A Siege During the French and Indian War

 

This diorama represents a siege scene from the French and Indian War, set in 18th-century North America. I recreated the moment when French colonial troops—recognizable by the flag of the Troupes de la Marine—lay siege to a British fort defended by redcoats and artillery.

I built the French camp using bright tents, barrels, crates, and Playmobil soldiers in action to give a sense of movement and life. One of the key features of this setup is the artillery line: the cannons are working reproductions, and I used small firecrackers instead of gunpowder to simulate firing in a safe but spectacular way.

The British fort in the background was handmade by me using polystyrene and cardboard. It’s so large that I had to remove one of the round towers to make the composition fit—but in the next version, I plan to restore it and include the entire structure.

Even though I’m happy with how the scene turned out, I’m not fully satisfied with the perspective and overall composition. That’s why I’ve decided to rebuild the diorama, improving the layout and camera angles to better convey the scale and intensity of the battle.

This project is a mix of my love for model building, historical storytelling, and a bit of creative pyrotechnics, all aimed at bringing this fascinating but often forgotten conflict to life.