Gnomes are legendary and gnome mythology is centuries old. Early representations show gnomes as gnarled old men with long white beards or as misshapen dwarfs, all characterized by their small size.
In Germany, the gnomes (or dwarfs as they are known there) were often portrayed as miners. There is a theory that miners, of small stature, came from the island of Crete around 1,500 BC to dig for gold and silver in parts of Europe, including southeast Germany, and they might have been the origin of the mining dwarf myth. Dwarfs often featured in German fairy tales, such as those told by the Brothers Grimm, and dwarf figurines were thought to bring good fortune to a home if placed in the house or garden which is why they were adopted by so many German homes. The familiar pointed red hat that we see on many garden gnomes today was originally a representation of the hat that was once worn by miners in the mountains of south-east Germany.

However, an Englishman, Sir Charles Isham, who first displayed gnomes in the garden when, in 1849, he brought about 20 small figurines from Germany and placed them in a rockery in the garden at  Lamport Hall, Northamtonshire, England.

Today, except perhaps in Scandinavian countries, gnomes are generally thought of as just garden gnomes but they were once much more highly regarded. The painted gnome we now know was created in Germany towards the end of the 19th century when there was a large ceramic industry producing household and garden ornaments. Gnomes were extremely popular and many manufacturers started exporting large quantities around the world.

Many of these early gnome figures were beautifully made, large and distinguished. Although made in many sizes some models were a meter tall.  They had superbly sculpted detail to their faces and clothing. Many were advertised as “garden figures”. It is not surprising that they often found their way into affluent homes and gardens, some as garden statuary but many as house ornaments and some as door guardians.

Most of the early models of gnomes produced in Germany in the 19th century followed the “dwarf” concept and they did not portray the merry, smiling little man we expect to see today. This image of the gnome continued virtually unchanged until the 1930s when, in 1937, Walt Disney Productions created their animated feature length film “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”, based on the Brothers Grimm tale of “Little Snow White” who was given shelter by seven dwarfs who lived deep in the forest where they worked as miners. Disney kept the dwarfs as miners, inventing delightfully cute characters for them, with appropriate names and endearing features. Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sneezy, Bashful, Sleepy and Dopey became household favourites everywhere and probably changed forever the popular image of the gnome.

However, it was not until after the 1939-45 war, when production resumed, that the gnome’s image was changed and colours brightened and makers started producing the gnome we now know and which was by then also becoming universally recognized as a “garden gnome”, entering the public conscience as a colourful and cheerful character who went on to brighten many surburban gardens.

The 1939 – 1945 war brought an end to most, if not all, production of ceramic gnome figures. Limited production resumed after the war, then in 1960, the first plastic garden gnomes were manufactured in Germany. These gnomes followed the Disney style and were promoted as shatterproof and weatherproof as opposed to the traditional, fragile, ceramic figures. Within a short time, plastic gnomes were dominating the market worldwide as other manufacturers brought out their plastic models and the garden gnome began to enjoy what was probably its most popular period. Influenced by the Disney image, manufacturers not only created these gnomes with softer features, making them look cute, they expanded the range of their “activities” to include fishing, gardening, playing musical instruments and even playing sport.

In 1976, another image of the gnome was created by Rien Poortvliet, the Dutch painter and illustrator. His whimsical concept of gnomes followed the mythological tradition and he saw them as diminutive, stout beings, wearing tall, pointed, conical hats and dressed in colours such as blue, red or green; the male gnome always having a long white beard. When he collaborated with the writer Wil Huygen to create their famous “Gnomes” book, a fictional guidebook to the mythical creatures, Poortvliet’s illustrations always showed his gnomes with the ubiquitous conical hat. When the gnomes were subsequently modeled as poly-resin figures, the “Poortvliet” gnomes were soon in demand worldwide.

Czech, Polish and Far Eastern manufacturers also began mass producing plastic resin garden gnomes and very often the Disney concept was even more closely followed. The few remaining ceramic gnome manufacturers in Germany remained loyal  to the pre-war models.

A series of what might be described as modern, naughty gnomes also came on to the market in the 1990s. These distinctive characters are perhaps not all suitable for display in the garden but for those with a broad sense of humour, they can bring out a smile.

A range of football action gnomes was produced for the 2006 World Cup and one of the United Kingdom’s largest supermarket chains claimed they were selling them at a rate of one every 5 seconds.

Today, gnomes are as popular as ever. They can  be found in the garden as decorative garden ornaments, many gnomes are being used again as household ornaments and it is not unusual to find them in shop window displays and advertising campaigns. They appear in newspapers and magazines and in TV programs, usually as fun objects and they always raise a smile.