It was during the early part of World War II that all work at the Goebel factory in Germany came to a halt in the production of the M.I. Hummel figurines. The demand was still there and Dr. Herbert Dubler and Ars Sacra had already established a New York based distribution company. Dr. Dubler had earlier brought a number of Hummel products from Germany into the United States market prior to the World War II such as postcards, folders, and later figurines. In 1940, Germany stopped sending products for Dubler to sell. Faced with the huge demand for Hummel items, Dr. Dubler decided to create new products that closely followed the original art of M.I. Hummel and were designed and manufactured in New York City. As many as sixty-one different figurines may have been produced by the Herbert Dubler, Inc company with two of the sculptors being Joseph Josephu and Elizabeth Orton Jones (E.O. Jones). The figurines were made of a softer, plaster-like material and usually featured a copyright date, the words “B. Hummel” on a label and either a “Herbert Dubler, Inc.” or “Ars Sacra” incised on the base of the figurines. Since these are made of a software chalk like material, they are more easily chipped. These are what are also referred to as the chalkware figurines with a sticker on the bottom. Due to Ars Sacra being the first company to publish M.I. Hummel’s work in the postcards and held copyrights to her art, many consider the Dubler figurines as legitimate collector pieces but are not actually the “authentic” German Hummel figurines.
In the book “Hummel Copycats”, the author shows more than twenty photographs of the Dubler figures. His research indicates that there is the possibility of as many as 61 figures designed and perhaps made. Most of the figures were made of the plaster/chalk like material but a few were cast in bronze and a few in silver. These were distributed by the Crestwick Company of New York. The Crestwick Company later became Hummelwerk owned by Goebel and eventually became the Goebel operations in the U.S. Another name associated with Dubler is “Decorative Figurines, Inc.” which you will find on the “Little Bookworm” lamp shown below.
Robert Miller wrote on August 1979, “Some people refer to them as “fake” Hummels, but I prefer to call them “War Time” Hummel figurines and feel that they are a part of the history of Hummel art and Hummel collecting. It is my belief that a collection should include an example of this type of figure at least for the sake of conversation.” Here are a few other examples of these War Time Hummels, also known as the American Hummels, that I was able to locate listed in alphabetical order.
This page was updated on 9 March 2021.
Angel’s Song
Dubler No. 46
Created in 1942 by Dubler, this figurine is known as “Angel’s Song” at 3¾ inches tall. There are the incised words B. Hummel on inside of the song book and “1942 Herbert Dubler, Inc.” and the green pad and sticker is missing. This was offered on 31 January 2021 on eBay with a Buy It Now offer of $15.99 plus a shipping charge of $5.70.
Band Master
Created in 1942 by Dubler, this figurine is known as “Band Master” at 5¾ inches tall. There are the incised words B. Hummel on the top of the base along with the inscribed “© 1942, Decorative Figurines, Inc.” on the back of the base and has a sticker on the bottom but the information has rubbed off. It is similar to the HUM 129 – Band Leader figurine without the music stand. Located on the Etsy.com website for $19.99 as well as being found on eBay with a Buy It Now option price of $34.99 with free shipping including the figurine Toothache seen below.
Bashful
Created in 1942 by Dubler, this figurine is known as “Bashful” at 5⅜ inches tall. There are the incised words “B. Hummel” on the top of the base and “1942 Herbert Dubler” and has a sticker on the bottom. It is similar to the HUM 377 – Bashful figurine. Located on the Etsy.com website for $19.99.
Bawling Eddie
Dubler No. 44
Created in 1942 by Dubler, this figurine is known as “Bawling Eddie” at 5½ inches tall. There are the incised letters B. Hummel on the top of the base and “1942 Herbert Dubler” and has a sticker on the bottom with “Authentic, Hummel Figurine, Produced by Ars Sacra, Made in U.S.A.” This was offered on 28 January 2021 on eBay with a Buy It Now offer of $14.99 plus a shipping charge of $8.99.
Boy with Cactus
This 5½ inch figurine was created in 1942 by Herbert Dubler and is known as the Boy with Cactus. There are the incised letters B. Hummel on the top of the base and an incised “1942 Herbert Dubler, Inc.” on the back of the base with a sticker on the bottom with “Authentic, Hummel Figurine, Produced by Ars Sacra, Made in U.S.A.” This was offered on 21 February 2021 on eBay with a price of $9.95 plus $5.70 standard shipping on that date. The figurine had a bit of damage with the head re-glued back on, many paint flakes and a few scratches through the paint. There is only one M.I. Hummel figurine with a cactus and that is HUM 314 – Confidentially which is very different from this one.
Boy with Flute
This 5½ inch figurine was created in 1943 by Herbert Dubler and is known as the Boy with Flute. There are the incised letters B. Hummel on the top of the base and an incised “1943 Herbert Dubler, Inc.” on the back of the base with a sticker on the bottom with “Authentic, Hummel Figurine, Produced by Ars Sacra, Made in U.S.A.” This was offered on 29 January 2021 on eBay with a Buy It Now offer of $29.99 plus free shipping.
Boy with Horn
This figurine was created in 1943 and has a silver label over green felt on the bottom of the base with the words, “Original Figurine, Designed and Produced, By Ars Sacra, Made in U.S.A.” It is somewhat similar to the HUM 85 – Serenade figurine but the horn is quite different as is the boy. Located on the Etsy.com website for $16.99.
Boy with Saxophone
This 5⅜ inch figurine was created by Herbert Dubler and is known as the Boy with Saxophone. There are the incised letters B. Hummel on the top of the base and an incised “1943 Herbert Dubler, Inc.” on the back of the base with a sticker on the bottom with “Authentic, Hummel Figurine, Produced by Ars Sacra, Made in U.S.A.” This was offered on 31 January 2021 on eBay with a Buy It Now offer of $19.99 plus $13.50 shipping including three other Dubler figurines.
Congratulations
This one didn’t have a name and the only figurine I could find with a girl standing holding a horn in her left hand was HUM 17 – Congratulations. The German version has the girl holding a potted plant with a bird on top in her right hand but this one has the girl holding a doll. This was offered on 25 January 2021 on eBay with a Buy It Now offer of $11.99 plus a shipping charge of $8.80.
Dentist Dodger
Dubler No. 48
Created in 1943 by Dubler, this 4¾ inch figurine is known as “Toothache”. It is stamped copyrighted 1943 Herbert Dubler, Inc. and on the base has an incised B. Hummel. There is a label on the bottom with the words “Authentic, HUMMEL FIGURINE, Produced by Ars Sacra, Made in U.S.A.” It is similar to the HUM 217 – Boy With Toothache figurine with the same idea but different in many other ways. Located on Etsy.com for $24.00 as well as located no eBay on 27 January 2021 with a Buy It Now option for $34.99 including another figurine, Band Leader, as seen above.
Doll’s Doctor
Dubler No. 37
The Doctor here is very similar to the HUM 127 – Doctor with a major exception of the orientation of the doll to the doctor’s feet. This one is lying to the left of the doctor whereas the HUM 127 has the doll lying in front with the feet off to the right side hanging off a little of the base. This one is 5¾ inches tall and has the inscribed “© 1942 Herbert Dubler Inc.” on the back of the base as shown on the smaller image. Click on the images to see it enlarged. This was offered on 25 January 2021 on eBay with a Buy It Now offer of $29.99 plus a shipping charge of $6.99.
Doll Mother
With this figurine, you can see how easily the paint flakes off from the soft chalk-like material these are made from. Although they are from the 1940s, eighty plus years later, you can appreciate much more the quality today’s M.I. Hummel figurines are made with the time and amount of care it takes to produce just one. The figurine to the left is very similar to the little girl in HUM 67 – Doll Mother with a few noticeable exceptions with the spots on her light green dress and the red shoes. This one was initially offered for $71.96 on eBay but reduced by 24 January 2021 with a Buy It Now offer of $35.98 plus free shipping. You can see that despite the noticeable damage that these figurines still hold some value.
Farewell
Very much like the HUM 65 – Farewell, this figurine is seated, has flowers raised in her left hand, a basket of flowers on her right arm and a lamb resting to her right. Whereas HUM 65 is between 3¾ to 5 inches tall, this figurine is reported to be 6 inches tall. Notice on the back of the base is the deeply incised “” and on the left on the top of the base is the incised signature B. Hummel. It is offered on eBay for a Buy It Now price of $46.20 plus a shipping charge of $9.10 as of 25 January 2021.
Happy Pastime
Very much like the HUM 69 – Happy Pastime, this figurine is seated, has her hands full knitting with a ball or yarn resting at her left foot. This figurine is 3 inches tall and in poor shape but a representation of this chalkware version. Notice the sticker on the bottom has the words, “Original, Hummel, Reproduction, Hand Painted”. It is offered on eBay for a Buy It Now price of $2.00 plus a shipping charge of $5.70 as of 31 January 2021.
Heavenly Angel
This 4-inch chalkware figurine created by Dubler is very similar to HUM 21 2/0 – Heavenly Angel, the German version. The sticker on the bottom indicates this is an “Original, Hummel, Reproduction, Hand Painted, Made in U.S.A.”. I do not see any incised markings to indicate it is from Dubler other than the familiar attached gold sticker. This was located on eBay with free shipping in combination with another figurine for $22.99, Buy It Now status.
Hello! Birdie
Dubler No. 41
This 4-inch chalkware figurine created by Dubler with an inscribed B. Hummel on the top of the base on the back also has a sticker on the bottom that indicates this is an “Authentic, Hummel Figurine, Produced By Ars Sacra, Made in U.S.A.”. Click on the smaller image here and you will see that it has the inscribed “© 1942 Herbert Dubler Inc.” on the back of the base. These are made of a much softer Plaster of Paris or Chalkware as they are frequently referred to as. This one has the designation of “Dubler No. 41” and was located on 27 January 2021 on eBay for $17.99 Buy It Now with $11.99 shipping.
Just Resting
This 4-inch chalkware figurine created by Dubler is very similar to HUM 112 – Just Resting, except that this one has a small dog in front and the basket is on the fence instead of on the ground. The sticker on the bottom indicates this is an “Original, Hummel, Reproduction, Hand Painted, Made in U.S.A.”. It would appear that the previous time it sold, it was marked at fifty cents. This was located on eBay for $5.00 Buy It Now with a shipping charge of $8.00.
Little Bookworm
Dubler No. 32
This 6-inch figurine has the incised “B. Hummel” on the top of the base, “© 1942 Herbert Dubler” words incised on the back of the base and a gold label beneath the base with the words, “Authentic, Hummel Figurine, Produced By Ars Sacra, Made in U.S.A.”. He is reading from a book with a red cover and is wearing a red bowtie, a white coat with green spots, tan pants and green socks and brown slipon shoes. Notice the bronze version below of this same figurine. This was offered on 24 January 2021 on eBay with a beginning auction offer of $7.95 plus a shipping charge of $9.00.
Little Bookworm, Bookends (chalkware)
These 6½ inch tall bookend figurines have the incised B. Hummel on the top left of the base, “© 1947 Herbert Dubler, Inc.” words incised on the left side of the base of the platform and a gold label beneath the platform with the words, “Authentic, Hummel Figurine, Produced by Ars Sacra, Made in U.S.A.”. Notice the bronze version below of this same figurine. This was offered on 1 February 2021 on eBay with a beginning auction offer of $31.42 plus a shipping charge of $14.65 from Texas.
Little Bookworm, Bookends (bronze)
These 6½ inch tall bookend figurines have the raised B. Hummel on the top of the base, “© 1942 Herbert Dubler, Inc.” words incised on the left side of the base of the figurine and a gold label beneath the platform with the words, “Authentic, Hummel Figurine, Hand Painted by, Decorative Figurines Corp, Made in U.S.A.”. He is reading from a book which would be especially suitable for bookends. Notice the chalkware version above and the bronze version below of this same figurine as a lamp. The seller has the combined weight of these two at 5 pounds and 12 ounces. This was offered on 1 February 2021 on eBay with a beginning auction offer of $65.00 plus a shipping charge of $34.83 from New Jersey.
Little Bookworm (bronze)
This interesting bronze cast 10-inch table lamp is very similar to the Little Bookworm above but only in form. It is marked with the incised “Herbert Dubler” on top of the base and the gold label on the bottom has the phrase, “Authentic Hummel Figure Handpainted by Decorative Figurines Corp. Made in USA”. This was offered on 24 January 2021 on eBay with a Buy It Now offer of $19.99 plus a shipping charge of $11.80. It is now a part of my personal collection.
Little Chemist
Dubler No. 38
This figurine was created in 1942 and has on the back of the base the inscribed words, “© 1942 Herbert Dubler” and stands 5¾ inches tall. The label under the base has the words “Authentic, Hummel Figure, Produced by Ars Sacra, Made in U.S.A. It is somewhat similar to the HUM 322 – Little Pharmacist figurine, but is otherwise, quite different. The Little Chemist has a dark bottle under his right arm and is holding what looks like a test tube of the dark liquid in his left hand whereas the Little Pharmacist is holding an almost empty white bottle and a notepad in his left hand and is wearing glasses. This Little Chemist is wearing a belted lab coat and has a puppet hanging out of his left pocket. The Little Pharmacist is wearing a button down white coat and has a bottle of very large bottle of Vitamins in front of him. There was some repair to the neck as it appears the head had to be reglued back on. This one was located 28 January 2021 on eBay for a Buy It Now price of $14.99 plus $8.80 to ship it.
Little Cobbler
Dubler No. 36
Created in 1942 by Dubler, this figurine is known as either “Boots” or the “Little Cobbler”. There is a label on the bottom with the words “Authentic, HUMMEL FIGURINE, Produced by Ars Sacra, Made in U.S.A.” It is similar to the HUM 143 – Boots figurine. This figurine was located on the Etsy.com website for $16.00 as well as on eBay with a Buy It Now offer of $14.99 and free shipping.
Little Cobbler, bookend
This interesting 4-inch tall chalkware figurine of a boy holding a pair of boots and another pair of shoes, as seen above, alongside a tree stump was created in 1947 by Dubler. There is an incised set of words, “© 1947, Decorative Figurines, Inc.” on the back of the base and a gold label on the bottom with the words “Authentic, HUMMEL FIGURINE, Produced by Ars Sacra, Made in U.S.A.” It is difficult in determining whether this was intended as a bookend or a candleholder as it could possibly serve as either. It was located on eBay with a Buy It Now offer earlier of $49.95 and then reduced to $46.45 and free shipping.
Little Fiddler
Created by Dubler, this 5¼ inch figurine is very similar to HUM 1 – Puppy Love. There was a label on the bottom but has since fallen off. There is a large chip out of the right leg and a smaller chip on the base. This was offered on 31 January 2021 on eBay along with the Dubler figurine Bashful with a Buy It Now offer of $12.99 plus $8.55 shipping.
Little Mother
Dubler No. 34
Created in 1942 by Dubler, this figurine is known as the “Little Mother”. There is a label on the bottom which is barely visible with the words “Authentic, HUMMEL FIGURINE, Produced by Ars Sacra, Made in U.S.A.” It is similar to the HUM 311 – Kiss Me with the larger doll figurine but this one also has a cat sitting next to the little girl’s right leg. This was offered on 31 January 2021 on eBay with a Buy It Now offer of $19.99 plus $13.50 shipping including three other Dubler figurines.
There are definite variations within a Herbert Dubler range of figurines. One example was located where the Little Mother does not have a cat by her side and the dress has spots painted on the yellow portion. The dolls dress is a bit different as well. This second example was found on eBay on 1 February 2021 for a Buy It Now price of $26.99 plus $8.80 from Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Madonna and Child
Dubler No. 45
This figurine was created in 1942 and has on the back of the base the inscribed words, “B. Hummel, Ars Sacra, © 1942 Herbert Dubler” and stands 7½ inches tall. It is somewhat similar to the HUM 151 – Madonna Holding Child figurine, but is otherwise, quite different. The Madonna is in colors of creamy ivory with teal blue and the child is in light green. The label under the base has the words “Authentic Hummel Figure Produced by Ars Sacra, Made in U.S.A. This one was located on the Etsy.com website for $45.00 as well as on eBay for a Buy It Now price of $39.99 plus $13.90 to ship it.
Meditation
This figurine is very similar to the HUM 13 – Meditation with the little girl holding a letter in her right hand, a basket over her left arm and a finger near her mouth as to having a question. Click no the image of the bottom of the base to see the old sticker of a crown in blue on gold. This was offered on 25 January 2021 on eBay with a Buy It Now offer of $26.00 plus a shipping charge of $6.85.
Mother’s Helper
Dubler No. 40
This 5¾ inch chalkware figurine by Ars Sacra is a little girl in braided pigtails in an black and orange dress, white apron with red flowers, black top, white blouse with short sleeves, an orange hat and black shoes sweeping the floor with a straw broom. On the back of the base is inscribed B Hümmel with a green felt bottom and an attached faded gold sticker that has the words, “Authentic, Hummel Figure, Produced by Ars Sacra, Made in U.S.A.”. This was offered on 24 January 2021 on eBay with a Buy It Now offer of $50.00 plus a shipping charge of $8.25.
Postman
Dubler No. 35
This figurine was created in 1943 and has on the back of the base the inscribed words, “B. Hummel, Ars Sacra, © 1943 Herbert Dubler” and stands 6 inches tall. The lip of the hat has broken off and been reglued and there are a few chips evident. This is a clear example of a postman but very different from the HUM 119 – Postman created by Arthur Möller in 1939. This one has an almost black outfit and has the letters tucked under his left arm. The HUM 119 has a medium grey outfit, letter raised in his right hand and fewer letters tucked under his left arm. Both have the postal delivery bag hanging in front of them from their necks with a symbolic horn on the front. This was offered on 26 January 2021 on eBay with a Buy It Now offer of $14.19 plus a shipping charge of $5.95.
Postman, bookends (bronze)
Weighing in at almost three pounds each (2 pounds 12 ounces) these 6½ inch tall figurines were created by Dubler in bronze instead of the chalkware more commonly associated with the Dubler figurines. Beneath the base, one of the bookends retains part of the label which says “Authentic, Hummel Figure, Produced by Ars Sacra, Made in U.S.A.”. This is a clear example of a postman but very different from the HUM 119 – Postman created by Arthur Möller in 1939. This one has the letters tucked under his left arm. The HUM 119 has a letter raised in his right hand and only a fewer letters tucked under his left arm. Both have the postal delivery bag hanging in front of them from their necks with a symbolic horn on the front. This pair of bookends was offered on 31 January 2021 on eBay with a Buy It Now offer of $39.00 plus a shipping charge of $21.90.
Shepherd with Lambs and Staff
Created by Dubler in the 1940s, this chalkware Hummel statue sculpture shows a shepherd with staff and two lambs. It was created under the Ars Sacra / Herbert Dubler company and is 6½ inches tall. This one is similar to the HUM 42 – Good Shepherd. Located on the Etsy.com website for $39.00.
Sleepy Baby
Dubler No. 39
This figurine was created in 1942 and has on the back of the base the inscribed words, “B. Hummel” on the top of the base and “Ars Sacra, © 1942 Herbert Dubler Inc.” on the back of the base. This was offered on 24 January 2021 on eBay with a Buy It Now offer of $24.50 plus a shipping charge of $11.80.
Strolling Along
Created in the 1940s by Dubler, this 5¼ inch figurine is known as “Strolling Along” and is very similar to the HUM 5 – Strolling Along from Germany. It has a gold sticker on the base with the words “Original, HUMMEL, Hand Painted, Made in U.S.A.” On 26 January 2021, I was able to find one located on Etsy.com for $100.00 and another on eBay with free shipping in combination with another figurine for $22.99, Buy It Now status.
You may also find a different and simpler label on the bottom dating it back even further with the one shown here with the black background.
Tiny Cherub
Dubler No. 33
Created in 1942 by Herbert Dubler, Inc., this almost 4-inch figurine is known as “Tiny Cherub”. It has a gold sticker on the base with the words “Original, HUMMEL, Hand Painted by, Decorative Figurines Corp., Made in U.S.A.” The figurine was designed from a greeting card by Berta Hummel and has the inscribed letters on the backside of E. O. Jones as Elizabeth Orton Jones being the person who sculpted this item. This was offered on 1 February 2021 on eBay with a Buy It Now offer of $31.99 plus a shipping charge of $8.80 from Saint Paul, Minnesota.
References
Dubler hummel. (2021). Dubler hummel. Retrieved on 24 January 2021 from https://www.etsy.com/market/dubler_hummel.
Miller, R. L., & Collectors News. (1998). Hummels 1978-1998: 20 years of “Miller on Hummel” columns as published in Collectors news. Grundy Center, IA: Collectors News.
Williamson, P. (2020, April 13). Hummel Figurines (Price List and Value Guide), The Dubler Figurines. Retrieved on 24 January 2021 from https://www.truelegacyhomes.com/hummel-figurines/.
Wonsch, L. L. (1987). Hummel copycats, with values: A guide to those other Hummels. Rochester Hills, Mich: Bumblebee Press.