elephantine memories...

I first became interested in historical miniature gaming in the mid 1970s. However, the first time figures became readily available to me was in 1980 or 1981 when I took a part-time job at Light Brigade Hobbies in Concord, California. I believe that is when and where I acquired these six 25mm elephants. I've been carrying them around ever since.

Over the years they've been sorely neglected. I don't recall ever using any of them in a game and only one bears anything close to a finished paint job.They do, however, show something of the progression of my painting experience. At least up to a point. As I've been inventorying my collection of figures I found these and instantly felt an impulse to repaint and rebase them. Just seems like the right thing to do. Consider these the 'before' pictures.

Hinchcliffe Successor Elephant
circa 1978

I'm sure this elephant was manufactured by Hinchcliffe. In fact, Jeff Jonas has a wonderful picture of this model on his web site.Mine is painted with old Testor's enamal paints telling me that this was one of the very first figures I painted. In fact, I recall using the same deep blue on a 1/48 scale Aurora Albatros C-III model which I built in the mid-1970s.

Minifigs Parthian Elephant
circa 1980

This second model was (most probably) made by Minifigs. While I've not found any pictures on-line to confirm that, the very first figures I EVER bought were Minifigs and the style of the sculpting here evokes strong memories of that style. Note the blue shabraque (is that the right term for elephant saddle cloths?). It's indicative of the brief period in which I was toying with painting figures using artist's oils.

Minifigs Successor Elephant
circa 1980

Another probable Minifigs elephant. The purple, lavender and goldenrod color palette makes me think that this was painted after I had acquired the Osprey book on Alexander the Great as I seem to recall Angus McBride's paintings showed that scheme for the Companion Cavalry. I remember the bottles of purple and lavander--they were Partha Paints. I'm not sure what prompted me to mount these figures on hexagonal bases. Interestingly enough, the base texturing is done with pencil shavings. I was, ah, 'economical' even in my youth.

Heritage (?) Parthian Elephant
circa 1980

The next three elephants are the same model, the only difference being that the third one has a different head than the others. I think these may be Heritage models but I have no evidence other than dim memories. If anyone recognizes them I'd love to hear their thoughts.

The sculpting style is a bit rougher than the Minifigs but not as primitive as the Hinchcliffe. The first one has an almost complete paint job and actual flock on the base. It's clearly been repainted at least once.

Heritage (?) Parthian Elephant
circa 1980

Wow, what a bright green! Not sure I'd make that color choice now. It seems odd that I have so many Parthian/Sassanid elephants since I had no other figures for that time period. My guess is that since I was working towards Macedonian and Persian collections I bought them for use as Achaemenid troops not knowing much about the distinctions between Achaemenid and Parthian styles. On the other hand, my elephant options may have been severely limited 30 years ago....

Heritage (?) Parthian Elephant
circa 1980

The last of my old school elephants, also probably a Heritage model. I have all the pieces for this model it's just that some time over the past 30 years the figure has fallen apart. These unfinished models show evidence of primer. I remember THAT quite well. In the 1980s I used a water-based, brush-on primer made by Heritage Models. I loved that stuff as I could prime figures at any time and not annoy myself or my roommates with noxious fumes. I looked for this stuff unsuccessfully for years afterwards and not until I recently discovered artist's gesso did I find an adequate replacement. Funny how it took almost thirty years to rediscover something so basic and practical.