When Holiday Decor Cost 15 Cents
There was a time when a little Thanksgiving decoration didn't have to be precious to become memorable. It might have been picked up at a dime store, carried home in a shopping bag and placed on the table simply because it made the holiday feel festive.
These little Gurley candles belonged to that world.
Gurley's small molded wax figures became familiar American holiday decorations during the mid-20th century. Produced in Buffalo, New York, the company created inexpensive figures for Christmas, Easter, Halloween and Thanksgiving, including the pilgrims that have since become favorites among Gurley collectors. Surviving examples show that these small figures were sold inexpensively, including versions bearing 15-cent Gurley labels like the one still attached to this blue pilgrim.
That label may be the smallest part of this pair, but today it is one of its most interesting details. It reads “15¢,” “Gurley Candle Co.,” “Buffalo, N.Y.” and “Made in U.S.A.”—a tiny piece of packaging history that remained with the candle long after fifteen cents stopped buying much of anything.
Made to Burn, Often Saved Instead
Their wicks tell us these were indeed candles, yet little figures like these frequently became decorations in their own right. Gurley's inexpensive holiday shapes were sold for seasonal display, and the company's popularity grew through the 1950s and into the 1960s.
The craftsmanship is wonderfully uncomplicated: molded wax, strong blocks of color and just a few painted details. Blue-dot eyes, tiny red mouths, a pilgrim hat, clasped hands and the man's long gun are enough to give each figure a distinct personality.
Time has left its marks here. The wax shows scuffs, discoloration, surface grime and losses to some painted details, making these decidedly imperfect examples rather than pristine ones.
And perhaps that's part of their appeal.
Placed among old dishes, brass candlesticks, autumn leaves or other Gurley figures, they don't recreate a perfect historic Thanksgiving. They simply bring one small, genuine piece of mid-century holiday life to the table—and the original 15¢ label lets a little of that history come along with them.
