Hartland White/Unpainted Nativity Sets

Markings Code: (A)=Diamond I, (B)=Hartland Molded, Hartland Wisc., (C)= Hartland Plastics Inc, Hartland Wisc., (NM)= Not Marked
17 Piece White/Unpainted Set
17 Piece White/Unpainted Nativity Set:
So far, the only document to help us date the White Unpainted Nativity set is in a 1958 Montogmery Wards Christmas Catalog, showing an 11 Piece Set on an odd red base with a gold cardboard starburst. Additionally, I located a box that contained a White Nativity Set with a couple of clues to indicate the set was available in 1963. Besides those two clues, about all we know about these sets is they exist!
The smaller box, shown on the right, served as packaging for the White sets. The box is not known to have any sort of dividers, so tissue paper was used to protect the pieces inside the box.
Normally, the larger box says "Exquisitely Hand Decorated" just under the "Unbreakable" line, but that obviously wouldn't prevent it from serving Hartland's needs for a smaller set without the stable. The smaller boxes are only 11" x 14" x 3.5". The same box is reported to be used at times with the Pastel Nativity Sets, also not known to have shipped with a stable. One of the sets I purchased in the box contained only the 17 pieces seen at the top of the page. I currently believe some sets were sold that way.
19 Piece White/Unpainted Set
The last White Nativity Set I purchased was in the Warner Press box, shown in a section down the page. It contained 19 pieces, including six sheep. Again, the white set is not known to ship with a stable of any kind, even though most sets included a small Gloria Angel.

Mary (A) , Christ Child (NM) , Joseph (A)

Bull (A) and Donkey (NM)
As far as I can tell, all figures included in the later White (or Bisque) sets were exactly the same as the figures in the previous sets. The sheep are not shown here. They can be seen in the large photos at the top of thepage.

Three Shepards (NM, A, NM)

Three Wise Men (A, A, A)

Angel (A) #236

Camel (NM)
Despite the fact the White Nativity sets lack stables, Hartland regularly included a small Gloria Angel #236. The piece on the left is a mystery so far. The figure is not known to have shipped with the White Nativity sets, but it appears to exist!. I have no way of knowing, but I suspect the Camel Keeper and the Camel were created into the same mold as they seem to have been introduced at about the same time, and apparently after the other pieces. If more of these pieces show up, it might indicate Hartland sold some 20 piece White Nativity Sets. Sande Schneider suggests this piece might have been taken home by an employee or picked out of the dumpser or city dump. Time might tell on this one.
  
Warner Press Nativity Sets:
The box on the left bears the Warner Press emblem in place of the traditional Hartland emblem. Hartland was still in business at the time, so they "probably" made the set for Warner Press. Warner Press sold religious books and articles. They had been in business since early in the century, but according to their web site, changed their name to Warner Press in 1963. When I purchased this set, it contained the 19 Piece White Set shown near the top of this page.
 
Clues and Mysteries
No one knows where the Hartland religious molds ended up. I've read newspaper articles from a couple of the Hartland newspapers and magazines stating many of the old molds ended up in the city dump. Interestingly, some of the articles were referencing the sports and western figures, but history proves those specific molds didn't end there.

We know about the White Nativity Set being sold through Montgomery Wards, but we don't know much about other distributors or outlets. While initial evidence might suggest Hartland stopped painting their Nativity sets around 1958, we really don't know that for a fact. The Bright Color and Pastel Color Sets maybe have been selling well through other distributors and religious merchandisers. In fact, Hartland created and sold a lot of Religious figures, but we find very little evidence in the form of ads, brochures, and other literature. It seems strange to me that Hartland would create a Dealer Sheet and Dealer Brochure for virtually every horse and rider, but never make one for a Nativity Set or other Religious Figure? Maybe they exist and we just haven't found one yet.

The John Plain Book (catalog) offered painted Hartland Nativity Sets from 1954 through their 1958 catalog. The 17 Piece Set sold retail for $17.95 in all four years. To me, that was an amazing price, considering the number of detailed pieces, stable, cardboard back and box. Wow! In the 1959 John Plain Book, the Hartland version of the Nativity set had been replaced by a much cheaper set, produced by another company. By that time, Hartland may have felt economic pressure to offer their set unpainted. Again, we just don't have enough details, and all company records are long gone.
 


1959 Montgomery Wards Christmas Catalog
I am still working on trying to document the sequencing, but I am fairly sure the all white set was Hartland's last version of their Nativity Sets, sold normally in the smaller, decorated red and green box. Unlike the John Plain yearly catalogs, this piece was in the Mongtomery Wards Christmas Catalog and was apparently ready in this configuration by the late summer of 1959. I had originally suggested this set might have been packaged by a third party, and I could still be correct.
One of these sets showed up on eBay in November of 2004, but it lacked the second and third tier of the red base. The starburst above came from that set. Unfortunately, the seller did not know the base was actually part of the set and threw it away just after photographing the 17 piece set. Interestingly, the star burst was made out of cardboard. That at least suggests to me that a third party repackaged this set for sale through Wards. The set had a small Hartland red and green decorated box, but unfortunately the section on the box that normally has the name "Hartland" had been cut off the box.
 

Text & Photographs Copyright Mike Jackson 1998-2008
This page last modified Friday, October 19, 2007