Course de taureaux – the bull fighter

Courtesy Toy Museum Soltau (“Spielmuseum Soltau”) in Germany,

I found an article in an old French technical magazine La Nature from 1895 about a tin toy made by Martin.
This piece is put in motion with the well-known Martin “rubber band” method, when the rubber band is woud up the bull and the toreador, describing a circle of which the support rod is the center, the bull jumps a small stub in the air 8 times each round.
It was first made in 1894
length approx 22,8 cm (9 inch)
The Martin article number is 129

The Martin “rubber band” method, for more information check out my blog: https://fernandmartintoys.nl/rubber-band-drive/
From the magazine La Nature 1894, Source: (Cnum – Digital Conservatory of Arts and Crafts – http://cnum.cnam.fr)

A free translation of the text above
The bullfighting game.
It is one of the new tin toys sold on the boulevards of Paris.
It is very timely and offers to the eyes of the passer-by a toreador waving a scarf in front of an angry bull.
The toreador runs away, and the bull follows him, throwing his horns.
Here is the explanation of the toy: the man and the bull are connected to a metal rod; the two rods thus serving as support are fixed to a vertical axis placed in the center of a hollow metal piece which imitates a rock.
Inside this rock is the “rubber band” twist motor generally employed for these kinds of animated figure toys.
The bull and the toreador, when the spring is stretched, turn describing a circle of which the support rod is the center.
This toy is built by Mr. Fernand Martin, 88, Menilmontant Boulevard, in Paris.

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