If you've been starting a company to provide ceramic replicas of idealized houses for various historical and fictitious settings what can take your pick? I believe Department 56 isn't the first phrase that involves your mind; just how made it happen arrive at theirs? Let's find out.
Thank you for visiting Stillwater
One Christmas, several friends planned to celebrate the Holiday that has a quiet dinner in Stillwater Minnesota, a peaceful village across the St Croix river. Decorated to the holidays and coated that has a fresh blanket of snow, this idyllic and picturesque village captivated the buddies. As they dined in a peaceful country inn, charm with the street lights sparkling around the freshly fallen snow evoked nightime of wonderful Christmas memories. The storytelling and memories were the inspiration for recreating this scene having a lighted Christmas village.
Over many years ago, Bachman's, a premiere retail florist in Minneapolis, used a numbering system to recognize every one of its departments. The wholesale gift division was Department 56. The dream was given life when, in 1976, Department 56 introduced a few six hand-painted, ceramic buildings. These premiere buildings were the inspiration on the original Snow Village Series, and the rest is history.
Currently headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, Department 56 is really a leader inside giftware, collectibles and holiday decorating industry. There're best known because of their hand-crafted lighted villages and Snowbabies(TM) figurines.
Thank you for visiting Stillwater
One Christmas, several friends planned to celebrate the Holiday that has a quiet dinner in Stillwater Minnesota, a peaceful village across the St Croix river. Decorated to the holidays and coated that has a fresh blanket of snow, this idyllic and picturesque village captivated the buddies. As they dined in a peaceful country inn, charm with the street lights sparkling around the freshly fallen snow evoked nightime of wonderful Christmas memories. The storytelling and memories were the inspiration for recreating this scene having a lighted Christmas village.
Over many years ago, Bachman's, a premiere retail florist in Minneapolis, used a numbering system to recognize every one of its departments. The wholesale gift division was Department 56. The dream was given life when, in 1976, Department 56 introduced a few six hand-painted, ceramic buildings. These premiere buildings were the inspiration on the original Snow Village Series, and the rest is history.
Currently headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, Department 56 is really a leader inside giftware, collectibles and holiday decorating industry. There're best known because of their hand-crafted lighted villages and Snowbabies(TM) figurines.
Some important dates in the history of Department 56 include:
1976 - Department 56 introduces of six charming, lighted, ceramic buildings. An original Snow Village®.
1979 - Original Snow Village designs retired and 12 new buildings introduced. First Village accessories.
1984 - The Dicken's Village Series® released (seven nostalgic shops and also a church from Victorian England). First village within the Heritage Village Collection®.
1986 - The Heritage Village Collection expanded to feature The New England Village Series along with the Alpine Village Series® plus the World of Snowbabies(TM) figurines are introduced.
1987 - Christmas within the City® and the Little Town of Bethlehem(TM) included in the Heritage Village Collection.
1990 - Its northern border Pole Series(TM) is added to The Heritage Village Collection.
1994 - Introduction on the Disney Parks Village Series(TM) and Snowbunnies®.
1997 - The Classic Ornament Series introduced.
1998 - Seasons Bay(TM), the 1st year-round village, representing a late 19th-century American resort town.
Elf Land(TM), extra time from the North Pole Series(TM), is introduced. Also, Snow Village Halloween introduced (did you know Halloween would be the second most celebrated holiday in america?).
2001 - Special and Exclusive edition pieces are created to commemorate the 25th Anniversary on the Original Snow Village®
2005 - A brand new mid-tier Village series, "A Christmas Story" comes exclusively through Sears Department stores.
Today, the Department 56 villages really are a treasure of holiday memories that span a variety of times, places and your imagination.
