"Keith Rocco's plates - 1815 Napoleon's Imperial Guard" Topic

Keith Rocco made available all 32 plates of this boxed set… For free! The quality of the reproductions isn't the best, but they are good enough. You can zoom in many times to see even the smallest detail. Each plate is accompanied by explanatory text.

Here's the link with all the plates: link

Obtained from Keith Rocco's website: link

Some samples… SOME OF THESE IMAGES ARE VERY LARGE. RIGHT-CLICK ON THE IMAGES, COPY AND PASTE THE URL/ADDRESS OF THE PHOTOS, THEN CLICK ON THE IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

CLICK ON THE LINKS AND THEN CLICK ON THE IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

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Absolutely fabulous. Not just the figures but the settings as well. Thank you.

Great stuff – thanks for posting.

I have two thin, soft cover books, of Keith's work, one Napoleonic the other on the Civil War.

Has he ever had more substantial hard cover books published like Don T?

Brilliant paintings. They really capture spirit and atmosphere. Weren't they going to be the illustrations for 'Napoleon's Last Army'? Whatever happened to those proposed books?

Trajanus, there was a volume produced by Military history press

I have the complete set which was definitely worth the price.

The prints are large format and excellent.

Glad you guys liked them.

Here's the controversial Gendarme d'Elite of the French Imperial Guard during the Waterloo campaign… Click on the image to enlarge it: link

There are so many controversial uniforms for the 100 Days and this is a prime example. Many a print a year or so later, after the second Restoration, shows the Gendarmes in the blue habit, Bardin style, with red lapels and short tails ie no visible waistcoat. Certainly many examples of this helmet still extant…but without the provenance needed to date them.

Did any 1st Chasseurs really wear the helmet with the disc punched out of the plate? Well there is the story of such a plate being dug up at Waterloo.

Did "Empress Dragoons" revert to the older long tailed coat with exposed waistcoat?

Did British Light Infantry, heck even Rifles, wear the Belgic shako? Yuk, I hope not.

Did any "Dutch" Netherlands troops really have a peak at the back of their shako in June 1815? What about the Carabiniers' helmets; were they there in time?

Wonderful prints above. My favourite is the least colourful. The command group of officers in long overcoats.

Great research gone into this, so surprised by the moustache on the solo Grenadier a Cheval….but somehow suspect there must be some basis for that.

There was a 'discussion' on whether or not the Grenadiers a Cheval wore mustaches in Belgium in 1815.

While they may have worn them as they had been redesignated cuirassiers during the first restoration, I don't agree that they would have worn them when rechristened Grenadiers a Cheval.

I believe that the old tradition would have been revived a shown in the first plate.

Even the suggestion is fascinating…well may be just to me. I had never thought of that. Cuirassiers of course, hence that coat, with the white belt over rather than under, that they surely did not wear at Waterloo.

Thanks though. Food for thought! The illustrations by Embleton in the Osprey trilogy on 1815 by Franklin do show moustaches. I admit I put it down to artistic error.

I made a comment on that volume-actually all three. In short, I was not impressed.

I have a little experience working with illustrators, and they paint/draw what they are given by the author.

So, if there is an error in a painting, it isn't the illustrator's fault-that distinct 'honor' belongs to the author.

wonder whatever happened to the Hougoumont book by John Franklin?

I see I ordered it on Amazon in May, 2016.

Tick….tick…tick…

Waiting for Godot took less time than this title.

Someday, I would love to read an explanation of book publishing from the various points of view.

Franklin's book isn't the only one. Someone questioned the Napoleon's Last Army books that took pre-payments on and have not delivers after years. [Full disclosure: I got my money back after countless deadlines past and publisher's explanations/excuses.]

One title I have had on order since May, 2015 is "Books on the ACW Era: A Critical Bibliography" by Walter Westcote. That one supposedly is to be released May,2018…three years after being offered for purchase.

What do these publishers do, putting these out there through distribution channels apparently years before commercialability?

What is up with that.?

Sorry for the hijacking.

I agree – terrible politics for an author as well, who has handed in his work for getting it published.

I have the complete set which was definitely worth the price.

The prints are large format and excellent.

kevin, so am I to understand these are published? I am presuming these were to be part of the 3 vol. set produced by Dana Lombardy Studios, and never published, at least by him?

When I go to Keith Rocco's site, they list a 100 edition set and only 15 left [which implies they have been on sale].

Interestingly, the description indicates that "These 32 prints are collected from the pages of "Napoleon's Last Army – 1815" ….which as far as I know has never been published.

Any insight?

Von Winterfeldt, is he being abused by his publisher?

I figure (naively perhaps) if the publisher thinks the product submitted is marketable (and in accordance with any contractual obligations) they would be eager to put it out there and earn revenue!

But perhaps different publishers follow different practices? Different by country?

This set of Keith Rocco prints of the Imperial Guard in Belgium in 1815 have been published in large format, with an accompanying text, all set in a portfolio.

It is an excellent set of prints and a great addition to any collection.

Brilliant paintings, absolutely brilliant. I too ordered 'Napoleon's Last Army'when the book was first advertised. According to Casemate publishers, the publication date is now August 2020. Why so long? It's very frustrating.

You guys must have the patience of saints. I generally give up on a publication date/order after six months and get my money back!

Let us be honest. How likely is the text to offer anything new? Not impossible I admit, just unlikely.

Chances are this will be what we call a "coffee table book". Pretty pictures to gaze at (and they surely are) but nothing to read.

I am still working through Hussey Vol I and I do realise that the 1815 campaign can still be re-evaluated by a skilful author.

Uniformology is far more challenging. If I had those three wishes from rubbing the lamp, I would love to be on one side of the field at Mt St Jean (up to about 1130!), to see what was actually worn that day. Snag is my accent and poor French would mean summary execution as a spy, if to the South. On the Allied side, imagine learning that all Light Infantry, the Rifles and even the 28th of Foot wore the Belgic shako. I would be physically sick…and none of you would believe me anyway. Cassandra!

"wonder whatever happened to the Hougoumont book by John Franklin?"

I was wondering that also. The book was listed to be released on Jan 14th for a long time, and it had already been delayed twice before, so I was pretty sure that this must be a sure date, but that date came and went. I emailed Fonthill Media to see if they are releasing it soon, but they didn't respond. I'm surprised they put a date out there for a long time and didn't pull the date when they had to know they weren't publishing the book. I'd like to ask John Franklin if he knows if the book is going to be published.

Must add my thanks to Cuirassier for pointing out that this is available to download. Makes for great reading, as well as mostly .superb illustrations. Good research gone into the attempt to transform the Royalist back to the Imperial Guard, with much study of equipment stocks, requisitions and delivery. The conclusion, all too often is either that we simply do not know, or that there was insufficient time for most new kit to materialise.

The book is a great find, saved as a PDF

Yes indeed, many thanks