Antique Hubley French Bulldog Dog

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Adorable small French Bulldog Hubley antique paperweight just waiting for display or to hold papers for you!

This Bulldog affectionately … Read more Adorable small French Bulldog Hubley antique paperweight just waiting for display or to hold papers for you!

This Bulldog affectionately noted as a toy made by The Hubley Manufacturing Company was first incorporated in 1894 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania by John Hubley. The first Hubley toys appeared in 1909 and were made of cast-iron, with themes that ranged from horse-drawn vehicles and different breeds of dogs, to tractors, steam shovels and guns.

Hubley's casting process involved several steps. For a particular toy, bookend, or doorstop, metalworkers would first carve a wood form, or hammer out the basic design in metal. Pressing this form into finely compacted sand created an impression for molding. Cast iron heated to 3000 degrees was poured into the sand mold and, when cooled, the form would pop out. Rough edges would be filed away and the mold ready for mass production casting. Painters applied a base coat (usually white or cream but sometimes black) to cast figures whether toys or doorstops. Then, colorists used a variety of hues highlighting important details.

The manufacturer that purchased from Hubley stopped production of all of the original toy dies and molds. As a result, all remaining Hubley metal kits are fairly rare. See less