Foundry Miniatures Ltd manufacture the world's largest range of 28mm metal miniatures for gamers, collectors, modellers and painters.

Clifford Ansell was looking for an interesting retirement job that would keep him busy. Cliff had spent much of his life working in the mining industry (apart from a few years away with the Royal Navy in the 1940s) he ended up a mining engineer and an expert on mine safety, ventilation and dust suppression. In the 60s Cliff moved on to a second career as a maths teacher: he taught maths at Bishop Dunn Comprehensive in Nottingham.

Cliff's son was, and is, my father: Bryan Ansell who had made toy soldiers with Skytrex, Tabletop, Asgard and Citadel/Games Workshop. He ended up owning GW and was responsible for games like Warhammer Fantasy Battle, 40K, Space Hulk etc.

When Cliff announced that he was going to take early retirement, Bryan suggested that Cliff might like to have a go at manufacturing toy soldiers himself.

Cliff was already experienced in dealing with both stubborn Lancashire miners and wilful, disorganised children: so it was clear that the strange mindset of the confused denizens of the toy soldier industry would be absolutely no problem for Cliff to handle.

As it happened: this was the time when Citadel was starting to change from metal based models to their new "slotta bases", and also ceasing to make historical models. Bryan was able to set Foundry up with a number of discontinued ranges - Barons Wars and Wars of the Roses Medievals, Samurai and the Vikings, Normans and Saxons, Woodland Indians, Huns and Elizabethans initially (these had all previously served as Human forces in Warhammer Fantasy Battle for some years). Further hundreds of other Citadel models followed. We still make those models at Foundry today, though we cannot manage to have them all in stock at the same time.

Michael and Alan Perry sculpted almost all these models and were keen to continue sculpting historical models for their own painting and wargaming purposes, so they continued to sculpt new Foundry ranges for Cliff for quite some years. Alistair Morrison and Dave Andrews both contributed ranges too.

So, Foundry was up and running very quickly indeed. Cliff first had premises in Sherwood, then moved to a larger unit in New Basford. The upstairs in New Basford was taken by Alistair and Trish Morrison: who sculpted the Marauder range for Games Workshop up there.

For a long period, Foundry was making many master moulds and production moulds for Games Workshop whenever they found themselves with more moulds than they could handle. Over the years many ex Games Workshop staff worked for Foundry; most notably John "Bones" Ellard, "Ep" Epworth, Andy Pattinson, Kevin Adams, Colin Dixon and Shane Hoyle.

In 1991 my father left Games Workshop and went off to Guernsey for a decade or so. In Guernsey he had three children, restored four old houses (he does that wherever he goes: not the children, just the houses) started Guernsey Foundry and made Seven Years War, Old West, Pirates and Darkest Africa models these were mostly sculpted by Mark Copplestone. When he came back to England in 2000 he brought his ranges and a couple of the Guernsey staff with him, started restoring a house near Newark and took over running Foundry from Cliff. He produced more Seven Years War, Darkest Africa and loads more Old West, then Street Violence, Vikings, Gladiators, various Romans, 16th century Swashbucklers, huge ranges of Greeks and Macedonians, Fantasy and various odds and ends.

In 2005 my father left Foundry and went back to gardening and restoring houses.

We only re-entered the world of toy soldiers because my cousin Neil Littlewood went to work at Foundry for a while, and it became apparent that there were serious problems that needed sorting out. In the end we stepped in, and the Ansell family are running the factory again.

We have moved Foundry into the huge old Carriage Court alongside our house in East Stoke.

Cheers

Marcus

Franznap Miniatures produce the best Napoleonic Miniatures in 1/72 scale for collectors, modellers and war gamers.

Since 1975 i paint and collect 1/72 plastic toy soldiers of the Napoleonic Era, in these decades although my sight get weaker, my hand get smoother.

I keep to find and develop new techniques in converting, painting, transforming these little guys, and i would like to place here some of it for the other lover of this art.

I don't paint for wargaming or for dioramas, but i would say that this is for me a sort of "Zen" practice, a miniature art which keep me calm and hold the deeper emotions of my childhood alive, a sort of remote soul; after painted i photograph and i store the soldiers in small cigar boxes between cotton wool, each box with his own label. The pleasure for me is to open the boxes now and then, and enjoy the disclosed beauty of the content. Also photos help a lot to give the right atmosphere and pathos and it is an easy way to see and enjoy every detail and every composition.

My goal was to reach all the units and all the armies who fought in that colorful time, but i think i will have not enough days in my life to reach this aim, but i keep the illusion with me, like a mirage in the desert.

About myself, my name is Francesco Messori, I'm Italian, born in Modena the 19 november 1961, but actually living in Amsterdam in the Netherlands; I'm an architect and enjoy my work. i live with Patricia and 2 beautiful cats. I have a beautiful daughter Vera.

Frontline Figures, a Hong Kong based and registered company was founded and is run by two English professional architectural model makers, is well known world wide as a producer of first class toy figures of the highest quality and detail, which for the first ten years of its existence had the majority of its output absorbed into the American collecting scene.

Started in 1983, FRONTLINE FIGURES is the result of an intense interest by the two partners, Gerard Prime and Howard Swales in all things connected with the historic influences, and design of military uniforms, insignia, vehicles and equipment. All FRONTLINE FIGURES are 54mm high or 1/32rd scale. This is the standard scale for "toy soldiers"

From the early years of plastic kit construction that most enthusiast collectors experience, modification of standard boxed "bits" into one off individual models and scratch built items, the first tentative steps were taken into producing single specialist figures for entry into Society shows and the like.

Considerable success at this level, both in the UK and the Far East in the case of Howard, and for Gerard a change of life style and environment from the workshop of a major architectural practice in London, to the frenetic world of Hong Kong, lead to the possibility of producing, if only in small numbers and at odd free times from the main product of a new architectural model workshop, certain individual figures on a commercial basis. These figures supplied the needs of a small but avid band of collectors that existed in the Colony.

At first, the manufacturing capability was limited by the amount of time that could be spared from running the more important business of survival, and creating a successful and commercial architectural model making workshop and studio, no mean feat in the tough and competitive world of Hong Kong based professionals and traders.

A growing and expanding client base moved the workshop into the arena of design and prototype making resulting in models leaving the shop as diverse as steel ball bearing "Maltesers" for TV promotions to commercial presentations of an eight foot long banana, or a six foot long rugby boot!

Gradually, however, the "Soldiers advanced", and the purchase of a centrifuge casting system replaced hand drop casting, and a series of skilled painters replaced the enthusiastic but amateur painting of "Ex Pat" wives of friends brought the realisation that what had started out as a personal interest and hobby was fast turning into a "Hot Property" on the local scene in Hong Kong. Visiting UK and American friends were spreading the word about this little goldmine of excellence in the field of Toy Soldiers and figures, and it was realised by the two partners that the situation needed to be seriously thought about.

Some ten years ago, therefore, the first American agent was appointed, American toy and trade fairs attended, quantity production, casting, painting and quality control problems were addressed, and links into China with all its traditional craft skills, established.

FRONTLINE FIGURES was placed on an independent footing within the architectural and design studio and workshop company. Today, FRONTLINE FIGURES is a Company in its own right and is a company which is well known and proud of its reputation as a responsible and commercially sound concern, producing high quality products , run and wholly owned by "those Two Brits"

Production has now been centred in China for some eight years, drawing on the centuries old skills and knowledge of metal casting and creative porcelain and other painting at the smallest scale. Quality control, which is the hallmark of the company is carried out in China, Hong Kong and again in the UK, and the strict standards set by the Partners has to be seen to be appreciated, and even then hardly believed.

These standards are now recognised as to be a mark of such excellence that at the World Expo '93 Model Soldier Exposition held in Washington DC in the USA in July of that year, FRONTLINE FIGURES were judged to be such that they received overall first prize for commercially produced figures. Not bad for any Company, but an English run, Hong Kong based Company showing in America, WOW!!

In recognition of the now excellence of the product, the Partners felt that the time had come to "Go for it", and to make the range available to the UK and European collectors and therefore Mum and Dad Prime agreed to become the UK sole agents. To this end it was agreed that the venue for the launch of FRONTLINE FIGURES UK and the whole range of figures would be foe sale at the 4th December 1993 British Toy Soldier and Figure Show.

Subsequent to the launch of the range, it was soon realised that retail outlets and showrooms in the UK would be advantageous, and after much searching for suitable locations, in 1995, The Armoury of St James's in Piccadilly, London was appointed as the sole retail outlet for Southern England, an appointment that has proved to be mutually beneficial to both parties for the sale of the range.

`further Agents were subsequently appointed in the USA, to give a greater penetration into what has proved to be a huge market in what is, after all, the premier collecting country in the world. Agents in Canada, Australia, France, Germany and Spain were also appointed.

The FRONTLINE FIGURES range is continually being expanded, a typical example being the decision to concentrate on the Crimean War period, and to model the whole of the "Charge of the Light Brigade" and "The Thin Red Line" based on the classic painting by Gibbs, both ranges to include British, French and Russian Regiments, together with the Russian guns.

The increasing production runs required by the company has enabled the Partners to become more insistent on the quality of the product with the Chinese factory, and a new and more detailed casting and finely painted range of figures were produced for the introduction of the Connoisseur Range of Napoleonic mounted French Cavalry and English Infantry Regiments. These figures now show the detail of a shadowed 110 mm figurine in a 54mm toy soldier figure!

Another new breakthrough range employing the Connoisseur painting technique resulted in the launch of the Colonial Classics sets, the first in the series being 18th century Colonial Americans, concentrating on the Eastern seaboard These figures include for Architecturally correct coloured backgrounds to scale, with environmental accessories. These sets appeal to a wider audience than just the military enthusiast, something for the ladies to get interested in!

To summarise, in some 15 years or so FRONTLINE FIGURES has become a world renowned name, enthusiastically collected by people in many countries, and justly proud of the standards it has achieved and the acclaim it has received of "Probably the best commercial product of its type available". as has been stated by a number of well know authorities.

What will the next 15 years bring we wonder?

To date, Frontline Figures have produced in their 54mm range the following subjects:

1914 Parade Dress
1914 Cavalry Parade Dress
THE CRIMEAN WAR 1854-1856:
British 93rd Highlanders
The Charge of the Light Brigade
The Heavy Brigade
Russian Cavalry Russian Infantry Russian Horse Artillery
British and Russian Personalities
French Chasseur D'Afrique
French Imperial Guard Zouaves
World War 1 Personality Sets
Air Wars 1939-1945
Modern Airwars
British Colonial Army 1880's
Sudan Campaign 1881
British Indian Army 1880's
Zulu Wars
FRENCH NAPOLEONIC WARS 1804-1815
British Infantry
British Artillery
French 9th Cuirassiers
17th Dragoons
1st Carabiniers
Imperial Guard, Horse Grenadiers
54th Line Infantry Regiment
French Artillery
French Napoleonic Personalities