by Bob Sherman
Where there's smoke, there's Stangl. . . Collecting Stangl for the past six or so years I have come to realize that there is much more to it than just trying to find pieces to complete ones own collection. There is a history and a reason behind each piece of pottery, and Martin Stangl's cigarette boxes are all that and more.
As far back as 1924 Stangl was creating smoking paraphernalia. The Fayence box (940) was one of the first. It was followed by the solid color Colonial boxes (1388), in the early thirties. These designs were quite beautiful and representative of the times. Rich glazes and a detailed, almost sculpted form made these boxes quite remarkable.
As the 1940's approached, Martin Stangl came up with the idea of creating a line of dinnerware that had a red clay base with a brushed on white engobe. Next a person would carve a design on it and then one of the decorators would paint it. Well, if it could work for dinnerware then it certainly would be worth a try on the cigarette boxes.
Each of these was to be sold along with two ashtrays for $3.50, a far cry from the prices being paid today. Therefore, in 1942 Stangl released its first series of six boxes. The Four-Flower Floral (3636) and the Heart (3638) were made on the small square box known as the Lunning shape (3604). The Yellow Tulip (3630), Star and Flower (3631), Single Bird (3632) and Double Bird (3633) were done on the square box that eventually would be the most widely used because of its simplistic shape. The next two boxes to follow were the taller scalloped edge boxes. The Daisy (3666) and Tulip and Buds (3665) were quite beautiful but too time consuming to be profitable. Later that year Garden Flower dinnerware was put into retail stores. Along its side sat the first cigarette box adapted from a dinnerware pattern. Garden Flower (3698), would not be their last.
Over the next few years four other boxes would be turned out. Cleo Crawford created Mountain Laurel (3759), another dinnerware adaptation, and Water Lily (3762). Bea Jackson created the elegant but simple Rose (3760) and Iris (3761).
The creative minds at the Stangl factory had again come up with the idea of "building a better box." First they created a double box. This long rectangular shape was what Kay Hackett used to design remarkable floral themes. When a good friend of hers returned from the Hawaiian Islands she presented Kay with a book. This book is what she used to create Tropic Flower (3791), Flower Buds (3792), or as it was supposed to be called Shell Ginger, Trillium (3793), Gladiola (3794), Dogwood (3796), and Trumpet Flower (3795). Trumpet Flower also gave her a chance to experiment with a square-ended brush rather than the usual tapered brush. Calla Lilly, a recent find in the double box shape, seems to go along with the Hawaiian theme. Although it is unnumbered it is said that it was created and produced with this series.
The next shape tried was the pagoda lid box. These boxes presented a real challenge for Kay Hackett. The idea of a lid with a sloping motion on opposite sides meant that designs needed to be created that would not "fight" the actual lid. She succeeded with her creations of Ivy (3797), Fruit (3798), Marsh Rose (3799), Grape (3800), Flower (3801) and Butterfly (3802).
While all this productivity was going on in the factory, the smoking industry was booming. Magazine ads were promoting smoking as "sophisticated" and "cool". Stangl started advertising their box sets in House and Garden and other magazines. Television was now in just about every home in America with glamourous stars promoting smoking. Although Stangl did not advertise on television, the tobacco industry did, and the more that they did the more box sales rose.
Stangl now started to put more thought into these smoking sets. He was asking designers to create them in groups of at least six. They would be sent to retail shows to test their interest and marketability.
The next series to come along was in the early 50's. Brown Wren with Yellow Tulip (3840), Rhododendron (3841), Hummingbird (3842), Goldfinch (3843), Apple Tree (3845), Ivy (3846), and Thistle (3844). Thistle is one of the few dinnerware patterns that started first as a cigarette box. Mr. Stangl was so impressed by the beauty and simplistic ease of this box he had it adapted to the dinnerware line.
Stangl was also working on different color engobes in the early 50's. Instead of a white background, they started using greens and grays. The first of these produced on green were Magnolia (3872), Four-Flower Floral (3884) an adaptation from one of the first boxes released, Poppies (3885) and Blossom Time (3886).
With the new trends and styles of the mid-50's Stangl tried its hand at creating a more abstract style of designs. The first, Harlequin (3907), was a sleek lid that was textured in a diamond pattern, then painted black and white. This closely resembled the tiled floors of this era. Six other boxes that are quite hard-to-find followed it. To this day they are still unnamed. They vary in different colored lids, some with stripes others with flowers. The numbers range from 3907 to 3913.
The next series to come along is my all time favorite, the birds. Stangl had been making bird figurines for years and now six of them would be adapted to the smoking line. Making up this series was Goldfinch (3931), Prothonatary Warbler (3932), Purple Finch (3933), Baltimore Oriole (3934), Scarlet Tanager (3935), and Bluebird (3936). From Purple Finches singing in a pine bough to Bluebirds dancing in a puddle these whimsical boxes are some of the more creative work Stangl designers had done.
The dinnerware lines of the 40s, 50s, and 60s can usually be found as a cigarette box. With the patterns already created all the designer had to do was adapt it to the lid. From Amber Glo and Lyric to Pink Lily and Wind fall dinnerware boxes can be found. Even some of the less common patterns like Frosted Fruit and dessert sets like Starflite were made into cigarette boxes. As well, the game birds of the sportsmen's line were adapted to boxes. These, with gray engobe were considered a much more masculine line. They can be found in Flying Duck, Mallard, Canada Goose and more.
Of the boxes listed in this article there are many others that were not cataloged or put into full production. From time to time a sample or experimental box will turn up. Some times, as in the case of Ivy, a pattern can end up on two or three different box shapes. There are also many different patterns produced and a waffled edge lid.
Now with the millennium fast approaching and the slow demise of the tobacco industry, smoking memorabilia is one of the hottest commodities. From as low as $20.00 to well over $200, Cigarette boxes and ashtrays are being bought up left and right. To date the highest known price box was sold at the Stangl/Fulper Collectors Club Auction in 1997. This box was a Kay Hackett Blueberry sample. It sold for the high price of $725.00.