Uniforms of Duchy of Warsaw

UNIFORMS OF DUCHY WARSAW

The Army of Duchy of Warsaw

L`Armée Du Duché De Varsovie

Die Armee des Herzogtums Warschau

Chelminski/Malibran

The following pages are dedicated to Polish Army of Napoleonic Era and its uniforms.

Jan V. Chelminski and A. Malibran published a lavishly illustrated two-volumes set in 1913 which was limited to 1000 copies. Most recently this book has been reproduced first time.

A. Malibran wrote a history of this army. Jan V. Chelminski painted 48 colour-plates of which 32 will be published in (thumbnail)-galleries here. I choose plates I assume most interesting, leaving out schools, medical service or well known uniforms as 1. Lancer Regiment of French Guard.

Each picture can be enlarged.

I think these pictures are not only of a certain quality and beauty, but in fact the only existing copy of a probably lost eyewitness source. According to reference in avant-propos there was a polish officer, named Roman Rupniecki, who painted in 1810 a set of aquarelles. These paintings have been used for the plates.

For those interested in Army of Duchy of Warsaw I recommend the really great folio books of Ryszard Morawski and Henryk Wielecki on Cavalry and on General staff, Artillery, Lancers and - most recently - Infantry of the Duchy published by Bellona. They should be still - at least - available from ebay or bookfinder.com .

Though of polish language desciptions of really gorgeous colour plates are bi- or even trilingual and there is a summary of other text in french and english.