Char B1 and Somua S35 – French Wooden Toy Tanks (1946) 🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷

Two French wooden tanks, a Char B1 and Somua S35, produced in France in 1946 by an unknown maker, exemplify the austere post-war return to wooden toy production. Shown with Elastolin composition figures of the French Army, the scene is completed by a Durso (Belgium) composition figure of Charles de Gaulle.

Happy New Year 2026 ! 🎉🥳🎊🎄🎅🏻🌲

Farewell, 2025. Hello and Happy New Year, 2026 ! Ho ! Ho ! Ho !Happy New Year everyone!

Samuel Begg (1854–1936), The Great Offensive❄️🌲❄️🌲❄️

This striking illustration by British artist Samuel Begg was originally published in The Illustrated London News in 1916. It shows children staging a vast toy-soldier battle across a domestic interior, turning play into a reflection of contemporary warfare. The image was later reproduced in the Russian children’s magazine Mirok (December 1916), where it appeared under the Russian title Bol’shoe nastuplenie (“The Great Offensive”). The print poignantly captures how the imagery and language of the First World War permeated even the world of childhood.

Wooden model of the T17E1 Staghound armoured car, late 1940s.🇩🇪🇫🇷

French-made wooden vehicle shown with Froha composition soldiers produced in Germany, illustrating post-war European toy production and early Cold War military themes.

 

Winterhilfswerk at Christmas 🎄🌲⛪️

This display of Elastolin, Lineol, and Kienel composition figures reflects imagery associated with the Winterhilfswerk des Deutschen Volkes (WHW), the national winter relief campaign active from 1933 to 1945, which reached its symbolic climax each year shortly before Christmas during the Tag der Nationalen Solidarität (Day of National Solidarity).

Bundeswehr manoeuvres with Leyla composition figures, 1950s.🇩🇪🇩🇪🇩🇪💥💥💥

Infantry and light armour in field positions, with the Gescha 65-6 tinplate tank in the background, reflecting early Bundeswehr equipment in mid-1950s German toy production.

Bundeswehr composition figures by Leyla (Germany), 1950s.🇩🇪🇩🇪🇩🇪🥁🎺🎷

These early Bundeswehr figures show Leyla’s strong sculpting and paint quality, with well-observed uniforms and convincing marching poses. Made from traditional composition material, they reflect West German toy production in the early Cold War period and remain solid examples of 1950s military figure manufacture.