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Miniatures Adventure => Age of the Big Battalions => Topic started by: cdr on 17 May 2013, 10:36:05 PM

Title: Funcken Uniform books
Post by: cdr on 17 May 2013, 10:36:05 PM
Fred Funcken the illustrator of the first books on uniforms i've ever bought died this week at the age of 91. With his wife he illustrated books and articles on the soldiers of all times , middle ages, 18th century, 19th century, napoleonic wars, United states, world war one, world war two, French revolution.

Still fine books published in French, English and German

Carl
Title: Re: Funcken Uniform books
Post by: joroas on 17 May 2013, 10:41:53 PM
The first uniform books I ever bought were the Napoleonic set while on a school trip to Les Invalides when I was 13......
Title: Re: Funcken Uniform books
Post by: Brian Smaller on 17 May 2013, 10:57:39 PM
By coincidence last night I gave my daughter, who is doing French at school, one of my French language Funcken books to see if she could translate something for me that I was having trouble with. 

Funcken produced some excellent reference works. Very sad.
Title: Re: Funcken Uniform books
Post by: 15thpanzer on 17 May 2013, 11:52:04 PM
Sad to hear this. Like many of us I have a number of their works on my shelf. A great inspiration. My airfix HO/OO collection as schoolboy relied heavily on their work. I could never understand the text, but a picture, well...
Title: Re: Funcken Uniform books
Post by: Calimero on 18 May 2013, 01:07:45 AM

My first uniform book was volume 2 of L'Uniformes et les Armes des Soldats de la Guerre 1914-1918... I've read it so many times that it's falling in pieces :?
Title: Re: Funcken Uniform books
Post by: Conquistador on 18 May 2013, 01:26:14 AM
I sold the two book set of Napoleonic uniforms several years ago to prevent myself from getting into 25+ mm figures for those wars.   o_o  It worked.  ;D

I think that my 1/600th figures will miss it's advice but the details will be less obvious at that scale.   :o

Those were/are fantastic books.   :-*

Gracias,

Glenn
Title: Re: Funcken Uniform books
Post by: HerbyF on 18 May 2013, 02:51:31 AM
I am pretty sure that my first uniform book was one of his book too. Very nice illustrations. The first army I painted was ancient Britains/Gauls based on pictures from his books. I got a lot of inspiration from his books.
Title: Re: Funcken Uniform books
Post by: moonshado on 18 May 2013, 10:16:11 AM
Sad news, though 91 is a nice age to reach. I saved newspaper round money up to buy the two volumes of the Napoleonic wars when I was 14 and they are still used 40 years later. The armies of the 19th Century and two of the volumes of the medieval ages are the only 4 books I possess that are in French.
Title: Re: Funcken Uniform books
Post by: gringo on 18 May 2013, 11:39:35 AM
very Sad.what a master he was. i remember reading a story that Liliiian
used to get annoyed with him for "muddying" the water when he used
water colours

im a lucky man as i have all their volumes i believe the original Napleonic set are so worn the yellow covers fell off from being read to death with the section on the French very grubby ..again for refernce for my Airfix and later minfigs Naps.

i Salute his memory.
regards
Ged

www.gringo40s.com
www.gringo40s.blogspot.com

Title: Re: Funcken Uniform books
Post by: Vern on 18 May 2013, 12:12:10 PM
Sad news (but a bloody good innings!).

The two volumes on 'The Lace Wars' are still my favourite uniform books, I loved the way he could introduce a little bit of humour into seemingly dry uniform plates. 
Title: Re: Funcken Uniform books
Post by: ARKOUDAKI on 18 May 2013, 07:32:21 PM
Very sad to hear this news. Mr Funcken was a talented artist who produced some great work on military uniforms. I am proud to say I have his entire series on uniforms and they are a great set...very treasured by the owner.  :D The Funcken's work on uniforms of the French Revolution as well as the development of the American armies are some of the best.

So is Mrs. Funcken still with us, as she was the other half of the team.
Title: Re: Funcken Uniform books
Post by: cdr on 19 May 2013, 11:07:11 AM
As far as i known Liliane Funcken is still alive. They also produced some articles in 'Uniformes' and other magazines
(Vikings, Lepanto, German hussars, German Cuirassiers, Belgians in Mexico etc.)

Carl
Title: Re: Funcken Uniform books
Post by: Galloping Major on 19 May 2013, 11:14:00 AM
Another sad loss, but leaving behind a great portfolio of work to be treasured and kept in pride of place on our book shelves.
My personal favourites are the Lace Wars pair, which I have in the English translation, bought from Terry Wise when he had his shop in Doncaster.

www.gallopingmajorwargames