Concept of the Magazine
for militaria, military history and scale modelling
- SIGNUM LAUDIS is a magazine in the English and Croatian language, published by SIGNUM LAUDIS ASSOCIATION
- 3 issues per year
- The emphasis is on military uniforms, personal equipment and military markings, as well as military decorations and military flags
- The magazine also deals with the design and historical dimension of the military hardware, antique weapons, military history and scale modelling
- The magazine contains sections like Scale Models Review, Book Review, Militaria News, "Time Machine" and various reports
- The magazine is not limited by historical periods or geography, but has an inclination towards "exotics", towards something new, not yet discovered or something unusual
- The magazine is aimed at people concerned with militaria and military history, either professionals or enthusiasts, movie makers, collectors, scale modellers and others
- The magazine has 96 pages in colour
- The articles are richly illustrated with pictures, maps and plans, together with many authentic contemporary and other photographs
- Certain ships, airplanes or vehicles are represented in details according to the scale modeller's "walk around" rule
- All phases of model making are documented by photographs and drawings
Without regard to historical and geographical boundlessness and taking into account that the review is Croatian, therefore European too, we have a tendency towards articles from Croatia, or articles dealing with Middle European, Mediterranean, Southeast European and Balkan history.
Therefore, we have a tendency towards the Croatia's neighbouring countries in which Croats have lived and participated in wars.
Of course, we are open to other nations and countries, especially European, so we expect a cooperation with authors from all over the world.
- SIGNUM LAUDIS
The DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL
(Militärverdienstmedaille) is an Austro- Hungarian medal established by the emperor Francis Joseph I in 1890 as a commendation to military persons who distinguished themselves in war or in peace.
SIGNVM LAVDIS
(latin words meaning a mark of special praise
or a mark of commendation)
- Various articles in one issue will be connected either in a geographical or historical way.
The articles, different at first sight, will have something in common, i.e. the same historical period, or geographical area, or some significant historical person.
If we will prepare an article about a pilot, an ace, we will publish an article about his aircraft, about the aircraft markings and colour schemes (containing colour profile drawings and technical drafts) and, of course, the story of this aircraft's fighting history.
In addition, a scale model of his plane will also be represented, as well as his uniform, decorations etc.
In the same way we will prepare articles on tanks and armoured vehicles, about their development and the battles they took part in, about their colour schemes and markings and about the crew uniforms.
In linking various themes and historical periods in that way we hope to satisfy various interests of our readers.
While reading our magazine, model makers, enthusiasts and military history students will have a lot of additional data within their reach.
- Some articles, either historical or dealing with uniforms, markings, colour schemes, will be connected with a certain model of figure, airplane, vehicle or ship.
We prefer the visual and artistic impression of a completed scale model to the pedantic insisting on one tenth of a millimetre authenticity or some other purely technical features.
Scale models will usually be presented incorporated in dioramas or vignettes, only sometimes as independent items.
Our concept is to emphasize the historical and artistic dimension and to mention technical dimension in a second place.
Signum Laudis is not primarily a model making magazine, but it is intended for model makers as well.
Following this idea, we will also publish articles for scale model makers which will deal with the application of some techniques of colouring, assemblying etc.
The magazine is by no means militaristic and it will not publish any such articles. Also, no weapons will be advertised, except historical collector items.
