E xactly 20 years ago -- appropriately enough on Leuthen Day 2005 -- the idea that became the Grand Duchy of Stollen hit me like a bolt out of the blue as the Grand Duchess baked a stollen for her German students across the hall from my old office ("The Purple Room") in our apartment/flat. The butterflies were thick that day. It was a snowy, cold Saturday. Final Exam Week was poised to start in a couple of days. I was sitting at the computer happily reading about toy soldiers on one or another online forum. I had recently discovered the now defunct Yahoo Old School Wargaming group along with Henry Hyde's original Battlegames and Phil Olley's Phil's War Cabinet sites along with Greg Horne's Duchy of Alzheim blog. Each outlet was, at the time, steeped in enthusiasm for mid-18th century wargaming, painting, and collecting in (often) imaginary settings. I was instantly hooked needless to say! All of that resonated with my ow...
Mid-18th Century Painting and Collecting with Occasional Tabletop Games in the Grand Manner Since 2006