Lot 272
Article: PAT CAMPBELL’S
DELHI DURBAR
The Mughal term Durbar, translated as a
Court, was adopted by the British Empire as an occasion marking the accession
of a new British Emperor of India. There were only ever three of them under the
British Raj, in 1877, 1903 and 1911. The initial occasion was to announce the
culmination of the process whereby the British Crown, in the person of Queen
Empress Victoria, took power over India from the East India Company after the
Indian Mutiny. The 1911 Durbar was the only one attended by a reigning British
monarch, George V. The 1903 Durbar, which it had been hoped that Edward VII
would preside over, was instead guested by the king’s brother, the Duke of
Connaught. It was arranged under the authority of the viceroy Lord Curzon, and
was by some way the most spectacular occasion of the three, hence the favourite
for depiction by modelers.
It could be described as a giant party for
the Indian princes, and 1903 lays claim to it being the most bejeweled occasion
that has ever taken place. Fifty state elephants were scheduled to take part,
although only forty-eight were fit to participate on the day of the grand
procession. The world’s press descended in force, including one journalist
intent on using a new process to take photographs in colour. Mortimer Menpes took three photographs of each subject through colour filters, processing them into full colour images using a pioneering photographic colour printing process that he had co-developed with Carl Hentschel.
The resulting book, published by A & C Black in 1903 with a hundred full colour photographs, was printed in a de luxe edition of 1,000 copies. An example of this is one of the highlights of the Pat Campbell Replica Durbar Collection, part of C & T Auction’s 12 December sale of toy soldiers.
The resulting book, published by A & C Black in 1903 with a hundred full colour photographs, was printed in a de luxe edition of 1,000 copies. An example of this is one of the highlights of the Pat Campbell Replica Durbar Collection, part of C & T Auction’s 12 December sale of toy soldiers.
As the book shows, there is no better
subject for toy soldiers. Probably the most comprehensive (and expensive)
series of models is by the Argentinian maker Beau Geste. Marlborough also was
famous for an extensive series in their own distinctive style. The models of
Bill Cranston and Pat Campbell (Replica) seem much more akin to Britains
hollowcast and Toy Soldier Collection, while the fairly limited Durbar
selection issued by Britains rather later, while suitably spectacular, does not
actually fit in with earlier Britains so well.
Now that so many collectors are switching
to spectacle rather than collecting by set numbers, adding Durbar figures to
British Indian Army displays seems more and more the natural thing to do.
Certainly, this was the late Pat Campbell’s favourite, and the impact of his
Durbar display on opening the door to his Garden Shed number One was
considerable. 800 figures massed in front of 22 feet of background buildings
and more than 100 spectators made an indelible impression. Not since the days
of George Palmer’s Durbar Collection, sold at Phillips in 1992 has such a
unique extravaganza been on offer, not least because nearly all of them are
Pat’s own creations for his own pleasure, never duplicated for anyone else.
My own interest in India has always been
enhanced by the service given to the Empire by my grandmother and grandfather,
as private secretary to Lady Brabourne, the wife of the Governor of Bombay, and
Medical Aide de Camp to the Governor himself.
Pat Campbell, with his Replica brand
producing both closish copies of famous figures and original designs of his
own, was for many years the go to man for castings and commissions for everyone
in the British Model Soldier Society. The good news is that Andrew Stevenson
has decided, with Pat’s widow Margaret’s blessing, to take on the masters and
machinery of Replica. He intends to follow in Pat’s footsteps. He has already
made a superb set of four Governor of Bombay’s dismounted Bodyguards for the
family tribute group in my collection.
James
Opie
More details on the lots available,
including nearly all the pictures, at www.the-saleroom.com.
They are also hoping to offer (being completed at time of press-release) an
online ‘flick-through’ version of the catalogue on the C & T website www.candtauctions.co.uk.
Other Highlights
Thanks
to Mr Opie
for
article and images.
3 comments:
These greatest Man on Earth... was Our Dad, Patrick Campbell of Replica Models this indeed was his favorite collection,
how is eyes would light up when he would call us down to the shed to see the new piece he added to the collection.We hope you enjoy it as much as we have .
The greatest Man on Earth
Having lost my own father a year ago anon, may I extend my sympathies on what appears to be your own loss, and thank you for the anecdote.
H
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