However, the company carefully curates themes and often retires multiple models, making the discontinued versions challenging to find. The newer mass-produced Department 56 Snowbabies might be more homogenous and plentiful. They spanned decades, evolving from candy decorations to baby dolls to more prominent figures with toys, skis, and other equipment. These are harder to find many were hand-decorated. On one side, you have the vintage imported snow babies. That’s a debate that diehard collectors have had for years. In contrast to those produced in Germany, the later versions from Asia were less colorful and less detailed. The dolls appeared in Marshall Field’s catalogs under the incorrect name, “Alaska Tots.” They were also available in the iconic Sears and Roebuck catalogs. They were no longer the only exporter of the figurines, as other companies had hopped on the trend as well.
Hertwig and company sales took off at this point, shipping their ceramic dolls to places in the US that had sizeable German immigrant populations, like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and New York. In 1901, Josephine Peary wrote a children’s book about her daughter’s birth and first year in the Arctic. The story of Peary’s adventures in Greenland made headlines all over the United States. newspapers learned the birth details when the family returned a year later, settling in Washington, DC. Local Inuit residents flocked the expedition to see the white baby, dubbing her “Arnakittoq,” meaning “small girl.” It became known as “Snow Baby” when U.S. She was the first white baby to be born that far north. In September of that year, Josephine gave birth to their daughter, Marie Peary, shortly after their arrival.Ī rare example of a Snow Baby that’s believed to have been made to commemorate the birth of Marie Peary. In 1893, Peary’s expedition to northern Greenland included his wife Josephine, who was with child. The entire candy and ceramic snow dolls industry might never have grown to such a significant market share if not for explorer Robert Peary and his wife, Josephine. However, while mothers loved the figurines for décor, the children preferred the sugar candy version. Johann Moll, a confectioner from Lubeck, Germany, realized the popularity of the doll figures and commissioned Hertwig and Company to create ceramic versions. The most popular ones, called zuckerpuppes, were tiny dolls that were sometimes added to scenes of igloos and bears and displayed under Christmas trees. Originally made from flour, sugar, and gum, decorations called tannenbaumkanfekt sat on top of Christmas cakes. 56 merchandise, figurines representing winter wonderland scenes were adorning sweet treats in Germany. THE ORIGIN OF THE SNOW BABY SCENEīefore the shelves of Hallmark and other stores carried Dept. But wait, there’s more!ĭepartment 56 often made Snowbabies sets to maximize sales to those who wanted to complete a theme.
Production continues today with new village buildings, and collectors look forward to having them around each year. As a result, the company had to expand to meet the demand. While the villages were a hit with shoppers, when the first Snowbabies-the delightful figures of babies playing in the snow-were introduced, sales reached $56 million in two years. Initially, the company made six lighted holiday buildings, creating the first of their trademarked Snow Villages. The line, produced by Dept 56, is a favorite of Christmas collectors.
Vintage japan xmas snow babies series#
One of the more well-known series is a collection called Snowbabies. There is no theme to our tree, but holiday décor includes figurines or other collections around a concept in many homes. Finally, there are at least forty-seven pug dog ornaments on my tree because pugs are cute, and we have one. The ornaments my children made when young are more modern and often include glued-on macaroni pieces and colored string. Every year several of them would hit the floor with a resounding crash and shatter into tiny pieces. I still have several of my parent’s vintage Shiny Brite ball ornaments, but seeing how much some go for at auction makes me wish I had been more careful. Like most families, we have our favorite decorations and ornaments, and they tend to be from very different eras. A figurine of a tiny snow baby, issued in 1986, is now retired but can still be found in online auctions.
0 kommentar(er)
