The Goebel Factory
- Hummels
July 19 & 20
The Goebel factory making porcelain before 1935 but that's when they started producing statues based on the work of Sister Berta Hummel, then 26 years old. She had been drawing landscapes, portraits, caricatures, still-lifes, nudes, street scenes, etc since her teenage years in watercolor where she grew up northeast of Munich. (Actually there's a museum in that area displaying her early works - we hope to get there in September).
Goebel's popularity, like all porcelain, had been in decline and the partnership reinvigorated the company during a tough time.
The factory complex, employing about 800 people, is airy and modern. The gift shop across the street is equally as airy. It reminds one that the enterprise is a big business. We visited the gift shop on one day and went back the next for the factory tour (only offered on Tuesdays and Wednesdays).
The biggest Merry Wanderer. Carved of granite.
This 6-foot one is ceramic.
The Gift Shop.
The "new" nativity set.
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Goebel makes many other figurines, steins, jewelry, etc. |
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At the gift shop, the most popular items are kept
behind the sales counter for
instant packaging.
The Factory
The factory tour costs 4€ and is a real bargain. There were 4 of us English-speakers and had a separate tour from the main group. It took over 90 minutes and the guide was very knowledgeable, having worked as a painter. We were allowed to take pictures and the workers didn't mind if Bob peered over their shoulder with the camera. Although the route was quite circuitous, it followed the production from molds through the final product.
Inspecting and cleaning working molds.
Made from masters, these are used 30 times, then discarded.
Fine details must be carved into each mold each time.
Molds waiting for clay.
Pouring clay into molds.
It hardens for a few days before the next step.
Each piece of the figurine is made separately. Body, head, arms, legs, etc.
Teams assemble the parts using more clay as cement.
Mold marks must be carved away and the surface wet-brushed smooth.
Electric ovens.
The clay is heated to something over 1000 f (don't remember exactly)
then left to cool overnight.
Fired figures waiting for paint.
One team just paints faces.
All the paint is really ceramic glaze made daily from powder.
It is fired after each step in a tube kiln located nearby.
After the face details, the flesh colors and cheek blush are air-brushed on.
The music is a decal, as is the bumblebee and other trademarks on the bottom.
Each color after the face is applied by small brush.
They all consist of two colors which are applied and then brushed off to create
textures.
This is the brown being applied to a big figurine.
Yep, Goofy. You can buy this at Disneyworld.
New issues.
For the Club convention.
These are from an old mold found recently that was stored away during WWII.
Yes, they do have defects.
The guide looked at this one and wondered how it got this far.
No they don't sell seconds - except they are sometimes offered to employees.
Old Hummels
The first Merry Wanderer.
The paint has become richer over the years. Many people think old Hummels have faded. There are even a couple of new colors being used on new models including a brighter blue.
