Paper Models as Propaganda During the Spanish Civil War

[Thumb Dog]

Hi All,

¡El Saludo!

When it comes to propaganda paper models of the Spanish Civil War, this week’s entry is just plain disturbing. This “slider” shows a smiling, wide-eyed boy standing in the middle of his youth group’s bivouac. At first we see him at attention, but as the tab at the bottom of the slider is pulled, his right arm raises and he gives us the fascist salute under the words, ¡¡Arriba España!!

Published between 1936 and 1939 by Recortables Celta, this colorful piece was produced with indoctrination in mind. The uniform and flags shown on the model leave no doubt that this little boy is a member of the Carlist Youth, a 30,000 strong ultra-right wing political movement. His gold-tasseled, red beret tops his crisp summer uniform, while the Carlist flag, with its red raguly cross on a white field, is seen flying over a rising sun. This flag also appears on our young soldier’s left breast pocket under his leather suspenders. The last panel of the tryptic shows the red-yellow-red Nationalist flag unfurled over what appears to be a sand castle on the beach.

The simple yet bold graphics would certainly appeal to young Spanish boys of the 1930s, and the image remains strong to this day. It is likely that this slider was distributed by the hundreds if not thousands to Carlist Youth leaders to be built by boys during their youth meetings, the same way American Boy Scouts gather to make lanyards. Our young soldier, maybe away from his parents for the first time, is learning quite a few lessons at camp…how to carry out orders, loyalty to the cause, working with others, and personal sacrifice for the good of the group. This simple piece of paper builds into a pretty effective piece of propaganda.

I thought it was going to be easy to construct, but the model offered up some frustrating problems. The slide was too wide and had to be trimmed down. The slots on the sides of the tryptic had to be lengthened to get the arm to raise all the way. Getting the reinforced ears of the slide through the slots was a challenge, solved by cutting a hole in the sunrise panel and replacing the cut-out part after the ears were in place. Also, getting the arm through the slot and glued to the right spot on the slide took a few tries.

I altered the slide to remove the model’s instructions by laminating it with another piece of 110 lb. cardstock. I then drew and cut the half-round tab at the bottom of the slide. After all the time I put into it, it was fun to see it finally work. As I smiled at his flailing right arm, I had to take a step back and remember the message this cartoon soldier was sending…fascist military dictatorships are superior to elected civilian governments, and if you disagree, we will bring a civil war to your doorstep. A harsh lesson to teach to little boys.

Score and fold,

Thumb Dog

[Tom Greensfelder]

More fascinating history, Thumb Dog. Great to see all the dioramas complete and together even if they add up to a sad chapter in world history.

The young boy giving the fascist salute, like the Shirley Temple doll, is the clearest example of how these Spanish models functioned as propaganda. Winning hearts and minds can't begin too soon, apparently.

[CryKitten]

Originally Posted by Thumb Dog

In my many hours of searching the internet for interesting paper models, I’ve recently discovered a number of vintage card models that were published in Spain during its brutal civil war. Between 1936 and 1939, the Nationalist and Republican forces fought for political control over the once powerful Spanish nationThumb Dog

All serie

[SCEtoAUX]

That is neat. You can download a zip file with all of the models on that page.

[Thumb Dog]

Hi All,

Thanks, Tom. I've built a few of these small dioramas for this thread, and when I start each one, my expectations are pretty meh, as the young people say. But when I finish, their impact is always greater than their few simple parts. The photographs don't do them justice, and they really need to be seen up close to appreciate the effort that went into designing them.

And thanks, CryKitten for the baker's dozen of Construcciones Costales models. I enjoyed building these colorful models, and I hope you will, too.


Paper soldiers have been produced in vast numbers over the years, and not surprisingly these inexpensive “flats” were very popular during the depression-era Spanish Civil War. Whether they see chaotic battle in a boy’s bedroom or are more carefully handled on a landscaped wargaming table, paper soldiers are still published, built and collected to this day.

A 20th century paper soldier isn’t going to conquer anything without some paper armaments, and luckily there are an endless number of planes, tanks and ships available for the fight. Today’s post focuses on five paper ships published in 1939 by El Toro of Madrid, Spain. Believed to have been printed on two sheets of paper, one a mirror image of the other, the five ships can be built to show both port and starboard sides. My scanned copy only had the one side, so I mirrored the other side on my computer.

Each model is built as a three ply lamination of 110 lb. cardstock, then cut out with my hobby knife. The three layers of paper and two layers of glue quickly dull or break the point of my knife blade, so a quick swipe or two on my diamond hone brings the blade back to, if not new, at least a more usable condition.

After coloring the edges of the ships with a grey watercolor, I made bases out of blue mat board. In terms of geometry, the shape of each base is referred to as a lens. These mat board lenses were meant to represent the general shape of the ship’s hull, and I’ve used this form for the bases of many of my card ship models. It also helps to give a more three-dimensional look to the flat models. I draw out each lens with the aid of a set of mat board radii that I cut out years ago. Then I cut each lens down the middle and sandwich the ship between the halves.

The five ships are an aircraft carrier, battleship, cruiser, destroyer and submarine. My first set of photographs showed the carrier facing the wrong way, as I thought the curvy end of the ship represented a counter stern, like that of the Titanic. But no, the curvy end is the bow, so a second set of photos was taken. Although they are part of this set, neither Spanish navy ever operated an aircraft carrier or proper battleship during the Guerra Civil. Also, the wildly out-of-scale submarine is a very old, if not fantasy, type. All the other ships are quite modern in appearance.

For something so uncomplicated, these flat models convey a lot of information. Guns, masts and even aircraft can all be picked out with a little time spent at the cutting board. I was quite pleased with the way these simple ships turned out.

Score and fold,

Thumb Dog

[Thumb Dog]

Hi All,

The following three paragraphs are a recapitulation of the information found in the Francecs d’A López Sala blog, Sala Lúdica. https://salaludica1948.wordpress.com...ndo-1828-1936/

Editorial Hernando of Madrid was a Spanish publisher with a surprisingly long history. Begun in 1828 by Don Victoriano Hernando, the firm only entered into the printing of paper models at the beginning of the 1900s. Hernando was known for championing Spanish architectural and cultural subjects, whereas most other paper model publishers of the time focused on military subjects, such as paper soldiers and armaments.

Sadly, the long-lived company was dealt a crippling blow in November, 1936 when Nationalist air forces bombed the company’s offices and warehouse on Quintana Street during the Battle of Madrid. With the workplace destroyed, the firm never again produced any new paper models. However, some existing stock was rescued, and over the years it continued to be sold to the public.

Editorial Hernando was known for quality work, with a number of ambitious subjects in their catalog. The paper model of the Monisterio del Escorial was composed of five color sheets measuring 25” X 20 ½”. Also available was a model in the same format that included the Niña, Pinta and Santa Maria. The company was so proud and confident of their work that their rather high-minded logo included portraits of Cervantes and Gutenberg. A prolific publisher of recortables, a number of Hernando’s models are available for view on the internet.

Thanks for the information, Francesc.

Today’s model is the Acorazado, or battleship, Alfonso XIII. One of the three España class battleships, the 460‘ long Spanish-built dreadnought was launched in May of 1913 and was named after the young King of Spain. When Alfonso XIII left the throne in 1931 after the election of Spain’s Second Republic, it was necessary to rename the ship. Because Alfonso XIII’s sister ship España had been run aground and lost in August, 1923, the name was available and the Alfonso XIII was renamed España.

I was incorrect in earlier saying that the 8-inch guns on the Canarias class cruisers were the largest of any ship during the Guerra Civil, as the two remaining España class battleships each carried eight, 12-inch guns in four turrets. The twin ships did not survive the war, with the España, (née Alfonso XIII) now under the flag of the Nationalists, being lost in April, 1937 after striking a mine. The third sister, the Jaime I, was lost in June, 1937 by accidental explosion. All three of the class suffered a careless fate.

The model was a tricky build. Experienced paper modelers will take a close look at an uncut sheet and make a rough determination of parts placement. I found this model to be as confusing as the Alfonso XIII’s name change to that of her lost sister. But, I pressed ahead, and if not a thing of beauty, at least I got a straight, clean model when I was finished. Notable features are the three-part base, with its strange bow piece, necessitating the odd pinch at the forward waterline. The main deck house was the biggest mystery with its reverse folds and fuzzily printed parts numbers. The Alfonso XIII originally carried four turrets, however, the P and Q turrets, arranged in echelon, were not included in the kit. Also, secondary armament is seen superimposed onto the fore and aft turrets, something the real ship did not have.

I mirrored all the guns, ventilators, masts and lifeboats, as I could tell just by looking at them that the supplied reverse parts would not mate up properly. The imperial flag was a problem, too. If attached to the fantail in the manner it was designed, it would fly backwards. With all the problems sorted, the imprecisely hand-drawn kit built into an interesting, if inaccurate, model. First published in 1931, the Alfonso XIII is included here as it helps to tell the story of not only the war, but the demise of a respected publisher, Editorial Hernando.

This model, along with the similarly styled Royal Yacht Giralda and the cruiser Reina Regente are available on Francesc's site given above.

Score and fold,

Thumb Dog

[Amccombs3]

Many thanks for this fascinating series and your wonderful builds. I had no particular intereat in the Spanish Civil War, but you make it consistently interesting.

[Thumb Dog]

Hi All,

And hi, Amccombs3. Thanks for your encouraging comments. Even though I've had a lifelong interest in WW II, the war of my parents generation, I shared your past indifference concerning the Guerra Civil. But as I have been learning more, I've become aware of just how important to world events it was, and continues to be. Remarkably, Spain avoided involvement in both the First and Second World War. However, they couldn't seem to help themselves when it came to internecine bloodletting. A tragedy that lives with Spain to this day.

Half the enjoyment of this project has been building and photographing the models and the other half is the research involved. One thing I've learned over the years is that research is a step by step process, and sometimes you miss a step, or two. Just today I corrected myself concerning the guns carried by Spanish ships. As I was rereading today's post, I found two more items I got wrong. In last week's post concerning the El Toro flat ship models, I said no Spanish Navy operated a battleship during the war, and my post today showed that to be wrong. Also, today I said the Alfonso XIII didn't carry superimposed guns on the main turrets, but as I took a closer look at the photograph I myself posted...there it is, what appears to be a 37mm Quick Firing Gun atop the turret. And so it goes...

Thanks again,

Score and fold,

Thumb Dog

[Thumb Dog]

Hi All,

Continuing on with another model from Editorial Hernando is this mule-drawn, two-wheeled cart. Titled Carro de Batallón No. 1, this simple model reminds us of the contribution of our equine friends during times of war. While the 20th century European wars are usually thought of as fully mechanized, millions of horses, mules, ponies and donkeys were used by all combatants in all theaters. Here we see a patriotic mule being hitched to a typical military cart of the time. The large wheels and the covered box are reminiscent of an American Conestoga wagon. This go-anywhere cargo carrier could even serve as a temporary barrack if the need arose.

The model was easy enough to build. Although unseen in these photographs, mirrored parts were used to overlay the inside of the box. I printed out a section of black cardstock, and this was attached to the inside of the cart’s black cover. The two parts of the cover were glued up and then formed over an appropriately sized cylinder, making sure to keep the sides of the cover straight. I’ve never seen a black cover like this on any kind of covered wagon, and that, along with the image of the Spanish Imperial coat of arms and motto adds interest to this rustic model.

To help keep things strong and square, the floor of the cart was made from a single piece of 1/16” mahogany. Also, a brass axle was set into scratchbuilt mat board brackets that allow the wheels to turn. The now-familiar mat board bases were attached to the mule and his/her brightly costumed driver.

Again, this model was probably first published by Editorial Hernando before the start of the Spanish Civil War, but it may have been part of the remaining stock after the destruction of Hernando’s publishing house in 1936.

For a peaceful couple of days, it was a nice change of pace to build a wartime model that didn’t have a gun on it. Just a mule.

Score and fold,

Thumb Dog

[Vermin_King]

Very nicely done. I was looking for mules a while back, so now I know that someone had them once