Wade Whimsies ~ One of the First 1950s Whimsies - Polar Bear ~ circa 1956
Wade Whimsies
The first Wade Whimsies collection began in 1953 and were made through till 1959. They were designed and modeled by William Harper and consisted of 10 sets. Each set has 5 animal figurines with the exception of set 5 which has 4. The manufacture of the Whimsies range was divided between the Manchester pottery and the Portadown pottery in Ireland. The odd numbered sets were produced by George Wade & Sons Ltd while the even numbered set were produced by Wade Ltd.
Following the end of World War II, the massive program to replace war-damaged houses and factories created a heavy demand for industrial ceramics. By the early 1950's, this demand had slackened, and new products had to be produced in order to avoid workers layoffs in the George Wade Potteries. With many years of experience, making small pressed articles for industrial use, coupled with a unique ability in specialist tool-making, it was decided to manufacture a range of miniature animals. The first set of five models was produced in 1954 and was designed for children to spend their pocket money on. When Mr WADE'S secretary referred to the models as whimsical, the series was named Whimsies ( and later referred to as the First Whimsies )
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