Founded in 1984, Militaria Magazine has prime of place in France and in the world among the magazines devoted to collectors of military objects and souvenirs. Every month, collectors, contemporary history buffs and figurine amateurs discover the uniforms, equipment and insignia of soldiers and officers from 1914-1918 and from 1939-1945, though other periods in the 20th Century: the inter-war periods (1919-1939), the Indochina War (1945-1954), the Algerian War (1954-1962), the Viet-Nam War (1965-1975), etc. are also catered for.
What are “militaria”?
This term covers everything which concerns directly or indirectly military souvenirs: items of uniform, military headgear of all types, individual equipment, campaign packs, horse harnesses, insignia and decorations, light weapons (always deactivated because of legislation), little barrack-room objects, or from life on campaign, papers and military photos, etc; anything which is to be found today especially in the “weapon exchange marts”.
All these objects and mainly those dating from WWI (1914-1918) and WWII (1939-1945) have pride of place in Militaria Magazine. According to the formula which made it a success and a reference the world over, our magazine shows soldiers and officers from different countries (French, American, British, Germans, Russians, etc.) in the form of colour photos, giving details of each item of their uniform and their equipment. Nothing escapes analysis: from hand to foot, the helmet or the cloth headdress, the smock or the overcoat, the trousers, the boots, the belts, the haversack, the cartridge belts, pouches and water flasks, as well as individual weapons; everything is scrutinised with great accuracy. But subjects which are just as important are dealt with in depth and laterally, such as metal or cloth military insignia (with the history of the unit who wore them) or such as headgear which by itself is one of the most highly-prized collector’s themes: helmets, kepis, hats, forage caps, etc. which pop up regularly on the tables at the weapon marts everywhere in France and Europe.
The articles in Militaria Magazine are written by famous collectors and are richly illustrated with colour photos of uniforms and real equipment preserved today in these collections, together with period photos carefully chosen to show the same items in their real environment. This expert treatment enables novices to be initiated and experienced collectors to learn more. Thanks to the quality and diversity of the authors, French and foreign, Militaria Magazine covers the main belligerents of 1914-18 and 1939-45 (French, American, British, Germans, Russians, etc.) but also less well-known countries whose uniforms are presented as an exclusivity in our pages. Militaria Magazine also contributes to the development of another activity connected with collecting: reconstitution. A number of reconstitution groups, in France and Europe, don soldiers’ and officers’ uniforms from the 1914-18 and 1939-45 wars during public historic or commemorative demonstrations, in order to celebrate the memory of those they represent (Tommies, Poilus, GIs, etc). This new species of collector has given new dynamism to the subject, by presenting the collection “in motion”.
Militaria Magazine gives you more!
Apart from its documentary presentation, Militaria Magazine is also an exchange forum, with the following columns:
- “The Exchange Front” (le Front des Bourses): a complete calendar month by month of all the weapon and military souvenir exchanges.
- “Identifications” to enable readers to know their collection pieces better.
- “Readers’ letters” in order to comment on past articles.
- Association pages which show the intensive activity this leisure activity encourages, be it in the domain of pure collecting or in that of Living History (reconstitutions).
- The small ads from collectors and individuals where the amateur can find the item in his collection which is missing.
If you are already a reader of Militaria Magazine may I thank you for your loyalty. But if you have just discovered the magazine, I invite you to browse through these web pages.
Philippe Charbonnier
Editor
