New Finds!

Some New items I've stumbled upon! No idea why I'm posting this video here except that I enjoy it and in a recent discussion some have stated they've never seen it.

PLATE SHAKO OF the 21st REG d'Infanterie

Three Tests of galvanoplasties out of copper. Representing plates of shako 21st Regiment, First empire. Approximate dimensions 36cm X 20 cm Good state. Numbered.

Galvanoplasty: This process of metallization rests on the principles of electrolysis. It is known that an electric current, when it crosses a liquid, breaks it up. Thus, when one runs a current through a dissolution of metal salts, the acid of goes to the positive pole and the base to the negative pole. This technique, completely revolutionary, was developed by many scientists starting from the discovery of the battery by Volta, in 1800. Galvanoplasty was sophisticated and was essential in very many industries as from 1837. Gilding and silvering applied from now on this way and benefitted from advantages major: uniformity of the invaluable deposit and thickness at will, waste non-existent and thus production at a cheap rate. In parallel, this system of metallization, increasingly sophisticated, reached impressive results in the production in reliefs by deposit on a print in hollow moulded on an original model plate.

Original moulds used for this process (See third picture).

These are the original plates used for this proceedure. I'm amazed to have found them.

The Galvanoplasty process is what allowed for the silvering etc... of the numbers and is more prominenet on the later plates, and officers.

Close up view!

Rear view!

Reproduction!

Modern day reproduction!



Original!

This is the kind of stuff that always interested me in the French Napoleonic armies. They always had the better looking equipment which even through the years constantly improved. This is also a good lead in to my coming posts on UNIFORMOLOGY 101 coming next!