FRANKLIN EXPEDITION PLAYMOBILIZED

It was a matter of time that the Franklin expedition ended in the Playmobil world. It has been by chance that I have found this shipwreck diorama in internet which, without no doubt at all, apparently resembles the Erebus shipwreck almost perfectly, including the cannon and the bell which were actually found in the Erebus and also the skeleton of the man who is supposed will be found on board, the big man with long teeth.

Author Retroplaymo
http://retroplaymo.blogspot.gr/2014/02/the-shipwreck.html

And how I stumbled upon this? You may be asking to yourself...well it was after Regina Koellner, a Franklin friend, were speaking about how transforming a playmobil into Francis Moira Rawdon Crozier that we began to discuss about what would we need to make a proper diorama about the Franklin expedition.

Daguerrotype of Crozier by Richard Beard.

 I began to wander in internet looking for a Playmobil ship with three masts to use as Erebus, then, I found this picture which amazed me. I linked it into our beloved facebook group and it was such a success that I think it was even sent to Ryan Harris, the chief diver who is directing operations in the actual shipwreck in the Arctic Archipielago.

Someone even suggested that the diver over the deck could be him, not in this case because that particular one is in fact a playmobil woman. Perhaps he could be the other diver who is wearing the dry diving suit.

I will try to contact the author of this shipwreck diorama and warn him about the effect his work has caused in the Franklin world, I thought at the beginning that his intention was to recreate the Erebus shipwreck but after identifying the source of this picture, a wonderful blog called Retroplaymoland, I have learnt that his intention was to recreate Greek´s shipwrecks.

These are the pictures of the actual shipwreck, judge by yourself:

http://www.charts.gc.ca/announcements-annonces/2014/serendipity-sonars-surveys/img/CMOS-Trifold%202-1.jpg

Erebus divings- The cannon

Erebus Divings- The Bell

Of course, soon my imagination combined with these long summer afternoons made me put all hands on deck. I inmediately stole Regina´s idea, for which I am really and sincerely sorry Regina, but you know I couldn´t help it, I had all the ingredients at hand!! and this was the result:

Crozier, last man standing carries his sword and gun and is prepare to his last death march. (Author: Me)

 I cut some yellow pieces of cloth to make the golden band of the cap and the epaulettes, made the scarf with a narrow black ribbon and made the white shirt collar with the corners of a paper. This playmobil who was a policeman in his other life looks now as if he were going to begin to walk in deep snow at any moment! 

 What is coming next? Only the future will say, I positively know that Regina is at work and surely she will be able to do a much better job that I have done, but what is certain is, that with this little Crozier, I  will have encouraged the imagination of others and I hope to see soon another scenes of the Franklin expedition reenacted in the Playmobil world.

This,unfortunately for my Peter Pan syndrome, hasn´t been my first approach relating Playmobil with the Franklin expedition, I did some quick dioramas once on which you can see a blonde Franklin with a map, James Fitzjames in his winter blue outfit and some other sailors on board a boat accompanied by Neptune the expedition´s dog. I know I should have used a white surface for this but ...next time, friends.