1:35 Antique street lamp

The real subject

A street lamp of an older type is a feature that establishes the setting of a scene at once. Town lamps stood on a slender post with a profiled foot and carried a top with a cover against the rain; the shape differed from town to town, but the silhouette stays recognizable at first glance. On a diorama a lamp therefore works as a shorthand: by it a viewer recognizes a street even if only a piece of wall stands of the surrounding buildings.

What a lamp brings to a scene

An accessory for a diorama in 1:35 scale. Most scenes are low and spread out across an area, so a vertical feature is welcome; a lamp leads the eye upward and helps to close a composition off. At the same time it gives a scale to the figures and the vehicles, because its height is intimately familiar to a viewer.

Building and painting tips

Deal with the anchoring first. A slender post glued flat to the base will give way sooner or later, so it pays to extend the foot with a pin into a hole drilled in the terrain. Do not paint cast-iron posts pure black; a dark gray or brownish gray base coat with lightened edges looks more faithful and shows the shape better. Keep the traces of corrosion at the foot and in the places where water collects. Dust the surface off before painting and apply the paint in thin layers, so that the profiles are not lost. The particular procedure for preparing and joining the parts is given in the manufacturer's instructions.

Who it is for

For builders of urban dioramas in 1:35 scale and for anyone looking for a small feature that gives a scene depth. Prepare paints, glue and material for the terrain separately, unless stated otherwise.