a few figure shows. Originally, it was intended to go to the museum in Germany, but for various reasons that didn't work. It still may end up in the museum in New Ulm. I was going to try to display it for a while at a museum in MA (a fellow RAT member was nice enough to lay the initial groundwork), but then I ended up being unavailable most of the summer! I suppose the gods are conspiring against me.

As for the Arminius figure, Time Machine Miniatures (contact information can be found at the end of the diorama booklet) offers two versions of it. Both are very similar to the one in the diorama except that in one (a single figure) he holds an Eagle instead of the imperial portrait, and in the other (that includes a dead Centurion and Tribune at his feet), he holds a shield.

Kevin
Kevin
Reply
#23
Dany Boy,

Thanks. You are correct about the size. Time Machine markets the figures as 54mm (about 1/32nd scale), but they are a bit scale - closer to 1/35th.
Kevin
Reply
#24
Most impressive piece of work. I concur with whomever mentioned it as a work of art!
Moi Watson

Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, Merlot in one hand, Cigar in the other; body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, what a ride!
Reply
#25
Salve Kevin,

I found this topic only before some days.

I can only agree to the praises of my previous speakers. You have implemented the subject in a wonderful way. As someone who has always been interested in the battle in the Teutoburg Forest, I knew the figures from Time Machine already, but I must say, you have perfectly succeeded to display them in a such a large diorama. I like the many small scenes very much. Rare to see a diorama that so emphasizes the individual stories of those affected. You are not just a very good painter and transformer, I particularly like how the individual characters are animated with each other in little extra scenes. Say allone the details, such as the idea of the coin bag and the coins fallen out. Brilliant - something like this brings to life a diorama.

In addition You made that informative and free report that I have immediately downloaded and printed. Here again you have proven organizational skills. The book reads very tense, and is enriched with many good tips.

Diorama and booklet are for me on a par with the famous dioramas and booklets of Andrea Miniatures ("Roma Victrix" and "Bireme").

It is a pity that the diorama will not be on display in Germany, preferably at the presumed site of the battle in Kalkriese. I would really like to see it originally.

If there is anything to criticize (but only in fun) - how could You stop at 97 characters and not complete the 100? Big Grin

And that is me saying who I have so far only finished 3 small to medium-sized dioramas in 1/32, plus another 2 in progress - the largest with 25 figures, including 5 riders (one of which adorns my avatar). :wink:

Best wishes from Germania Inferior and a happy and healthy new year to You and Your loved ones.

Uwe
Greets - Uwe
Reply
#26
Uwe,

Thanks for the kind words. I'm glad you enjoyed the diorama and the booklet. I also wish it could have been displayed in Germany. Tony Clunn was very helpful in his coordination with the museum, but time and a new museum director conspired against the museum aquiring the piece. Logistics would also likely have been a nightmare. There is still hope for public display - the American Hermann Society museum in New Ulm Minnisota is looking to get the diorama. I have been in contact with them and we are working transport issues. I have been in contact off and on with them for the last year or so. Hopefully the diorama will soon have a home with them. I would much prefer it be where it could be viewed rather than taking up space in a box in my back room. It is kind of big.
As for 100 figures... I probably could have talked Jim Corless (Time Machine) out of more figures and/or pieces, but I simply ran out of gas. Time and motivation combine to make each figure twice as difficult to complete as the one before. I'll let you do the math... Although the Time Machine figures are not 100% historically correct and many of figures share the same pieces, they are fairly close and are quite easy to work with, producing a very satisfactory result. I do highly recommend them.
Teutoburger Wald is not my only big project with TIme Machine. We also did a 42 figure diorama of the last stand of the 44th Foot at Gandamak. There is a "how-to" book to go with that, but it is not yet up and posted on the Time Machine's website (however, if anyone wants a copy, PM me your e-mail and I will send you one). Currently, I am working on a diorama of a portion of the Alamo.
Thanks again.
Kevin
Reply
#27
Hi Kevin,

I am eagerly awaiting Your results about the Alamo and about Gandamak, although not my preferred period of interest, as I am exclusively a Rome-afficionado.

Specially Gandamak, the diorama of Bill Horan - recently I read it being called "The Mother of all Dioramas" -, was the reason for me to start modelling dioramas.

Greets - Uwe
Greets - Uwe
Reply
#28
Beautiful work that diorama! I think the victory at the Teutoburger Wald was definitely a history-changing event; who would have known what Europa would look like today if the Romans had managed to conquer Germania. History might have taken a completely different course.
Frank
Vescere bracis meis!
Reply
#29
Quote:I think the victory at the Teutoburger Wald was definitely a history-changing event; who would have known what Europa would look like today if the Romans had managed to conquer Germania. History might have taken a completely different course.

mmm, modern view is that the 'Varus disaster' wasn't that important, at all Wink . There are some interesting discussions about it elsewhere on RAT Smile
________________________________________
Jvrjenivs Peregrinvs Magnvs / FEBRVARIVS
A.K.A. Jurjen Draaisma
CORBVLO and Fectio
ALA I BATAVORUM
Reply
#30
Cracked Augutus' resolve (not that he had much to start with :wink: ) and ended the path of expansion that
Caesar had started. All down hill after that! :roll:
Visne partem mei capere? Comminus agamus! * Me semper rogo, Quid faceret Iulius Caesar? * Confidence is a good thing! Overconfidence is too much of a good thing.
[b]Legio XIIII GMV. (Q. Magivs)RMRS Remember Atuatuca! Vengence will be ours!
Titus Flavius Germanus
Batavian Coh I
Byron Angel
Reply


Possibly Related Threads…
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
Photo Just a diorama: Manduessedum - CAUTION: large pictures !!! Uwe Bahr 11 5,450 01-07-2011, 03:33 PM
Last Post: Uwe Bahr
  Punic architecture in historical diorama Cleaver 0 2,521 11-29-2010, 12:17 PM
Last Post: Cleaver
  small diorama of a Roman port Jeroen Pelgrom 7 2,819 07-26-2006, 06:41 AM
Last Post: Praefectusclassis

Forum Jump: