The First Breyer
Here is the first Breyer:
Breyer was contacted to make a plastic horse for a clock, only for the individual horse (sculpted by Chris Hess) to become popular and spawn a toy brand. This is straightforward. The first few clocks were designed so that the horse model would stand above the clock as shown above. Later, some clocks would be made with the horse standing to the side of the clock. And of course, the horses would eventually be sold on their own as toys (this period of early Breyers and the history of the Breyer Western horse mold will be covered on a different lore post).
However, this horse design is not unique. Go into any antique store and it is easy to find metal clocks featuring a very similar design - and these clocks were not made by Breyer.
They are slightly different (tail has more of a swish, leg positioning is staggered instead of straight, and the faces vary in size and inflection). However, there are too many commonalities for there to not be a story. There must be an origin to this horse mold.
To find that story, it is necessary to follow this ubiquitous horse through history.
According to the Breyer website, the Western Horse (the current name for this mold in the Breyer sphere), was produced for Woolworth. Now Woolworth was a department store, not a manufacturer of clocks. So in reality, Breyer provided a horse to the clock makers Mastercrafters to potentially be sold in Woolworth. This was in 1950.
At this point in time, Breyer was the Breyer Molding Company, and it seems that retaining the mold was at least part of the payment (the details of this arrangement are seemingly lost). The mold being of importance seems to indicate history.
Sure enough, the Breyer horse clock was not the first clock to be produced by Mastercrafters. From 1939 to 1949 Mastercrafters produced clocks with a plastic horse provided by Hartland. These are the Hartland Victor Clocks. This design is seemingly what the Breyer one was based off of so that when Mastercrafters switched horse makers, the difference would be subtle.
This sculpt is virtually identical to the Breyer Western Horse, with the major difference being a shape difference on the bridle conchos. I can’t find the sculptor of this specific design.
(Throughout these periods of 1939-1950s many knockoffs of these horses entered the market, and some continue to be made, including a Disney on Ice model.)
It is time to circle back to the metal horse clocks. Some were made my Mastercrafters, others by an assortment of companies. At least some of them predate the Breyer model as there are ads from 1949. These clocks were widespread and didn’t dwindle out until the late 60s (part of why there are so many in antique stores). They also coincide with the classic western movies.
And in an ever deepening rabbit hole, these clocks are also based on something previous. In appearance, they have the most in common with the true origin of this design.
Here is the original. The horse that started it all.
And this is the lady we have to thank for all the Breyers that have brought joy to our lives.
Gladys Brown Edwards.
She was a wonderful painter, sculptor, and author. She especially loved Arabians, and wrote several books on the topic of horses. She also sculpted the “Big horse” as the above sculpture is known and several “carnival horses” which are also similar.
The “Carnival horses”.
One of her lovely Arabian paintings.
Her work is gorgeous and I encourage you to investigate it as you like.
It is said: “imitation is the greatest compliment that mediocrity can offer”.
It is sad and unfair that her legacy was repeatedly plagiarized and copied and commercialized while erasing her name. I have seen these clocks and models for years, and it was not until today that I learned who made the sculpture that I, like so many people have indirectly fallen in love with. Her legacy should be much more well known.
However, I think it should be appreciated that Gladys’s work touched so many people that they brought it into their homes, and that generations of children were delighted by playing with her horse. It is clear from what she created that she loved horses, and although her name is not well known, she has helped to instil that love in many. I hope she would be happy to have that love and joy for horses as part of her legacy.
Sources:
If you would like to know more about this, and especially the nuanced differences, as well as the many knockoffs. I recommend the 4 parts on Model Horse Collectibility. They are very detailed and proved to be invaluable to finding the history of the Western Horse. I especially needed parts 1 and 4, but skimmed 2 and 3 as well. All four parts can be accessed by clicking through the links and the bottom of each part.
Several years ago, I put together a list of basic questions that I felt any Breyer collectibility judge should be able to answer. It's take
Discover authentic horse models, toy horses & gifts at Breyer Horses. High-quality, lifelike collectibles, durable toy horses, barns, rider
Breyer Animal Creations - Wikipedia
This model is actually a Hartland model, but shown here for reference. Alabaster or ‘Cream Puff’ color. Dark brown cinch with saddle (buckle
Information on the many manufacturers of collectible model horses.
Bid on Gladys Brown Edwards Oil Painting of Seal Brown Horse, 1969 online at Everything But The House. Bidding on most items starts at $1.
Well known equine sculptor, artist and writer, Gladys Brown was an expert on the Arabian horse. She was long associated with the W. H. Kello
https://www.mutualart.com/Artist/Gladys-Brown-Edwards/4395EA3E311AEFCD/Artworks
Identify Your Breyer - Western Horse