Object Title

Model of the Battle of Waterloo - By Siborne

Model of the Battle of Waterloo - By Siborne

Date

1842-1843

Object Number

XVIII.82

Provenance

Acquired in 1925 on charge from the Royal Military College at Camberley. Moved to the Tower of London in 1935 (from information on Inventory file)

Physical Description

The field of this model is in ten sections, and is made to a scale of 15 feet to 1 inch. The figures however, are to a scale of 6 feet to 1 inch in order that they might remain identifiable, and the farm buildings are of the same scale to avoid incongruity.

The model shows the area around the Brussels-Wavre crossroads including the farm of La Haye Sainte where, during the second phase of the battle, 1.30 p.m. to 2.30 p.m., Pictons Division engaged the Divisions of Donzelot, Alix and Marcognet.

At this time the farm is still held by the Kings German Legion, who were later driven out, reputedly after being supplied with the wrong ammunition. The Duke of Wellington and his staff are shown to the North- West of La Haye Sainte.

The landscape is carefully recreated with woven materials representing the various crops and ground conditions. The farm buildings and nearby orchard are well modelled, as is the thin lead sheet worked to imitate a pave surface on the Brussels-Charleroi road.

The lead figures are approximately 1 inch high and their quality of detail is superb, but this quality is rather lost since they are mostly too far away from the glass to enable the visitor to appreciate anything more than the broad aspect they create. There are an 6540 figures on the model, 5537 infantry and 1003 cavalry, plus 15 cannon and carriages.

Dimensions

Dimensions: Length: 5592 mm (18 ft 4 in.), Width: 2262 mm (7 ft 5 in.)

Associations

Bibliographic References

Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research

Wellington's Smallest Victory: The Duke, the Model Maker and the Secret of Waterloo

A Model Victory: Waterloo and the Battle for History

Military Illustrated

Osprey Military Journal

Notes

The sections of the model are in the following sizes: 6 each 40 x 45 ' 2 each 50 x 51' 2 each 51 x 45 '

Information

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