'My passion is capturing history using tiny people' Meet Ireland's amazing toy soldier collector
Surrounded by finely detailed figures, David Edwards sits among pieces that reflect decades of collecting, crafting, and research. Picture: Chani Anderson
Curating a boutique museum in your own home is a fantasy most avid collectors can only dream about.
But David Edwards has managed to do just that with his hugely impressive military collection which includes everything from a Chinese policeman’s hat to Blackadder dioramas.
He has now lost count of the the total number items in the collection, but a cursory glance suggests they number in the thousands.
The Aladdin’s Cave in his Youghal home, which he shares with wife Anne, might be the best kept secret in Co Cork.
However, David, who is originally from London, is glad to finally be able to share his pride and joy with the world.
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The toy soldiers were made by the former security worker himself and vary in their expressions, uniforms, and poses.
The 69-year-old’s attention to detail is such that even the war wounds are horrifically lifelike.
With each figure more animated than the last, one almost expects David’s models to break free from their brightly-lit glass cases.
Much of his collection has been crafted from scratch in order to capture an uncanny historical accuracy.
Some people have an interest in model trains. Other collectors like doll houses. My passion is capturing history using tiny people.
The grandfather wants his soldiers, which all vary in stature, to be as true to life as possible.
“Anyone fighting would have seen that detail up close. When killing a man in any of the Roman battles, soldiers would have been close enough to smell the garlic off their enemy’s breath.
"There was no long way of killing someone as the death was by a gladius — a Roman sword favoured by Roman legionaries.”
War medals and a bottle of wine from Colditz Castle are among the collector’s quirkier pieces. Items from uniforms representing armies throughout history are also on display — including Adolf Hitler's Schutzstaffel, better known as the SS.
David is equally fascinated by Nazi hunters, with one of his most prized possessions a signature of the most famous Nazi hunter of them all, Simon Wiesenthal.
Born on December 31, 1908, Wiesenthal dedicated his life to bringing fugitive nazis to justice, having miraculously survived the Janowska, the Kraków-Plaszów and the Gross-Rosen concentration camps.
He also lived through a death march to Chemnitz, Buchenwald, and the Mauthausen concentration camp.
“I bought this from a dealers in London 15 years ago,” David tells the .
“It was important to me that I bought it from a dealers and not online to ensure the signature is genuine.
"This is his signature from the institution he ran to hunt down Nazi criminals.”
Certain collector’s items conjure up fond memories for David.
“There’s a very nice story behind the Chinese policeman’s hat. I was on a boat going down the Yangtze River during a holiday in China 20 years ago.
"One night I was drinking with some of the Chinese policemen who came on board to do security checks. I told one of the men that I thought his hat looked very smart and asked if I could buy it.
"I realised then that he didn’t speak English so I gestured to his hat and showed him some money. He shook his head so I left it at that.
"The next night my friend commented on how drunk I was the night before and asked me if I remembered trying to buy a policeman’s hat. That was when I saw the six policemen. They ushered me down the stairs.
"At that moment I thought I was done for until I spotted my policeman friend from the night before. He handed me one of their hats and they all smiled, as if to say this was a present from them.
"I was so touched because they refused to take any money from me. It was a moment I’ll always remember.”
David has also created dioramas for museums in addition to private collections.
“I’ve done quite a few commissions. One man asked me to do the execution of James Connolly who was killed in Kilmainham Gaol for his part in the 1916 Easter Rising. It took me a while but it got done.
"Someone else asked for the ambush in Béal na Bláth in miniature.
David dedicates hours of research for his commissions.
“If someone tells me they would like the optio from the Roman army, who would have been the sergeant major of his day, then I’ll be sure to do my research accordingly.
"The most famous Legion was Caesar’s 10th legion. They were formed in Spain which is why the soldiers have bulls on their shields. I was conducting thorough research into these things long before the witchcraft of the internet.
"I get great satisfaction out of researching and making things come together.”
David's collection dates back to humble beginnings.
"I was 12-years-old when the owner asked me if I was going to buy a soldier. I told him that I had no money so he gave me one for free under the condition that I returned the following week and told him how I got on with it.
"I painted it and personally thought it looked rubbish.
"However, when I showed it to the owner he asked me to come and work for him. I’ve been interested ever since.
"I learned a lot in that shop, particularly about the myths surrounding military history. Take for example the British army. When Oliver Cromwell formed the new model army he went with red for the uniform.
"A lot of people believe that red was selected to hide the blood but the truth was it was just more cost-effective as this was the cheapest coloured fabric.”
David is also a fan of fictional legends including Edmund Blackadder who is immortalised in one of his dioramas.
The comedy , which aired on BBC1 between 1983 and 1989 and starred Rowan Atkinson, was set in a number of different historical periods during the course of its television run.
“This was originally meant to be a World War One officer,” David says, referring to one diorama, “but I decided to put a moustache on him to make him a bit black Blackadderish and that was how it began.”
Other dioramas aim to capture a moment in time.
“The one depicting a soldier having his picture taken is quite significant. During World War One the average working man wouldn’t have owned a camera.
"This was a luxury only enjoyed by upper middle class people. During this time they would set up a tent where soldiers would stand and have their pictures taken to send home to their mothers.”
David’s war medals are especially close to his heart.
“The medals from a man who was killed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme back in 1916 are a very important part of my collection. I bought these along with the widow’s penny that would have been issued by the government to his next-of-kin.
"I have these out of interest more than anything else. This man — John Tullett Townend — gave his life in World War One at the age of just 19. I never want him forgotten which is a huge apart of why these keepsakes are so valuable to me.”
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