Reamsa

REAMSA is an old toy brand known in the period '1951-1978', already missing. The figures of this brand are representative of plastic toy soldiers that were a favorite of Spanish children in the 60s. They are well distinguished from other similar ones because they carry the logo at the base.

History

This small company was acquired in 1944 by two young entrepreneurs: Joan Llopart and Enric Riera. With the incipient availability of plastic in The 50's the company expanded the range of its products and introduced in its catalog sanitary and household products. This expansive dynamic would soon lead to an activity that would turn it into a toy company of international prestige: the figures of [plastic] decorated by hand.

Reamsa was a medium-sized business with AbOUT thirty people directly employed, but the most significant was the large number of families - several hundred - who made The Miniatures painted in their private homes. Its location on Avenida Mistral very close to the Gran Vía de Barcelona, where it is traditionally placed during the week of Reyes a series of toy stalls where the parents make the last purchases of toys, allowed him to even sell directly to the public During those dates. The quality in the design of its toys made it a company with a singular success in the history of the Spanish toy that exported figures in appreciable quantities.

The decoration of these figures was done in private homes. Nowadays this activity would not comply with any labor legislation nor much less sanitary, but the activity of decorating plastic figures in the 60s was a usual way of obtaining an additional income for a good number of families of the district of Sants of Barcelona.

There are several times based on the quality of the decoration of the figures. They were very careful at the beginning when the figures were of rubber, so that they even painted the eyes and the mouth of the figures. Then there is a broad epoch - the decade of the 60s - with a high quality in the set, resulting from a strict control by the company. And there is a final time when the decoration of the figures has a minimum quality, and with a range of only two or three colors per figure.

George Erik

George Erik was an English designer who began within the theatrical world and in the early 1950s shifted his activity towards creating toy models for the toy soldier. In those years he designed figures for John Hill & Co. (Hilco) as well as the 60 mm of Marx and the series "Dan Dare" of Kentoys among others. Also collaborates with Herald and Timpo, but in the design of the decoration of the figures.

He was the founder of "Taurino Club of London" and author of the book "Run! A Guide to the Art of Bullfight "in 1959 coincides in London with the owners of Reamsa whom he convinces to make a series of plastic figures on the Bullfight, which he completed in 1960. In 1961 the film premieres in Spain [ The Cid Campeador with Charlton Heston and Erik receives the commission to design a series of figures based on the film that completes in 1962. From that moment Erik designs all the figures of Reamsa, endowing them with a very attractive aesthetic .

Series of figures

Canadian Mounted Police

The Canadian Mounted Police is the first figure of Reamsa, dated December 18, 1951. It was made in rubber and plastic in 54 mm. Usually it is with red uniform, although there is a blue version that corresponds to the captain. The color of the horse presents a great variety, it is possible to find them white, brown, gray and black. The plastic figures of that time were inspired by Hollywood productions, and in this case their referent would be Cecil B. DeMille's "Northwest Mounted Police" blockbuster with [ [Gary Cooper] (1940) produced by Paramount Pictures.

English Royal Guard

The series is formed by 4 figures of 55 mm in rubber and plastic of different colors, brown, beige and red, that were manufactured from 1953. Although they are very similar to those of other marks, there is no possibility of confusion since always Carry on the base the logo of the mark Reamsa. According to the list of prices were sold in boxes of 8 figures, two of each pose.

British Imperial Guard

The series reproduces the Royal Guard of London and are made of rubber, its size is 50 mm and have their origin in 1953. There are three figures on foot and three figures on horseback. They were sold in cartons of 3 or 6 figures on foot and in a box with 6 riders as stated in the Price List. These figures have a movable arm, an idea taken from the lead figures, which allows to reduce the amount of molds necessary for their manufacture. They use the same horse as the Canadian Mounted Police figure.

Interplanetary War

The series consists of rubber figures of 60 mm and were created in 1953. It is formed by astronauts and robots. Astronauts wear detachable clear helmets, and both astronauts and robots were distributed in various colors. They form two series: "Commands of the space" formed by 4 figures of astronauts and "Patrulla Saturno" formed by eight figures of robots. In addition there are four other 54 mm rubber figures representing astronauts that were patented by Reamsa in 1954 but are copy of Thomas Toys.

Infantry

The series consists of nine original 54 mm rubber figures from the year 1952 representing different poses of soldiers. They are made of green rubber, we can find them in different ranges and shades, and always carry a green hull intense. Like the figures of that time, the figures are painted with eyes and mouth. These figures do not carry flag, so that they can correspond to any country, and therefore do not exist figures of an adversary army.

Pirates

The series is formed by ten figures of 54 mm in rubber that were manufactured from 1954. They are supposed that they were sold in bags of cellophane since there is no box on the subject. There are pirate figures in plastic with a hole in the base that should be placed on pencils. Seven of the figures were registered in the year 1954 the other three, those that wear and are figures with a body with more volume, they did in 1956. A pirate ship was patented which suggests the possibility that Was made of plastic.

The Three Musketeers

This series of figures was created in 1956 and has its origin in the superproduction of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer of 1948 "The Three Musketeers" based on the film of Alexandre Dumas, Movies about swordsmen. This film highlights the most famous phrase of the musketeers "One for all and all for one" (a phrase that certainly does not appear in the novel of Dumas!). The series is formed by three figures of 60 mm on horseback, and are similar to others of figures of the French brand Cyrnos

Bullfighting

English designer George Erik created the figures of the toreo series in 1964, being his first work for Reamsa. The figures in this series show the different participants of each third of the bullfight and were inspired by the drawings that the author made for his book "Corrida! A guide to the art of bullfight.

Ben-Hur

In 1956 a series of figures of 60 mm in rubber with the name of "Legions Roman" is launched that is composed by 15 figures on foot in the box "Infantry" plus five on horseback in the box "Cavalry" that were designed by the Local workshop of Martí Castells. These are figures decorated with great detail, and with bright armors that give them a great attraction. In addition it is patented a quadriga that soon would have great success. Years later I would add 6 figures on foot, of a somewhat larger size and a very personal aesthetic.

Gallic

The series consists of six 60-foot figures, designed by George Erik and made in plastic in the 60's or early 70's. Unlike many series that have a clear link with films of the time , In this case the series of the Gallic warriors is supposed to be designed to combat with the figures of the Roman legions in a reproduction of the Gallic War that I carry out Julius Caesar.

Lawrence of Arabia

There is a first series of figures of 60 mm in rubber dated in 1956 with the name of "Bedouins of the desert" that had to be sold in cellophane envelopes. In 1962 comes the famous film Lawrence of Arabia and creates a box of figures with this same theme in which are incorporated the old Bedouins plus the figures of the British spy Thomas E. Lawrence (white robe) and the Prince Faysal (black robe), completes the series with a group of figures from six Turkish soldiers of the First World War who are newly created.

Crusader Knights

The series consists of eight figures made of rubber and plastic 60 mm from 1955 which are inspired by figures of the German brand Merten, while the horses are identical to those of the brand Elastolin Hausser which has been deleted base. The six figures on foot and two on horseback are placed in a box that reproduces in its cover a battle between Muslims and Crusaders.

The Real Tournament

The series is made up of 60 mm rubber and plastic figures manufactured since 1955. The figures are similar to those of the German brand Merten, and the horses to the French brand Lido. The rubber figures are arranged in a box with the lid reproducing a scene of medieval tournament with some of the figures that are in the interior. The figures in plastic are in Figures.

Feudal Castle

It is a series of 12 figures of 60 mm in plastic created in the year 1962 that reproduce personages of the court of a Middle Ages and that therefore they accompany to the period figures Medieval (such as El Cid, Ricardo Corazón or King Arthur) of this brand. In these figures we observe how the warriors have the movable arm, which is not used to take advantage of molds as in the figures of the "English Imperial Guard" but to bring greater attraction to the figure.

El Cid Campeador

The series consists of 19 figures, 11 on foot and 8 on horseback, representing Moorish and Christian warriors. It was created in 1962 designed by George Erik. With a size of 60 mm the figures are made of plastic except horses that are sometimes rubber because they come from the series "Royal Tournament" and "Knights Crossed". The figures present a more dynamic design than the previous series and are totally original.

King Arthur

With the theme of the medieval fights in the time of King Arthur was published in 1950 in Spain the adventures of "The Prince Brave in the days of King Arthur" of Harold R. Foster. The series are figures of 60 mm in rubber and plastic made from 1957 that take the symbolic of the comic of the Prince Brave, in the form of horse head in the shield of the personage (figure with the red layer) and of His son Arn (figure with silver shield).

Ricardo Corazón de León

The historical personage of Richard Heart of Leon corresponds to the king, Ricardo I of England, born in 1157. Its fame is based on the long periods that participated in the crusades and in the disputes with its brother to recover The throne that he occupied in his absence. In 1957 appear the figures of the series Ricardo Heart of Leon of 60 mm in rubber and plastic that next to those of the King Arthur were manufactured with license of the German mark Hausser-Eslastolín.

William Tell

This series is composed of 12 plastic 60 mm figures representing the main characters of the legend, Guillermo Tell and his son, Governor Hermann Gessler, as well as Tell's wife with soldiers And armed civilians. Its date of appearance is on the first 60 years, the design in this case already would be of George Erik. The figures do not have clear similarity with those of other marks, only some of them could be inspired by some of the marks Airfix or Marx on Robin Hood.

Hernan Cortes

It is a series designed by George Erik in the 60's or 70's that is composed of a total of 24 figures of which 5 are on horseback, made of plastic with a size of 60 mm. They emphasize the figure of Hernán Cortés with its black armor on horseback and also the one of the majestic Moctezuma Xocoyotzin. All the figures are placed in the box "La Conquista de México, Hernán Cortés", and can be found in various diorama formats.

Far West 50 mm

The series of figures of Indians and cowboys of 50 mm is composed by ten figures on foot and four on rubber horse that were created in the year 1952. In general the figures on foot are decorated of a very simple form, with one or two colors.

See also

  • Toy
  • Toy soldier

Bibliography

Museums

Blogs

See Also

Canada Games Company

Canada Games was a Canadian games manufacturing company based in Brampton, Ontario, before moving...