Herzog Franz Ferdinand Carl Ludwig Joseph Maria von Österreich-Este

Gräf & Stift Bois de Boulogne phaeton 

On June 28 1914 at 10:45 am Archduke Franz Ferdinand was shot and killed by Gavrilo Princip whilst riding in the back of this car with his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg who was also killed.

The car is housed at the Heeresgeschichtliches Museum, Vienna, where I took this photograph on July 4, 2009.

Within a few weeks, a chain of events would precipitate the commencement of the Great War, 1914-18.

In the words of British Foreign secretary Sir Edward Gray on August 3, 2014 "The lamps are going out all over Europe, we shall not see them lit again in our life-time". The British Empire entered the War at 23:00 GMT August 4, 2014.

Austrian Grenadier Cap 1813

In response to a TMP question, I am posting this image by Patrice Courcelle of the Austrian Grenadier's bearskin "bag" colour/pattern per the 1813 Regulations. This was kindly provided by a TMP friend when I was asking the same question.  The reference, and credit, is "Ceux Qui Bravaient l'Aigle"

Austrian Napoleonic Ordnance

I recently painted one of the very nice 28mm artillery models from Leopold Diez. These are very hard to find outside of Germany. This is my attempt to produce the yellow-ochre colour used by Austria. It is washed in Seraphim Sepia from Citadel to both shade and darken the ochre.

I was trying to match the Caisson painted for me by Leuthen Studios who also painted the 6-horse team and the Perry 6 pounder and crew.

Dr Stephen Summerfield has just posted on TMP that the ochre is correct but the barrels should be unpolished bronze metal.

"Diez" model 3 Pfünder mit Protze-Österreich 

"Diez" model 3 Pfünder mit Protze-Österreich

"Diez" model 3 Pfünder-Österreich

"Diez" model 3Pfünder-Österreich

"Diez" model 3 Pfünder-Österreich

"Dietz" model Protze-Österreich

 "Diez" model Caisson-Österreich

 "Diez" model Caisson-Österreich

"Diez" model Caisson-Österreich

"Perry" model 6 Pfünder-Österreich