The first clay garden gnome was made in Germany in the 1800s; the earliest record of garden gnomes in England was in 1849. Philipp Grebel and August Heissner were the first to mass produce gnomes in the 1870s, with Hiessner Gnomes becoming world famous. During World War II, German gnome manufacturers disappeared as their workshops were taken over by the military. In the 1960s, companies began producing lower-cost plastic gnomes, though one company, Kimmel Gnomes, still exclusively handmakes high-quality clay gnomes, keeping the tradition alive globally.

1. The History of Garden Gnomes
The first clay German gnome (“der Gartenzweg”) was made in
Graeferoda, Thuringia, Germany in the 1800‟s
The first recoded appearance of garden Gnomes in England was around 18490 at
the estate of Sir Charles Isham, the 10th Baronet of Lamport Hall.
The first two individuals to produce Gnomes in quantity were Philipp Grebel and
August Heissner around 1872, with Hiessner Gnomes being the most well known
throughout the world.
Gnomes where, and still are, considered to be more then decorations. It is good luck
to place a Gnome in home and garden.
With the advent of war all of the German Gnome manufacturers dissapperared,
their workshops and factories taken over and used for other purposes by the
military.
During the 60‟s , a few companies sprang up producing plastic Gnomes that were
much easier and cost effective to make and mass produce.
To date, there is only one company, „Kimmel Gnomes‟, that exclusively
manufactures high quality, handmade clay Garden Gnomes. With new designs and
careful reproductions of rare antique Gnomes, Kimmel Gnomes is leading the way
and keeping a charming, much loved tradition alive in garden around the world.