Hubley Manufacturing Company Catalogs and Newsletters
Description
This collection contains catalogs and price lists of the items made by the Hubley Manufacturing Company in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The primary products were toys and decorated repeating cap guns, rifles and holsters. The first miniature toys were made of cast iron; later, plastic became the prominent material. In its earlier years, the company made a line of "metal art goods," which included lamps, tables, bookends, doorstops and knockers.
Admin/Biographical History
"The Hubley Manufacturing Company of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, one of the oldest and largest makers of toys in the United States, was founded in 1894 by John E. Hubley to manufacture equipment and accessories for electric trains. Financial difficulties forced Mr. Hubley to sell the entire stock in 1909. At this time the electric train business was discontinued and the cast iron toy business started. Among the first toys produced were a coal range, circus wagons and mechanical banks, all collector's items today.
Included in the 68,000 square feet of floor space in the Hubley plant were a die-cast room, warehouse, tool room, paint room and all the special assembly machinery. Besides making their cast iron toys, the company made castings for other companies in Lancaster which were without foundry equipment.
By 1940 increased freight costs and foreign competition forced the company to look for other materials. During World War II scarcity of metal forced the company out of the toy business and into war-related items. After the Korean conflict ended and regulations on metal were suspended, cast iron toy production resumed.
Following common manufacturing methods of the time, Hubley toys of the 1890s, and for a time thereafter, were cast in sand molds in two parts which were then riveted together to form the toy. All toys were designed by John Hubley, who had remained deeply interested in children's playthings since the time he first made his own children's wooden toys.
In 1936 Hubley started casting in multiple cavity steel dies. Die castings were broken off, trimmed, and tumbled in revolving cylindrical machines. They were then taken to the paint department where they were given baked enamel or lacquer, air-dried paint finishes in various colors. At one time, a dozen girls were employed in the paint department. Portions of the earlier toys were handpainted and some were dipped.
Each different toy was started on its own moving assembly line where parts were added, details sprayed on, oiling and inspection took place and the assembly completed. For example, a fire engine took shape on one line. It started as a red chassis. The rubber-tired wheels were added, followed by the spraying on of the radiator, bumpers and headlights. The driver was added, and the ladder, fire axes and other accessories followed. Near the end of the line, the toy was individually boxed and packed in a corrugated container. In 1949, due to union disputes, the foundry was closed. This was a difficult decision for the firm, since Hubley was one of the first companies to devote their entire factory to die casting.
The Hubley Company maintained a designing department where ideas were conceived and developed for model forms. Design engineers kept up-to-date on the models and style changes by attending automobile shows and studying advertisements. Their designs changed when the larger counterparts changed. After items were conceived and models developed, the toys were analyzed for pricing. The more play features a model had, the more expensive it was.
Hubley is now a division of Gabriel Industries, Inc. of New York City and is still making die-cast metal vehicles." 1
1 Bland, Ann S. "Automotive Cast Iron Toys." Old And Sold Antiques Auction & Marketplace. http://www.oldandsold.com/articles/article184.shtml (accessed October 21, 2011)
Signers of petition: John K. Long, Christian Swar, Alexander Steward, Jacob Bassler, Henry R. Herr, Peter H. Summy, Benjamin K. Long, John Landis, John Kauffman, Henry Hoffman, Frederick Schitz, Christian Eby, Jacob Hershey.
1 item, 1 piece
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Request at Reference Desk; photocopy made by staff member.
Signers of petition: John Gochnauer, Jacob Hershey Sr., Daniel Rohrer, Jacob Bassler Jr., Christian Swar, Henry B. Herr, John L. Miller, John K. Long, Benjamin Long, Samuel Kohr, Henry Hoffman, Frederick Schitz.
1 item, 1 piece
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Request at Reference Desk; photocopy made by staff member.
Located four miles from Lancaster, on the turnpike leading from Lancaster to Columbia.
Petition granted.
January term.
Signers of Petition: Michael Sneath, Henry Baker, Benjamin Witmer, John Imhoff, Jacob Minnick, Abraham Bower, John Miller, Samuel Kauffman, Jacob Sehner, Henry K. Harnish, Anthony [Hibrank], Benjamin Eberley.
1 item, 1 piece
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Request at Reference Desk; photocopy made by staff member.
Located four miles from Lancaster, on the Lancaster and Columbia turnpike.
Formerly kept by John Harnly.
Petition granted.
January term.
Signers of Petition: Abraham Will, Michael Eshbach, Abraham Bower, Samuel Kauffman, John Miller, Jacob Eshleman, Benjamin Witmer, Abraham Mummau, Henry Baker, Michael Sneath, Jacob Summy, Daniel Brenner, Christian Saner.
1 item, 1 piece
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Request at Reference Desk; photocopy made by staff member.
Signers of Petition: Jacob Sener, Christian Hershey, John Witmer, Jacob Fehl, Abraham Bower, Adam S. Dietrich, Benjamin Witmer, Benjamin Hershey, Henry Baer, John Eshleman, Martin Baer, Jacob Baer, Godlieb Sener, Daniel Grabill, Jacob S. Witmer, Jacob Eshleman, Jacob Bower.
1 item, 1 piece
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Request at Reference Desk; photocopy made by staff member.
Signers of petition: Jacob H. Summy, Peter H. Summy, Jacob Hostetter, Daniel Rohrer, Abraham Long, Daniel Grabill, Christian Heistand, John Swar, Reuben Bowman, Jacob Hiestand, John Heistand Jr., C. K. Long, John Dunkel, Henry Hoffman, Martin Schwar.
1 item, 1 piece
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Request at Reference Desk; photocopy made by staff member.
Signers of Petition: P. H. Summy, John Gochnauer, John K. Long, John Landis, Henry R. Herr, John Kauffman, Henry Lichty, Jacob Dellinger, Christian Swar, Reuben Bowman, Michael Gochnauer, Samuel Rohr.
1 item, 1 piece
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Request at Reference Desk; photocopy made by staff member.
Located between Lancaster and Mount Joy, on the Harrisburg turnpike.
Petition granted.
April term.
Signers of petition: John L. Long, Henry Meisky, Jacob H. Summy, Jacob Hershey, Christian Long, John M. Greider, Henry Hoffman, Jacob Hiestand, Henry H. Shank, Abraham Long, John Heistand Jr., Daniel Rohrer, Frederick Schitz, Jacob Bassler, Henry Lichty.
1 item, 1 piece
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Request at Reference Desk; photocopy made by staff member.
Signers of petition: Christian Swar, Jacob Bassler Jr., Benjamin Landis, Mathias Dellinger, Henry Lichty, Jacob H. Summy, J. S. Kauffman, Henry Kauffman, John K. Long, Henry R. Herr, Michael Gochnauer, John Heistand, Jacob G. Kreider, Abraham Long.
1 item, 1 piece
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Request at Reference Desk; photocopy made by staff member.
