Gurley Novelty Candles: Illuminating Thanksgiving Traditions
Welcome to a world where wax and whimsy intertwine, where flickering flames illuminate cherished holiday traditions. Today, we delve into the captivating realm of Gurley Novelty Candles, where Thanksgiving celebrations come alive in a vibrant display of charming wax creations.
Gurley Novelty Candles have etched their place in collectors’ and holiday enthusiasts' hearts. These delightful candles, crafted with meticulous attention to detail, have become an iconic symbol of Thanksgiving festivities. From their humble beginnings in the 1930s to their heyday in the 1950s and 1960s, Gurley Novelty Candles have captured the essence of this cherished holiday.
Gurley Novelty Company History
Gurley Novelty Company started in Buffalo, New York, in 1939 as a part of the candle maker Franklin Gurley's W&F Manufacturing Co. Inc. In the beginning, the Gurley line of wax figures was commissioned by the Socony-Vacuum Oil Company as a scheme to reuse the extra paraffin that was a by-product of the oil refinery process. Gurley released their first products under the name Tavern. This original line of products consisted of wax lips and teeth, as well as a small selection of candle figures with holiday themes, like ghosts, pilgrims, and Santa Claus. By the end of the 1940s, the company was producing novelty candles almost exclusively, and in 1949 Franklin Gurley bought the rights to the Tavern brand and renamed it Gurley Novelty Co.
Under the new name Gurley Novelty Co., the company continued making the small wax figures it had become known for. They designed most wax figures/candles around specific holiday themes, such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Though each candle had a wick, they were not intended to be used as practical candles. Most figures were purchased and used as decorative figurines for holiday display and decoration. The smaller candles were sold individually, while the sets and larger candles were sold in sealed paper boxes. In the 1960s, two and three-candle sets and the larger candles were generally sold shrink-wrapped in cellophane with a round paper Gurley label on the bottom.
Thanksgiving Tradition
Gurley Novelty Co. produced some of the most popular and glorious Thanksgiving table decorations of the 1940s and 1950s, including a wide selection explicitly marketed for the Thanksgiving holiday. The Thanksgiving line included individual turkeys in various shades of color, Pilgrims, Indians, and related holiday accessories. The Pilgrims and Indian figures came in several sizes and varied in color, decoration, and design. The male pilgrim sometimes had a Musket and sometimes did not.
Individual candles had an identifying cardboard tag on the base that offered the price, the company name, and a brief warning on the use. The usage warning evolved through the years; it typically cautioned that the candle burning could deform the figures and cause a mess. Thankfully for collectors today, most people chose not to use them as candles but simply as tabletop decorations. These candles were stocked and sold in vast numbers across the U.S. throughout the 1940s through the 1960s in Woolworths and other dime store locations.
Today Gurley brand candles can be relatively easy to find at flea markets, antique dealers, and online but condition and color are essential factors in determining condition. Regarding condition, the male and female Native American Indian figures are less commonly found due to their fragile headdress components prone to breaking off.
