November 13, 2021 – Man of Tin blog

Thanks to this reminder from the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum in USA I am reminded that it’s Robert Louis Stevenson’s birthday today, 13 November!

Born in 1850 in Edinburgh, today would have been his 171st birthday.

They have a full day of pirate birthday activities planned at the RLS museum – enjoy – but as it’s in St Helena CA (California) in another country, sadly I won’t be going.

RLS and his American wife Fanny Osborne stayed in this area of California when they married.

The Museum has the largest collection of Stevensoniana on public display in the world https://stevensonmuseum.org/the-museum/history/

Source: Pinterest / Nancy Horan, Roberts Louis Stevenson Museum collection

including some of RLS’ toy soldiers:

https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2020/10/02/robert-louis-stevensons-toy-soldiers/

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Not able to pop over to Mt. Helena to the RLS Museum?

You could of course celebrate RLS’ birthday at home by reading some Stevenson or even playing a toy soldier wargame.

Whilst convalescing, RLS played complex toy soldier war games written up by his stepson Lloyd Osborne in Scribners Magazine as the Yallobelly Times

http://vintagewargaming.blogspot.com/2009/11/robert-louis-stevenson.html

Famous as the author of Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson is less well known as an early war gamer.

His role as ” grandfather” or “great uncle” in the history of wargaming (depending where you place H.G. Wells) was acknowledged by “father of the modern wargame” Donald Featherstone in his book War Games (1962), a book that began the hobby careers of so many of us.

Toy soldiers also feature in several of his famous poems feature toy soldiers including “The Land of Counterpane” https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2016/12/12/the-land-of-counterpane/

which inspired one of my toy soldier wargames last year

https://poundstoreplasticwarriors.wordpress.com/2021/04/07/the-land-of-counterpane-invaded-part-2-the-battle/