This is a very early toy from 1885
Length approx. 17,8 cm/ 7 inches
Height approx. 12,5 cm/ 5 inches

No final product number is known for this toy.
In the book by Lourens Bas : Toymaker in Paris 1878 – 1912 he is listed under number 16 on page 45 but we now know that the numbering of the “first” period is completely different, see my article https://fernandmartintoys.nl/the-numbering-of-the-fernand-martin-first-period-who-can-help-me/

It has long remained unknown how this toy looked like but an article written by Renaud Fournier in the Antique Toy World Magazine of december 2016 mentions that one copy was found at a French auction, but a second copy has since been found at a French auction at Galerie de Chartres January 2022 at Le Coudray.
This toy is very fragile and both found pieces have missing parts such as broken hands, arms and heads.

These toys also appear not to be made of cardboard, as is stated in the book by Lourens Bas: Toymaker in Paris 1878 – 1912, but of tinplate and cast metal.
The front is lithographed and the back is blank tinplate.
The whole rests on two transverse strips.
The three figures are flexibly mounted on a rod.
On the front is written at the top the word Massacre and at the bottom in small FM Bté S.G.D.G. Paris Modele Déposé.

In the past, this toy will have been delivered in a box with one or more small balls to try to knock over one or more of the three figures.
The figures are a devil, a polichinelle and a pierrot made of cast metal.

We are not yet 100% sure from catalog images or the sales box whether this is really a Martin, but there are a few indications that this is a Martin:

• the reuse of the devil figure in the Le Jeu De Force from 1884 and the Le Diable En Boîte from 1890.
• the text : FM Bté S.G.D.G. Paris Modele Déposé, which can also be found practically written in the same way on other toys from that time such as the Les Joyeux Danseurs and the Les Courageux Scieurs De Long….

Photos of the toy: Jeu De Massacre, courtesy Renaud Fournier and Galerie de Chartres

Victor Bonnet produced various tin pistols in the period from 1919 to 1933.
The number we know now is 8 pieces but maybe we will discover more.
the list of the pistols known so far is:

The Victor Bonnet list with pistol models with article numbers
Le Pan-Pan 247
Flac 256
Bombarde 257
Le Pétard 258
Tape_Fort 262
Le Sans-Balle 264
Le Costaud 266
Le Corsaire ??

Here we present :

Name: Le Costaud
Number: 266
Year of first production: 1931
Dimensions: 14,5 cm x 11,5 cm / 5,7 inch x 4,53 inch

Patent number is FR 730.021 d.d. April 04-1931

After the relocation of the production of the Victor Bonnet factory in 1933, we no longer find pistols in the product range.
Probably is that the Victor Bonnet & Cie-in-liquidation, sold the patents and trademarks of guns/pistols to JEP.

first production date : 1912
production number: 227
height: 19 cm / 7,5 inch produced by Georges Flersheim

After winding, his head moves and his right hand goes spinning over the chestnuts, his left hand moves with the lid of the kettle.

Roasted sweet chestnuts were already sold in Rome in the sixteenth century. In Paris they were roasted and sold on the spot on the street, nowadays there are still many European places where they are offered on the street.

This street scene is of course also seen by toy manufacturers and like so many street scenes there was an ingenious inventor who designed a toy out of it.
I found an article in the magazine La Nature from 1911 with a description and picture of a “Le Marchand de Marrons” that looks very much like the Flersheim version.

The original inventor of this toy is Mr. Raoul Maurin from Paris. Source picture : (Cnum – Digital Conservatory of Arts and Crafts – http://cnum.cnam.fr magazine La Nature 1911

As is well known, Fernand Martin has bought many inventions from the small inventors in his career, this toy came from the old Martin portfolios, Martin had bought the design of this toy at the Concours Lepine in 1911 and Flersheim patented them under his name. Note:
Flersheim acquired with the company all Martin’s patents and this one is one of them.

Released with different logos and texts and the winding key at the bottom.

Maker: Fernand Martin

Year: 1897

Number: 159

Dimensions: High 20 cm ( 7,9 inch) Long 15 cm ( 5,9 inch)

This very rare toy is driven by a rubber band, Martin used this rubber band a lot in his first period.
A man pumps water from a village pump.
Many working figures are unknown and this toy had a real working pump.
Water had to be put in the container under the pump and after winding up the rubber band, the man started pumping and the water came out of the pump.

If you look at the drawing you can recognize the working of the pump.

I have seen this toy with the man in two differend colors, yellow en red. This man was also used by Martin in other toys such as the La Famille vélo from 1897, the Le Monocycle aérien from 1896 and with a toy which I previously wrote a piece about but is unknown so far, see my blog: https://fernandmartintoys.nl/did-i-found-an-unknown-martin-toy-or-not/

In the next Ladenburger Toyauction there is one Martin toy with Lot number 017 but there are many more other beautiful pieces in this auction
We are pleased to present you this catalog in German and English language.

For the complete overview, Auction terms & Info, Shipping & Payment look at this site:
https://www.spielzeugauktion.de/?&lang=en

Le Pompier L’Echelle – (the fireman) – Martin number 197bis. This model was made by Victor Bonnet from 1919.

The price is in Euro € and without Buyer’s Premium and subject to errors.
Always check the auction site for the results.

Regarding the objects described in this article, I do not make a statement about authenticity, condition or value.
I advise interested collectors always do to research yourself, to view the object or to contact the seller / auction

Victor Bonnet produced various tin pistols in the period from 1919 to 1933.
The number we know now is 8 pieces but maybe we will discover more.
the list of the pistols known so far is:

The Victor Bonnet list with pistol models with article numbers
Le Pan-Pan 247
Flac 256
Bombarde 257
Le Pétard 258
Tape_Fort 262
Le Sans-Balle 264
Le Costaud 266
Le Corsaire ??

Here we present :

Name: Le Sans-Balle
Number: 264
Year of first production: 1929
Dimensions: 9,5 cm x 7 cm / 3,75 inch x 2,8 inch

In the next Ladenburger Toyauction there is one Martin toy with Lot number 017 but there are many more other beautiful pieces in this auction
We are pleased to present you this catalog in German and English language.

For the complete overview, Auction terms & Info, Shipping & Payment look at this site:
https://www.spielzeugauktion.de/?&lang=en

Le Pompier L’Echelle – (the fireman) – Martin number 197bis. This model was made by Victor Bonnet from 1919.

After the auction, I will publish the realized price for this Martin.

Regarding the objects described in this article, I do not make a statement about authenticity, condition or value.
I advise interested collectors always do to research yourself, to view the object or to contact the seller / auction

We all know the chestnut vendor “Chauds les Marrons” , it was produced by Georges Flersheim but Fernand Martin bought the rights during the annual “Concours Lepine” in 1911.

Here an article from I found in the magazine “La Nature” from 1911 of the “original” toy.

A free translation:

TOYS

The chestnut vendor.
Here comes winter.
The chestnut merchant sets up his itinerant shop under a doorway or on a street corner and offers passers-by a bargain.
The one shown in our drawing is very natural.
With one hand he stirs the contents of the pan, with the other hand he keeps the circle and the movement of his head towards the oranges and chestnuts, kept warm under a cloth, very clearly indicating that he offers his goods to passers-by.
How does it all work?
The circular movement of the right arm, the one that stirs the chestnuts, is done by means of a rod A, driven by the spring mechanism placed in B, and crossing the pan to direct the hand using a pin C.
The head is driven by a rod D taken eccentrically and hidden in the body of the man from the “Auvergne” (province in France)
The inventor is mr. Raoul Maurin, 24 rue de Belfort, Paris.

I will soon make another blog with more details and things worth knowing about this toy.

The early period of the pavements in Paris around 1900

With the increase in traffic on the streets of Paris in the late 1800s and early 1900s, it was necessary to cover the ground with a homogeneous material that was easy to drive on and walk on.
At that time, there were 5 options: large cobblestones, small pitted cobblestones, wooden cobblestones, asphalt or macadam.
These five different types of pavement were successively used in the city, each with their advantages and disadvantages.
The method of paving with wooden cobblestones received a lot of enthusiasm at the time and was the first option developed.
Made of pine, these wooden pavers were laid perpendicular to the road and then sealed with bitumen.
The wooden pavers were finally abandoned completely after 1930 in favor of stone pavers.

So around the turn of the 20e century and long afterwards you could see the asphalt workers in the streets.
A wagon with boiling hot asphalt was pulled by a horse.
The asphalt was poured into buckets and distributed over the existing wooden cobblestones in the streets and on the sidewalks.
A tough and hot job.

Fernand Martin made a toy as a result of these diligent workers and put it on the market in 1903
The toy is about 26 cm / 10,2 inch long and was powered by a clockwork.
The man at the back is also driven by this clockwork, which makes it seem as if he rotates a rod, you can also see the same rod on the images of the real asphalt wagons.

Fernand Martin number 194

This article is published in the June 2023 issue of ANTIQUE TOY WORLD monthly magazine. After publication in the ATW, this article has been slightly modified in a few places

These boxes contain very different toys than we know from Fernand Martin.
At the end of 1900, many toy manufacturers made little figures, mostly from tin/lead, wood, tinplate or a mixture of wood flour and glue, in Germany called “Masse” (such as Elastolin, Lineol etc.).

The smallest Martin figures like the chickens, ducks, goose etc. are made of tin/lead and massive.
The bigger Martin figures like the cows, dogs, sheep, building, fences, persons etc. are made of two kinds of metal, I tested them all with a magnet, the bottom plate is magnetic so tinplate and the figures, animals, etc. are not magnetic.
I think they are made of pewter (a ductile metal alloy of tin and other metals ) and soldered / welded to the bottom plate.
They are not massive but hollow on the inside, which makes them very light and all painted by hand.
These boxes have the Martin number 165 and were produced from 1898.

Number 165:

On this original catalog image are various numbers and texts.
The numbers are clear, what is striking is that number 5 is missing.
The first three numbers are about a village,
From number 4 and 6 till 9 you see behind each number 4 names
The translation of these names in English are : menangerie— farm —hunting scene and shepherd.
So there must be a total of 23 different boxes
These boxes are very rare, but I have received two pictures from Frédéric Marchand of a box with a hunting scene.

On the box is also the text “No” but the number is not visible anymore and probably written earlier in pencil and almost completely disappeared in the last more than 120 years.
I tried to “edit” the image and I could very badly discover that there might have been a 7.

In my collection I have a nice group of a shepherd with his sheep and a group of a farmer with animals, both without the box.

This shepherd with his sheep was purchased from a large French toy dealer and he told me that these were determined by Frédéric Marchand as Martins, (Bergerie) but which box number is unknown.
The figures themselves do not have an FM logo or the like and I don’t know if it is complete.
The shepherd is about 7 cm high (2.76 inch) and the farmer is about 5,5 cm high ( 2,17 inch).

Number 166:

Boxes with wooden and hand painted decorations with number 166.
These boxes with background decorations were sold complete with figures and animals, on the catalog pages is mentioned the text: “Animaux modelés d’après nature”, and that’s translated: “Animals modeled after nature“
I count a total of 12 different boxes on the catalog page, but the numbers 20-21-22 and 50-51-52 are still a mystery to me!

But I found a little more.
One of the old original Fermand Martin catalogs contains an image of other boxes with animals and figures.
This box is not numbered in the catalog but is depicted immediately after the box number 165 “Jouets en Boites“.
This box contains figures and animals.
The French text is: Animaux & sujets en vrac. assortis à la grosse and that means: Animals & subjects in bulk. Assorted by the dozen. So they are extension boxes for the boxes with number 165 and 166 “.
According to the picture there are 3 different boxes with each a different assortment.

In this image of the Extension box: assortment number 2, you can also clearly see from the box of the Shepherd (Bergerie) and the box of the Farm (Ferme), the both type of sheep, cow, goat, donkey, dog, farmer and some of the animals from the box Hunting (Chasse) the wild boar, deer, fence and the two dogs.

The catalog image “Extension box: assortment number 2” is not depicted in the book “Fernand Martin Toymaker in Paris 1878-1912”.
The toys that belonged to the numbers 163 to 166 were not clear to both authors at the time the book was made. ( see their comments on page 101 in this book )

On an original poster by Fernand Martin from 1902 with a lot of toys from that time, there is an image with 12 pigs, with this image it is stated: Animaux sur cartes (Animals On Card). The card is marked FM in a circle and the well-known triangle with 138. So I assume that there were several different replenishment cards to supplement the boxes, whether these cards were given a separate number is unknown to me until now.

What also appears is that these same figures were probably also used in the articles with the numbers 131 to 143 from 1894.

Conclusion:

In the book “Fernand Martin Toymaker in Paris 1878-1912” p. 101-102 the toys that belonged to the numbers 163 to 166 were not clear to both authors at the time the book was made. ( see their comments on page 101 in this book ) This article has brought some clarity, but there is still a lot is unclear.
In this article I present the articles numbered 165 and 166.
In the list of Martin articles in the period 1897 – 1898, there are two numbers left (numbers 163 and 164) of which we do not know for which article these are.
There is a possibility that these two numbers are for the “expansion boxes” and/or for the “animals on card”, but I have no proof of that yet.
Furthermore, the numbering on the original catalog page with article number 166 with the wooden boxes is still unclear.
It appears that many different boxes were sold with many different figures in each box, an enumeration of these is almost impossible.

Perhaps there are more figurines and boxes to be found among collectors.
If you have something like that, please let me know so that the “Martin” puzzle becomes a little more complete.

According to the Martin book: Fernand Martin Toymaker in Paris. page 110 there are two versions of the L’ homme de corvée, Martin number 173, in the text on this page it is not clear why they differ. They both have different clothes and a different cap

This toy is mentioned in a French newspaper from 1900 and in the text in this newspaper it is mentioned that there are a French soldier and an English sailor.

Part of the text from the article: LES JOUETS DE L’ANNÉE in the French newspaper: Le Patriote de la Vendée 1900, Journal de Politique, Agricole et Commercial, Organe d’union Républicaine.

Translation: Then it is the “L’ homme de corvée”, a small French soldier or English sailor, depending on the country of destination, who operates a broom

I found another article in the magazine: La Charente December 18, 1900 indicating that the English sailor toy was produced especially for the English market.
a part of the text of that article:
Les Jouets Du Nouvel An
–Then there is – the “L’ homme de corvée” – a small English sailor or an French soldier, who operates a broom, the name depending on the country of destination.–

A catalog page /box label is known. It is also not known if two different boxes were released or if they were both sold in the same box, I presume in the same box as the instructions for use are written on this label are in French, English and Spanish.

Photos courtesy Bertoia Auctions, Catalog label and postcard are from my own collection. French newspaper article source gallica.bnf.fr: Le Patriote de la Vendée 1900, Journal de Politique, Agricole et Commercial, Organe d’union Républicaine

In a few previous blogs I showed postcards depicting Martin toys.

fernand-martin-and-postcards

personal-postcard-from-fernand-martin

postcards-with-martin-toys

I have now been able to add a new postcard to my collection depicting a Martin toy and a few other French toys, on this card you can see the Le Petit Livreur

On the front of this postcard is the text : Jouets d’enfants mécaniques et á traction. On the back Grands magasins parisiens and the date 1920
This postcard is made in France 1995

Victor Bonnet produced various tin pistols in the period from 1919 to 1933.
The number we know now is 8 pieces but maybe we will discover more.
the list of the pistols known so far is:

The Victor Bonnet list with pistol models with article numbers
Le Pan-Pan 247
Flac 256
Bombarde 257
Le Pétard 258
Tape_Fort 262
Le Sans-Balle 264
Le Costaud 266
Le Corsaire ??

Here we present :

Name: Tape_Fort
Number: 262
Year of first production: 1929
Dimensions: 11,5 cm x 9 cm / 4,5 inch x 3,5 inch

This toy and old games magazine was the magazine of the Society of lovers of old toys and games, called Amateurs de jouets et jeux anciens.
Founded in 1905 by Henry René d’Allemagne, Léo Claretie and Arthur Maury
It counted, among other illustrious members, Sarah Bernhardt, the prefect of Police Lépine, Fernand Martin, Maugin, Rollet, the Baroness of Rothschild, the Duchess of Uzès and many more.

The Society had its headquarters at 215 Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris
I don’t know how many editions there have been but my copy is number 26 5th volume July – August 1909.

The first issue has the name Les Jouets et Jeux Anciens, this name has been changed in January 1907 in a new name: L’art & L’enfant.
The company will disappear with the First World War, probably the last number was number 55 from July-August 1914.

These illustrated bulletins are very rare because they were not sold but provided only to the members of the society.

The first volume published was in June 1905. The issue’s are abundantly illustrated with figures and plates, sometimes in color. This first issue contains a list of members with a total of 82 names.

In the toy book of Mary Hiller Automata & Machanical Toys from 1976 on page 165 you can read: A report from one such meeting in 1906 told of a cinematograph show witch not only pictured work going on at the factory of Fernand Martin but ended with little dramatic scenes wher the actors were actually the Martin “bonshommes”. Fernand Martin attended this meeting and was held at the Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers on April 1 -1906

I received a copy of this report, which included the following text:

Translation:
Then the whole series of well-known mechanical toys was paraded before us that are manufactured in the factory of Mr. Fernand Martin. Cinematographic films presented the workshops and the tools of this manufacture; hands showed the toys being made, turning them, turning them over, while the lecturer gave the explanation (very curious effect).
Then, finally, the cinematograph projected amusing and dramatic scenes, the actors of which were Mr. Martin’s’s mechanical little bonshommes.

Now we have to find this movie(s) , does this movie(s) still exist??? or is this movie(s) somewhere in an archive, maybe we’ll never know?

Special thanks to Mr. Claude Lamboley for providing the necessary information and images

Victor Bonnet produced various tin pistols in the period from 1919 to 1933.
The number we know now is 8 pieces but maybe we will discover more.
the list of the pistols known so far is:

The Victor Bonnet list with pistol models with article numbers
Le Pan-Pan 247
Flac 256
Bombarde 257
Le Pétard 258
Tape_Fort 262
Le Sans-Balle 264
Le Costaud 266
Le Corsaire 269 ??

Here we present :

Name: Le Pétard
Number: 258
Year of first production: 1927
Dimensions: 11 cm x 8,5 cm / 4,5 inch x 3,35 inch

Here is a link to a catalog by Victor Bonnet from about 1929.
I found this catalog on the site of ATCA (Antique Toy Collectors of America) I only saw that they have a wrong date 1902, the Victor Bonnet period started in 1919 till 1933

Here the link to the ATCA: https://atca-club.org

The ATCA is a group of collectors who delight in the history and preservation of toys, who exchange information about toys, and willingly share their knowledge with other members and the public. We are all passionate in our collecting and seeking and encourage others who relive childhood dreams through the joy of collecting antique toys.
I have been given permission to post a link to this catalog in my blog.
Have fun browsing.

Victor Bonnet & Cie – Les Jouets Mecaniques de Fernand Martin – 1929

first production date : 1899
production number: 169
height: 20 cm / 7,87 inch produced by Fernand Martin

After winding up, this goose walks forward step by step, in a very natural way, moving its neck from left to right in the tempo of its walk.

This goose was found with several different Martin keys and is marked on the bottom right with the round FM logo

The accompanying text to this figure is:
Finally we find a goose gently shaking its neck, swinging from side to side, following the favorite movement of these birds, advancing little by little: “with majestic slowness”.
These small automatons are manufactured by Mr. Fernand Martin manufacturer of iron automatic and mechanical toys 88 Boulevard Menilmontant in Paris

In an earlier article I also wrote about this goose, it was then that the image of this goose was used on an edition of a piece of music composed by AD. Gauwin.

This very rare and original stereo glass plate is in the private possession of Bruno Cirla and Christophe Feraud from Massilia Toys in Marseille
The photo was taken at the World Exhibition in Liège, Belgium in 1905 by Jules Richard.

Jules Richard was a French photographer, businessman and instrument maker. He was the inventor and manufacturer of the Verascope stereographic cameras.

If you look closely at the photo you can clearly see that on the table are a whole group of Fernand Martin toys.

On the left you see a part of een statue ( in white the base and in black a part of the table ) this colossal statue was a personifying the Toy Fairy distributing toys.

On the side of: www.worldfairs.info there is an report of this World exhibition in Liège in 1905. you can read that there were toys in the section “BIMBELOTERIE” , in the names you can recognize that they must be Fernand Martin toys.

The French text: …les petits automates: la portière, la boulangère, la marchande d’oranges, le pompier, l’avocat gesticulant au bout de ses grandes et larges manches, le pianiste véhément, le cuisinier et combien d’autres encore.

Translation: …the little automatons: the portress, the baker, the orange seller, the fireman, the lawyer gesticulating at the end of his big and wide sleeves, the vehement pianist, the cook and how many others besides.

An overview of the contents of the new Antique Toy World Magazine July 2023 :

Antique Toy World is the leading publication for toy collectors worldwide.

Published since 1970.
Antique Toy World is a monthly magazine published in the USA by Dale Kelley, the magazine’s founder, editor and publisher.

To subscribe go to https://antiquetoyworld.com/about-atw/
Email: ads@antiquetoyworld.com

This article is published in the August 2020 issue of the ATW Antique Toy World magazine. https://antiquetoyworld.com/about-atw/

Updated version with new facts:

S.I.J.I.M.
This toy maker from Paris made very nice toys.
This manufacturer is named S.I.J.I.M. and the director was Prosper Lévi.
He started his factory in 1909 but the firm ceased to exist in 1913 or 1914.
S.I.J.I.M. means: Société Industrielle de jouets et d’inventions mécaniques.

Prosper Lévi had his trademarks protected in France on July 23, 1909 and internationally on September 20, 1909.

REGISTRATIONS MADE AT THE INTERNATIONAL OFFICE.
The INTERNATIONAL REGISTRATION of obove trademarks is done through the intermediary of the administration of the country of origin of the trademark. It currently provides trademarks with legal protection in Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Cuba, Spain, France, Hungary, Italy, Mexico, The Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland and in Tunisië

We know very little about this company, maybe we will find out more in the future and maybe we will find unknown catalogs.
He has not made many different pieces but what he made was beautiful.

Between the S.I.J.I.M. factory and the Fernand Martin factory was in 1912 a lawsuit, this lawsuit was about the Le Rapide Livreur from S.I.J.I.M. and the Petit Livreur from Fernand Martin.
Prosper Lévy from (S.I.J.I.M.) accused Fernand Martin having committed plagiarism.

If you look closely at Lévi’s patent you will see in the header a text in squared brackets.
translation: [ Guarantee certificate delivered to M. Jules Boucheron (of whom Mr. Lévi is assignee) on the occasion of the 10th Lépine Contest of toys and articles de Paris opend in Paris the August 12, 1910]

It just means that Jules Boucheron assigned his invention to Mr. Lévi at the occasion of the 10th Lépine Contest.
This means that Mr Lévi was not the inventor of this toy but that was Jules Boucheron.
Jules Boucheron was a small inventor probably without production opportunities and infrastructure.
Many toy manufacturers including Martin bought the rights from small inventors at the “Concours Lépine”.

In July 1914 Fernand Martin give a statement on the alleged allegations of plagiarism and the resulting lawsuit as mentioned above:
COMMUNICATES
We receive from our colleague, Mr. Fernand Martin, the following note with a request to insert: We are pleased to take that the infringement action brought by Mr. Levi against Mr. F. Martin, for a toy called “The Delivery Person” will not be followed up, Mr. Levi having recognized that it is wrongly and without right gull has assigned Mr. Martin in infringement. For his part, Mr. Martin, in the presence of this declaration, waived his claim for damages. The case is therefore closed.

Martin kept his “Petit Livreur” in production and it was equally produced till in the 1930’s by Victor Bonnet and probably even into the 1950s bye his sons.

The best selling and known toy was the organ grinder: le joueur d’orgue, even till nowadays this is often referred to as a Martin. But you can see on the box and on the catalog page that it is clearly a S.I.J.I.M. toy.

But S.I.J.I.M. has also made less well-known pieces.
See these two pages of a catalog of S.I.J.I.M.

These two pages contain the following toys.
Number 32 La Poussette. (The Stroller)
Number 33 Le Joueur d’orgue. (The Organ Player)
Number 34 Les Chevaux Hygieniques (Hygienic Horses)
Number 35 L’apprenti Cavalier. (The Rider Apprentice)
Number 36 Le Rapide Livreur (The Fast Delivery Man)
I don’t know if more toys are made because it is weird to start with number 32.
There is 1 piece which is probably also made by S.I.J.I.M., it is the Le Saute Mouton. (The leap frog)
This, Le Saute Mouton. (The leap frog), toy was depicted in a magazine from the Choumara Paris store in 1912 together with other S.I.J.I.M. , Martin and other toys.

From 1897 many toy manufacturers place the famous triangle with the text “Article Francais” and around it the text “Marque Deposee” , under the triangle a number, this sign was exclusively granted by the Chambre Syndicale des Fabricants de Jouets to French toymakers who requested it. The number just reflects the order of the request in the sequence of the requests.
So this number was different per manufacturer.
Take a good look at the catalog page, you will also see this triangle by S.I.J.I.M. has been given number 248.
Martin had the number 138, here you can see how important this number could be to find out which manufacturer has produced a toy.

Mr Lévi made his own toys and many toys are in the “style” of the Fernand Martin and Flersheim toys.
And not without success because his models are very beautiful.
Like many toy manufacturers, a lot of ideas was copied from competitors.
As an example, compare the boy in the chair of Martin ( Le jeune ecuyer ) and the one of Lévi (L’apprenti Cavalier) same “idea” but with a different chair position and a different moving action. Who borrowed from whom ??

The mechanisms of these S.I.J.I.M. toys are different from those of Martin, often more sophisticated and of a better quality and therefore more expensive to produce.
However, this did not result in a higher selling price than Fernand Martin/ Flersheim’s toys, but lack of profitability seems to be the reason for the cessation of activity in 1913 or 1914 just before the start of the First World War.
Now most of these S.I.J.I.M. toys are rarer than Martin, Flersheim and Victor Bonnet toys and are traded at very good prices.

A thank you to Frederic Marchand for the permission to use the two catalog pages and the additional information.

All toys with without reference are from my collection

cor@vanschaijk.com

Blog: www.fernandmartintoys.nl

Victor Bonnet produced various tin pistols in the period from 1919 to 1933.
The number we know now is 8 pieces but maybe we will discover more.
the list of the pistols known so far is:

The Victor Bonnet list with pistol models with article numbers
Le Pan-Pan 247
Flac 256
Bombarde 257
Le Pétard 258
Tape_Fort 262
Le Sans-Balle 264
Le Costaud 266
Le Corsaire 269 ??

Here we present :

Name: Bombarde
Number: 257
Year of first production: 1925
Dimensions: 11,5 cm x 8,5 cm / 4,5 inch x 3,35 inch

Patent number is FR 617259_A d.d. October 10-1925

See the catalog of the 97th Toy Auction online!

This auction features more than 2200 items of tin toys, trains, figures and model cars and this time with two Fernand Martin / Victor Bonnet toys.

This is a room bidding but you can also take part in the online bidding live via telephone, register your written predids or using the auction platforms lot-tissimo, the-saleroom and liveauctioneers and Sixbid you are able to to bid online. So you can submit your bids in real time during the auction. Therefor it is necessary to register on the platform of your choice not later than 24 hours before the auction starts.

The easiest way to participate in our auctions is to use our online catalogue. Here you can view all the items and directly place written pre-bids. See the catalog in the link below. You can also read the catalog in English

Catalog : https://auktionen.anticomondo.de/en/objekte?aid=50&Lstatus=0

We hope you enjoy reading and browsing through the new catalog!

The result prices are in Euro € and without Buyer’s Premium and subject to errors.
Always check the auction site for the results.

Regarding the objects described in this article, I do not make a statement about condition or value.
I advise interested collectors always do to research yourself, to view the object or to contact the seller / auction

A fairly unknown toy from 1889.
A man standing on a platform and beats the drum and the cymbals of the rubber band mechanism.

This toy has been given product number 111

We also know that Martin got his ideas from everywhere.
I saw in an old catalog: La nouvelle revue parisienne from 1894 an advertisement for a shooting game consisting of a rifle and a target, but on top of the target is a figure.
If you hit the target the figure hits the bass drum and the cymbals.

Martin probably noticed this too and 5 years later he made a toy out of it and put it on the market, now with a rubber band mechanism, after winding up, the man hits the bass drum and the cymbals.

If you ever want to visit Amsterdam, be sure to visit this antique center, it is definitely worth it for toy collectors.

The Antiques Centre Amsterdam is a paradise for the connoisseur of unique objects from all different periods and styles. At a floor space of over 1700 m2 you will find not only a wide and surprising range of 17th, 18th and 19th century antiques and Art Deco, but also art, bric-à-brac, stylish vintage and designs of the fifties, sixties and seventies.

The Antiques Centre Amsterdam is the largest indoor antique market of the Netherlands. We have an enormous selection, provided by 55 specialized antique dealers, who offer a constantly changing and very impressive collection of antique jewellery, splendid lighting, crystal chandeliers, silver, special miniatures, objects the vertu, tableware, military objects, toys, rare ceramics, delicate porcelain, Murano glass, impressive bronze statues, Delft Blue, paintings, wall decorations and even small furniture. And besides all this there are also different display cases with unique and special collector’s items for sale.

Whatever you are looking for, you will find it at the Antiques Centre Amsterdam. Whether it is to decorate your house, a utensil, an original gift, an acquisition for your collection or a striking prop for a photoshoot.

The Antiques Centre Amsterdam is located in the centre of Amsterdam, at the Elandsgracht 109. The Elandsgracht is the gateway to the popular shopping area The Nine Streets.

From the different display cases with unique and special collector’s items are display cases with antique toys. Toys from the well-known toys from manufacturers known to us, including of course Fernand Martin.
The stock changes constantly because the various traders replenish their sold items.

Antiekcentrum Amsterdam
Elandsgracht 109
1016 TT Amsterdam

Tel: +31 (0)20 624 90 38
info@antiekcentrumamsterdam.nl

Open:
Monday: 11:00 – 18:00
Tuesday: closed
Wednesday: 11:00 – 18:00
Thursday: 11:00 – 18:00
Friday: 11:00 – 18:00
Saturday: 11:00 – 17:00
Sunday: 11:00 – 17:00

Pictures courtesy :
Barry and Leo van der Waal
Arnaud ter Haak of the Antique Center Amsterdam

updated version:

In a previous blog from 13 April, I show you a drawing of the Rabbit from Martin, this drawing was made by Louis Poyet.

Louis Poyet (born in Saint-Etienne, 1846 – died in Paris, 1913) was a draftsman, etcher and French illustrator known for his work that he made together with scientists, industrialists and engineers.

Louis Poyet moved to Paris and in 1877 he opened his own print studio.

His workshop had around 40 craftsmen
He started working for Gaston Tissandier as an Illustrator / writer for the La Nature magazine, for which he continued to work until his death.
He signed with “Poyet” and sometimes “L. Poyet”.

He has made many beautiful etchings for Martin that have been published in, among others, the magazine: La Nature

He also worked on several books and magazines so as:

-The book of Charles Masson, published in 1884 entitled: The scientific recreation for education and play.

-The magazine: Le Chercheur from Arthur Good

-Poyet was also one of the industrial illustrators of images for the book series Les Grandes Usines published by Michel Levy from 1876 till 1881.

-In 1889 he worked for Tom Tit (pseudonym of Arthur Good engineer) with which he worked on:
The Recreational Science section in the L’Illustration magazine
The Fun Science a booklet with 100 Experiments, with 115 Drawings in 1890.
This first booklet was again published in 1893 and then followed by two completely new editions.

The success factor of this series was enormous
Translations were sold in 1891 in Spain, England, the United States, Scandinavia, Russia.
There are around 130 different editions of these three volumes, released until the 1920s.

To complete the circle, one of Martin’s toys, the Le “Tom Tit” Martin number 157 (See in the 2014 book: Fernand Martin toymaker in Paris on page 95 ) was based on one of the experiments from Tom Tit; La rotation de la Terre

Below you see on the left the drawing from the book “La Science Amusant” van Tom Tit, this drawing was made by Louis Poyet, on the right an image from a page of a catalog by Fernand Martin

After the death of Louis Poyet in 1913 his studio was taken over by his sons Roger in Raphael, under the name “Poyet Brothers”.

Victor Bonnet produced various tin pistols in the period from 1919 to 1933.
The number we know now is 8 pieces but maybe we will discover more.
the list of the pistols known so far is:

The Victor Bonnet list with pistol models with article numbers
Le Pan-Pan 247
Flac 256
Bombarde 257
Le Pétard 258
Tape_Fort 262
Le Sans-Balle 264
Le Costaud 266
Le Corsaire 269 ??

Here we present :

Name: Flac
Number: 256
Year of first production: 1927
Dimensions: 8,5 cm x 7 cm / 3,35 inch x 2,76 inch

Victor Bonnet produced various tin pistols in the period from 1919 to 1933.
The number we know now is 8 pieces but maybe we will discover more.
The list of the pistols known so far is:

The Victor Bonnet list with pistol models with article numbers
Le Pan-Pan 247
Flac 256
Bombarde 257
Le Pétard 258
Tape_Fort 262
Le Sans-Balle 264
Le Costaud 266
Le Corsaire 269 ??

Here we present :

Name: Le Pan pan
Number: 247
Year of first production: 1919
Dimensions: 11,5 cm x 9 cm / 4,5 inch x 3,5 inch