The famous Red Boxes

The infantrymen were either left loose or sewn into a box with black or beige string on a pierced yellow cardboard. The figures were sometimes protected by a layer of cotton placed between the cardboard and the piece. The high weight of the massive cavalry subjects and the fact that the rider and saddle were removable apparently made it problematic to attach them in the “Britains” style. Also, the riders were usually not sewn, but rather wrapped in such a way that they could not move.

The first boxes were made of strong cardboard or cardboard and wood covered with a characteristic embossed red paper and a colorful and informative label. Inside the lids were often printed lists of available parts. After Mignot’s purchase in 1928, the box kept the Lucotte label but a gold edging was added to the edges of the box. After the relocation from Rue des Sts Pères, a lighter cardboard was used for the boxes, as well as a lighter red cover, without embossing, and a label as colorful but very vague, with only the Lucotte logo but no company or address information. Perhaps the new owners didn’t want the world to know that the company had changed hands.

This synthesis of the history of Maison Lucotte is drawn from
the remarkable work of Mr. JOSEY Lenoir