During my search for Martin toys and related matters, I found on a website at a dealer of antique drawings and etchings four different small etchings with toys on it.
These etchings are original and no copy, if you move slowly over the drawing with a sharp needle you can feel the ink lines.
I don’t know how many of them were printed, they are not numbered
They are made by the famous French etcher Louis Poyet, more about this etcher see my blog Louis Poyet and Fernand Martin from 31 May 2019. https://fernandmartintoys.nl/poyet/
The measurements are 8.1 x 9.8 cm (3,19 x.3,85 inch) each.
When I saw these etchings the firts time, they seemed familiar to me.
After a brief investigation, it appeared that they had already been published in the year 1892 in the French technical year magazine: “LA NATURE” on page 44 and 45
The four sheets contain drawings of toys at that time:
-A locomotive and a Locomobile from the well-known toy manufacturer C Rossignol.
-A revolver and a cannon, these are also made by C Rossignol.
-A spinning top, this is from the French toy manufacturer M Blanchon.
-Fernand Martin with two figures, the “LE LAPIN VIVANT” Martin number 32 and the “LE DIABLE EN BOITE” Martin number 33
What is particularly interesting about the etching with the Martins and the spinng top is that these drawing are made so that you can see the mechanism and see how they work.
Both two Martin toys were driven with the famous “rubber band” drive.
I have placed the etching with the Fernand Martin images in a small frame and added them to my collection of antique toys.
Now I can enjoy it every day.
And if you want to know more about the rabbit! see my older blog of April 13, 2020: Fernand Martin Le Lapin Vivant. https://fernandmartintoys.nl/therabbit/