Produced from 1901
Product number 185
Hand lacquered
Mechanism: Clockwork
Height approx. 20 cm / 7,9 inches
Well dressed with a top hat, walking stick and cigar, strolling along the Parisian boulevards
This dignified gentleman has a special walking mechanism which can be seen on the patent drawing, this mechanism was used the first time on the Les Agents number 178.
The legs lift up one by one and because there is a “pin” mechanism in the inside of his shoes, see below in the patent drawing : Fig. 4 – 5 – 6 and 7, he remains upright while walking and does not fall over.
There is also a patent issued in England, here it was given number GB19000597A, this patent is dated : March 30 -1900 and has exactly the same drawing as the French patent.
His official name is “Le Vieux Marcheur” but on a picture from the French magazine Soleil du dimanche from 1905, I found in an article specifically about the Martin toys, with another name: Le Gommeux. There are many translations for this in English but what I think they mean is: The Dandy
