Remember the Alamo

[strawberry 9]

54 minutes ago, Proud Kraut said:

I must admit I knew nearly nothing about the Alamo battle before this topic was started. After doing some online research I think I do now understand the importance of this battle for U.S. history. I also found some interesting background informations about the artillery on both sides. Your cannon looks very well detailed. Do you know it´s (real) caliber?

Excellent topic!

This is a 6 pounder cannon.  Not sure what that equals out to in caliber.  My understanding is that the battle is kind of pieced together since there were no survivors other than one of the wives.  

[mikie]

On 10/6/2021 at 2:02 PM, strawberry 9 said:

Cannon primed for painting. 

"Cannon primed"... Ha good one! 

 

Great job on the figures etc. 

 

By sheer chance, I just watched the old Time Tunnel episode where Tony and Doug land at the Alamo.  

 

Mikie

[gwb123]

3 hours ago, Proud Kraut said:

I must admit I knew nearly nothing about the Alamo battle before this topic was started. After doing some online research I think I do now understand the importance of this battle for U.S. history. I also found some interesting background informations about the artillery on both sides. Your cannon looks very well detailed. Do you know it´s (real) caliber?

Excellent topic!

 

Lars, the Battle of the Alamo is almost sacred to Texans, as is the winter at Valley Forge during the American Revolution to those from Pennsylvania.

 

Texas school children are taught about it in grade school.  Unfortunately there are a lot of myths about it, and Hollywood depictions have only made it worse.  I thought I would be doing my kids a service by having them watch the epic John Wayne version of The Alamo from 1960, just so they could visualize the battle.  About 15 to minutes into the film they had already pointed out a number of historical errors and they refused to watch the rest of it.  

 

About the only good thing that came out of the movie was the full size set that was still standing as a tourist attraction known as Alamo Village until 2010.

 

Many people who visit what remains of the Alamo do not realize how big the mission really was.  Much of the original compound has been covered by the growth of the city.  But to the South of the Alamo, there are the San Antonio Missions, preserved today by the National Park Service.  If you visit one of these (or look at a map on a website), these were actually very large, self sustaining compounds that could easily be converted to a fort.

 

Just a side note, today the US Air Force trains its enlisted members at nearby Lackland Air Force Base.  At the end of training and after graduation, the recruits are allowed to spend time with their families, and many go downtown.  Quite often they end up having their picture taken in front of the Alamo. (When our son graduated, I took about 400 photos.  The best one was taken by a complete stranger who was kind enough to shoot this with my camera!)

[gwb123]

Just in case you need more inspiration... here are the figures on the monument near the Alamo shrine.  It is formally called "The Spirit of Sacrifice".

 

Lars, these figures are about 10 to 16 feet tall!  That's how much this place means to Texans. 

[strawberry 9]

I plan to retire to Texas in a few years and am really looking forward to it. If you do a google search you will come across pages that layout the mission/fort in comparison to today’s San Antonio. Pretty neat.  

[Proud Kraut]

@sundance: No I haven´t yet but will do.

 

@Gil, thanks so much for this excursion and the wonderfull pictures. Again and again I´m impressed by the way history is displayed and honored in the U.S. Definitely one more place I would love to visit in the future.

[Bluehawk]

Thanks strawberry and Gil for this jog of history memory...

This comment here made me laugh out loud:
"I thought I would be doing my kids a service by having them watch the epic John Wayne version of The Alamo from 1960, just so they could visualize the battle.  About 15 minutes into the film they had already pointed out a number of historical errors and they refused to watch the rest of it." Those darn kids, for sure getting the education! Love it...
 

My weeks at Lackland in 1963, the few hours I ever got on my own in San Antonio, were apparently squandered at a local entertainment facility watching Trixie perform her legendary miracles on stage. Have not been back to San Antonio since, but now want to learn about The Alamo. 

[strawberry 9]

I really like San Antonio. The riverwalk is awesome, good food…the Alamo. We were there during Fest right before COViD. We had a great time. 

[strawberry 9]

Horses are done.  I think I'll take a break from painting uniforms a little longer and do the cannon next.

[strawberry 9]

One mistake I did make, I forgot to sand off the mold lines on the horses before painting😡

[Proud Kraut]

I can´t see any mold lines, you did a fantastic job on the horses!

[strawberry 9]

Thanks Proud Kraut.  The lines aren't to bad.  Its just one of those things that drives you crazy when you know they're there.  

[scottplen]

On 10/6/2021 at 9:14 AM, strawberry 9 said:

I'm currently painting horses for the Lancers.  The horses themselves are painted, but now I need to do the saddles, reins, etc.  I'll take some pics when they're done.

They look great ! 

[bobatl]

Your Alamo diorama will probably be more historically accurate than mine.

[strawberry 9]

Back when they made cool toys!  I remember unwrapping the Marx Iwo Jima playset as a kid.  Best Christmas ever!  If you go back today to the house I grew up in and dig up the sandbox area, you'd probably find most of it.😄

[gwb123]

6 hours ago, bobatl said:

Your Alamo diorama will probably be more historically accurate than mine.

 

Those old Marx playsets can be worth some good money depending how complete they are.  I remember my Dad having to fold one of those linthotype tin buildings... they were not very forgiving.

 

[bobatl]

On 10/12/2021 at 4:07 PM, gwb123 said:

 

Those old Marx playsets can be worth some good money depending how complete they are.  I remember my Dad having to fold one of those linthotype tin buildings... they were not very forgiving.

 

Ideally, the collectors want a set that has never been opened. Can you imagine presenting the Alamo playset to a six year old boy on Christmas morning, then taking it away and saying "You can't play with it; that would destroy it's value."?

[gwb123]

Ideally, the collectors want a set that has never been opened. Can you imagine presenting the Alamo playset to a six year old boy on Christmas morning, then taking it away and saying "You can't play with it; that would destroy it's value."?

 

The "It's worth more if you keep it in the box." has plagued people for years... especially Star Wars collectors.  

 

"One to open... one to stay in the box.... and one, just in case...."

 

GI Joe collectors are not much better.

 

 

[Old Marine]

The horses look great.  Nice paint.  

[strawberry 9]

Cannon is finished.  I google searched Alamo cannons and there was a baby blue one shown repeatedly.  I already have so much blue in the Mexican uniforms so I thought I'd go a different direction.  I also foresee a lot of browns in this diorama, so I settled on gray.  I don't love it, but I don't hate it.  By the time everything is in place, I don't think the color of the cannon will especially catch the eye, nor do I want it to.  For anyone interested, this is an American Historic Cannons 6lb American revolution die cast cannon.  I added a photo of what it looked like out of the box.  

 

  

[copdoc]

Nice.  Is that a brass barrel?

[strawberry 9]

9 hours ago, copdoc said:

Nice.  Is that a brass barrel?

Thanks!  Yes it is a brass barrel. 

[copdoc]

Amazing detail to all your items. 

 

Do you have the Gonzales cannon buried nearby?  😀

[Proud Kraut]

You got the most out of this gun, EXCELLENT paint job!

[strawberry 9]

I have two types of cavalry.  One is the helmeted kind pictured below and then round hats.  The helmeted are done.  I don't plan to have a lot of cavalry, but I do want them to be in the diorama in some way.  I think I have around ten total.  These photos are a little dark as it is night time here.  You get the idea though.