Colonial figures for 1820 to 1850

[workerBee]

Currently using Ral Partha Colonial figures for alternate reality  North America (inspired by Stoney Compton's book) for Zorro-esque, Early Old West, and Small Combat Colonial actions  circa the 1820 date and then expanding to 1840 decade, but want to get figures that might be more historically appropriate  uniform wise.

My on-line web research for images shows many uniforms of the time only slightly changed from end of the Napoleonic wars.  (And the roar of "Ya think?" and "Duh!" sweeps over the internet...)

Since it is alternate history but I kind of want somewhat historical uniforms what do you guys/gals think about using 1815 type uniforms (both European styled and the modifications for colonial wear where I can find the images) for some of the nations involved at the 1820 point?  I have some Reviresco Californio/Spanish/Mexican  figures and will hopefully buy some of  Malamute's figures "soon" but what about sources for the other (British, French, USA, etc.) nations?  The exact roster of the "nations represented" is not "fixed" but those seem like the most likely candidates...

Gracias,

Glenn

[HerbyF]

Maybe some Indian mutiny or Opium war stuff. Mexican American war, both Mexican & American figures. I think there are some figures out there for the Latin American wars of liberation. These figures would be the right period. Even some late Napolionic figures especially light infantry types would work.

[Lowtardog]

First Korps XHOSA wars are very nice

[NickNascati]

Maybe the Foundry China British would work for you. Bell top shakos, short jackets and straight trousers. Neat figures.

[starkadder]

Depending on what end of the musket you're on, my personal favourite of this period is Mehmet Ali and his son Ibrahim Pasha.

Their struggle against the malignant Lord Palmerston, the corrupt Ottoman administration and fundamentalist Wahhabists (yes! and they were very successful at it) - amazing and doesn't need lushing up.

Read Alan Moorehead's Nile books (White and Blue) and All the Pasha's Men  by Kahled Fahmy. Fantastic stuff (and incidentally where American zouave uniforms came from, I believe).

The uniforms are basically the Nizam-e-Cedid (new Army) that the Ottomans tried (they copied Mehmet) and are freely available.

[Malamute]

Hi,
 I posted this on the Swashbuckling side too, but hey what the heck, here goes again.

Perry Carlist war range, suedo Napoleonic uniforms, that look Mexican in parts and they also have British forces as well.

[Gluteus Maximus]

If you can find any figures of the South American wars of liberation, these might be suitable. Very "Napoleonic" flavour with subtle differences. Malamute's Carlist Wars suggestion is a good one, as most European nations seemed to have worn the "bell-topped" shako at this period.

If you can get a copy of the old Blandford book " World Uniforms and Battles 1815-50", by Philip Haythornthwaite, this would give you a good introduction into what troops were wearing in your period. Otherwise the Funckens' "Uniforms and Arms of the 19thC" series of two volumes give a lot of very good info on the European uniforms, with volume 1 being pre-1850.

You may need to do some conversion work, but with the excellent plastic Napoleonics available, this shouldn't be too onerous 

[warrenpeace]

Could try some Old Glory British figures for the Maori Wars for the later part of your period:

http://www.oldgloryminiatures.com/products.asp?cat=222

[huevans]

Hi,
 I posted this on the Swashbuckling side too, but hey what the heck, here goes again.

Perry Carlist war range, suedo Napoleonic uniforms, that look Mexican in parts and they also have British forces as well.

Agree and I suspect that most European or Latin American nations would have worn something almost identical. So with a little green stuff, you could get almost anything. Some nice civilians, including some women and some armed priests.