Spotlight on master figure sculptor Ray Lamb (Part 1)

Ray Lamb, the legendary renowned British designer, sculptor, painter, and caster who used to work in advertising in the early seventies, made his name known by winning a first in 1972/73 at the British Model Soldier Society (BMSS) Annual National Competition with his Chasseur à Cheval, according to Gerricault, converted from Historex kits, which had been painted with artist oil. It was his third Historex conversion. 

Photo of Ray Lamb's Chasseur à Cheval, according to Gerricault by Philip O. Stearns

Then he began to work with Hinchliffe to create 75mm figures in the Napoleonic era and also two mounted Plains Indians, an Assyrian horseman and an Anatolian infantryman. Later, the release of the Taisho samurai, a modern masterpiece kit, was a revolution in the figurine’s art, very complex and very impressive, even after all these years!

Hichliffe 75mm figure list and advertisement

Hinchliffe 75mm figures design by Ray Lamb

It took Ray Lamb 12 months working full time for the research and sculpted the Taisho master. It was released by Hinchliffe in the late1973.

His passion for historical accuracy and artistic excellence led him to create his own line of figures under the name Poste Militaire.  In 1975 he founded Poste Militaire, which became a legendary brand in the military modelling hobby, setting high standards for quality and was widely regarded during the 1980s and 1990s as one of the finest producers of historical miniatures.

Poste Militaire closed production in 2004, but his figures are still sought after by collectors. 

Poste Militaire catalogue

During the early 1980s, Historex Agents and Poste Militaire were the original sponsors and organizers of Euro Militaire starting from its inception in 1985 with Charles Davis, who was credited with the original idea for the show. Unfortunately, the show was officially ceased operations following its 30th-anniversary show in September 2016.

Here is an article "Interview with Ray Lamb" from the premier issue of the Figure International magazine April 2002.

..... Continued in Part 2

Spotlight on master Ray Lamb (Part 2) Poste Militaire

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Spotlight on master figure sculptor Ray Lamb (Part 3) Euro Militaire

Euro Militaire

Euro Militaire was established in 1985 and was sponsored and organized from its inception by Charles Davis, Lynn Sangster of Historex Agents and Ray Lamb of Poste Militaire. Ray Lamb created the original poster and branding for the show's launch. The event was held annually at the Leas Cliff Hall in Folkestone, UK. It became one of the most prestigious international competitions for figure and military modelling.

Euro Militaire 1986 Show Brochure - including two prints by Eugène Leliepvr

Some well known names in the world of Military Modelling at Euro-Militaire in its early days...1987

LtoRt. Back row John Schley ? Ray Stout, Rodger Saunders, Derek Holmes, Bill Horan, Brian Stewart, Pete Armstrong, Keith Durham. Middle Row L to R Mike Good, Alice Armstrong. Front Row L to R Steve Warrilow, Rick Scollins, Alex Williams ? (Photo credit: Ray Stout)

The partnership continued until Ray Lamb eventually sold his share in the brand. While Historex Agents remained a constant, other sponsors and partners changed over the years, particularly after Ray Lamb sold his share in the brand and later, after the death of Charles Davis in 2012.

Lynn Sangster of Historex Agents remained closely associated with the event for many years, with Sangster often cited as having helped run the show for over 30 years. Despite changes in individual ownership, the event maintained its status as the premier international military modelling competition through the 1990s and early 2000s.

In its final decade (roughly 2006 to 2016), the show was sponsored and organized by My Time Media. Euro Militaire officially ceased operations following its 30th-anniversary show in September 2016 due to dwindling attendance and the loss of its original organizing team. Following its closure, it was succeeded by a new show called Euro Miniature Expo.

Unfortunately Lynn Sangster of Historex Agents passed away on January 7, 2017.

Ray Lamb on Lynn Sangster passed away.

I'm sure most of you are aware of the very sad passing of Lyn Sangster of Historex Agents who died on Jan.7th. Lynn was a great cog in the ever turning wheel of Militaryodelling and his name belongs at the top of a long list of international sculptors, painters, dealers, collectors and modellers for his life-long contribution to the hobby. I have included a photo of an early Euro-Militaire which will jog a few memories amongst you. The photo is of the magnificent re-enactment group of Artillerie a Pied de la Garde, organised by the late Derek 'The Major' Mellard who attended Euro-Militaire every year and became a good friend to Lynn and myself. Lynn had a massive passion for anything 1st.Empire-Le Garde Imperiale. He will most certainly have many friends waiting for him and I know without a doubt 'The Major' will be there to provide a 50 gun salute to greet him (I hope you're listening Derek). Au revoir Lynn, thank you for your shared encouragement, enthusiasm and your great friendship...so many wonderful memories. Rest in peace dear friend. Our sincere condolences to Shirley, Lisa and David. Love, Ray and Norma.

 

Bob Letterman on Lynn Sangster passed away.

I just heard from Ken jones that Lynn Sangster, owner of Historex models in England and the co-producer of the Euromilitaire exposition has just passed away. I knew Lynn since the 1970s. Back in 1986, Lynn and Ray Lamb, the owner of the prestigious figure company, Poste Militaire, partnered to create the Euromilitaire, the most prestigious figure show in all of Europe. I attended the first 7 shows.

I know people say these things about those who pass, but Lynn Sangster was the most honest, the most dignified and charismatic man I ever knew. His humility was striking. There will never be another man like him come our way for many moons. He will be sorely missed. Lynn was in his 80s. His son now runs the business.

Rest in Peace my friend,

Bob Letterman

Around 2017-2020 the event was organized by a new team consisting of Thomas, Richard, Steve, and Adrian launched the Euro Miniature Expo to continue the tradition.

Adrian Hopwood - a noted figure painter and former Euro Militaire judge. (aided by son Thomas, a former Euro Gold Medallist who assisted with the show's photography and organization), SK Miniatures proprietor and judge Steve Kirtley and Oakwood Studios owner Richard Wharton, who initiated the effort to save the show by contacting friends and traders. Paul Dobson was also a key contributor and also played a significant role in supporting the event during these years. 

The show continued the tradition at the Leas Cliff Hall in Folkestone. While maintaining many similarities, the new Expo introduced changes such as a "display" judging option, where a group of models by the same artist could be judged together, rather than only individual models. The show briefly moved to a May date in 2019, but after it "didn't quite work as hoped," organizers planned to return to the traditional September slot for 2020.

The 2020 and 2021 shows faced severe disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with organizers citing "enforced delay," financial risks, and rising costs of the venue. The 2021 show was cancelled and on February 11, 2022, it was announced on Facebook that the 2022 show had decided not to proceed and for the future. The show was completely dead, end of an era.

On February 11, 2022 Steve Kirtley post the following on Euro Miniature Expo Facebook page:

There is no easy way to say this.

After thinking long & hard, I have decided not to proceed with the show both this year & for the future - sorry. The situation remains uncertain & changeable & whilst things should continue to improve, it's very difficult to plan ahead with total certainty.

Backers & events that I had lined up for the show have now stepped back over the last 2 years of enforced delay & I would have to bear the vast bulk of the organisation involved as well as the considerable financial risk. The cost of the hire of the Leas Cliff Hall (LCH) has also understandably risen.

As well as the uncertainty caused by the pandemic, Brexit means that it is very difficult to see many European Traders coming to the show because of the new rules.

In a year which also sees the World Expo taking place in the Netherlands, I expect that the vast majority of modellers will be headed there & many will have to choose between which show they can afford to go to.

I have also turned 65 & want to work a little less hard.

It's possible that someone else may step up & say that they want to go forward with running the show. If there is, then please let me know & I can put you in touch with the LCH if that’s what you want.

I am very sorry that it has come to this & having helped to run the show on 3 occasions, this is a sad moment.

Thanks for all of your help & support.

By 2022–2023, the event faced its final, definitive, or near-final, pause, with organizers retiring or stepping back, marking the end of that specific era of the competition. 

Fun facts: My journey in collecting Ray Lamb and Poste Militaire figure kits in the pre-internet era.

Personally, I never got the chance to attend any of the Euro Militaire shows. Like Ray Lamb, I worked in advertising and the graphics industry as a creative art director for over 30 years. I started buying and painting figure kits in the late seventies. My first Ray Lamb Taisho kit was purchased from my local hobby shop. One summer day back in 1978, I graduated with honours from the college with a major in graphic design and illustration. While browsing at my local hobby shop, I came across Ray Lamb’s Taisho. Being a Samurai enthusiast, I immediately asked the shop owner to order one for me. That’s how I learned to know Ray Lamb and later his Poste Militaire.

During the pre-internet years, between 1978 to the late 1990s, the only way to get information on new figure releases was through figure magazines, catalogues, newsletters and visiting my local hobby shop. I subscribed to the Military Modelling, Campaigns, Fine Scale Modeler and Military Illustrated Past and Present magazines. Occasionally I would purchase the Military Modeler and a couple more that had interesting articles. There was also a figure newsletter that I subscribed to “Grendel’s Cave Figure Review”, which was put out by a gentleman Llyod Corning. He would review and rate all the new releases. Nowadays you can order your figures online or get some vintage Poste Militaire kits that you have missed on eBay.

Thank you for looking!

Spotlight on master figure sculptor Ray Lamb (Part 2) Poste Miliatire

Poste Militaire

After spending a couple of years designing 75mm figures for Hinchliffe, Ray Lamb launched Poste Militaire in 1975. It started out with a series of 90 mm Napoleonic white metal kits and immediately set the standard. From there he also produced some very fine Samurai kits.

In August 2004, Ray Lamb and Norma Lamb decided to close the production of their Poste Militaire line of military figures. The closure was announced on August 12, 2004 via an email from Historex Agents in England.

Following the closure, most of the 110mm, 90mm, Samurai and some of the 70mm figures were re-released by Bonapartes/DF Military Figures, which are missing the painting guides and casting quality is not the same as from the Poste Miltiaire ones. Maybe DF is still casting from the old moulds. The particular ones sculpted by Derek Hansen were re-released by Elite Miniatures, which itself closed around 2010. Those figures were then re-released again by FeR Miniatures, which now cast them in resin under the Elite Classics.

Poste Militaire 90mm Chasseurs à cheval de la Garde impériale grace the cover 

of the premier issue of Figure International magazine

In the 1980s, Poste Militaire commissioned some very talented figure sculptors and introduced the 70, 75 and 110 mm range alongside its highly regarded 90 mm figures. Some of the sculptors include Keith Durham, Mike Good, Derek Hansen and Julian Hullis.

Some of the Figures by Keith Durham

Some of the figures by Mike Good

Mike Good's Artillery Train Driver won "Best of Show" award for 1987 Euro Militaire

 Mike Good's "Moscovite Rindi" figure

The following qoute was by Mike himself in 2021 about this particular figure.

When I attended Euro Militaire in 1987, one of my goals was to talk to Ray Lamb and see if I could convince him to let me sculpt for him. I did well at the show and Ray agreed to let me do some work for him. He asked me if I had anything in the works that he could produce. I said I did, but it might not be a good commercial subject for him.

I had done this figure on a whim as a one off for myself. The subject is a "Moscovite Rindi" which I read were palace guards to the Czar. They were distinguished by their distinctive dress made from the finest materials and all in white from head to toe. I had taken on the project as a kind of painting challenge for myself. I thought it would be an interesting challenge to depict all the different textural materials: silk, leather and fur all in white. I especially looked forward to painting that satin kaftan with pearl white paint. Despite my suggestion that it may not be a good commercial choice for him, Ray decided to take the figure on anyway. I never did get around to painting one.

And for years afterwords one of Ray's favorite stories to tell was about this blasted figure and its rather "limited" paint job. Sorry Ray! And I am forever grateful to Ray for putting faith in me and allowing me to create figures for the best producer in the business! I am truly blessed.

Cheers!!

Mike

Mike Good's Attila the Hun won the Class 6 "Best Figure" award for 1988 Euro Militaire 

Some of the figures by Derek Hansen

Derek Hansen’s Uhlan 5^th Westphalian Regiment 1914 won "Best of Show" and the Class 4 Gold award for 1990 Euro Militaire

Some of the figures by Julian Hullis

Julian Hullis’s Watching the Steppes won "Best of Show" and the Class 5 Gold award for 1991 Euro Militaire

Samurai figure and North American Indian busts by Julian Lamb

Julian Lamb Ray Lamb's son did a very fine Samurai figure in the early 1980s.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Julian began producing some of the superbly sculpted North American busts: a Pawnee, Rainy Mountain Charlie (old geezer smoking a pipe, wrapped in a trade blanket); Blood Warrior (this is the only one with a lot of native gear and it's a cracker); a Mandan in a Brit coat and top hat; and the last one was the mother and child duo titled Charlie's Woman.

These beautifully sculpted busts ceased production after the Poste Militaire closed in 2004.

The busts were re-released again in 2014 by Julian under Lamb & Flag Miniatures.

Poste Militaire also produced some very fine yew wood bases and a figure modelling vise “The Vise Squad” in 1993. 

Poste Militare kit boxes have seen changes over the production years. From a plain black box in 1985 to a white rectangular box. They also have beautiful design boxes for their North American Indian bust and Samurai Japan Collection.

Poste Militaire - moulding, casting and white metal alloys

Poste Militaire regularly made new mould all the time, Ray would not “milk” the last "drop" out of every mould but would cast from new fresh moulds as soon as that was necessary. Poste Militaire took their time to cast properly. Cast parts were cooled down before being taken out of the mould.

The moulding process that Ray used was vulcanising rubber discs within a metal ring. The process involves building up layers of soft rubber and positioning the figure parts within this. The skill is to understand the properties of the metal used when it is to be poured (correct metal temperature is critical) so that it flows correctly into the mould when it is spun in the centrifugal casting machine and gives a clean, crisp casting. When the parts are sandwiched between the layers of rubber, the whole thing is put into a press consisting of two hot plates which reach a temperature of around 100 degrees and a pressure of 13 tonnes. Some masters don't survive this process intact, particularly if they are made of multiple materials such as metal, Milliput, etc. For example, Richard Almond used to solder all the braiding onto a hussar jacket and occasionally the solder would melt during the mould making process, so sometimes just the one mould is all that exists. Alternatives to this problem included making a cold cast version of the original master for use in the vulcanised mould but invariably resulted in a loss of detail and impacted on the perfect fit of parts. (Quotes from Alex Long)

Some had said Poste Militaire used Cadmium in their alloys. Cadmium guarantees the soundness of the alloy, precision and minimal shrinkage in volume, increased strength, and improved corrosion resistance. Other figure companies do not use it because it is highly toxic and classified as a known human carcinogen. The standard materials used for such high-detail, historical miniatures during the 1970s and 1980s were typically "white metal" alloys, which generally consist of tin, lead, and antimony or bismuth.

Links to Poste Militaire Catalogue in PDF file:

POSTE MILITAIRE 1

POSTE MILITAIRE 2

POSTE MILITAIRE 3

..... Continued in Part 3

Spotlight on master Ray Lamb (Part 3) Euro Militaire

Thank you for looking!