Joseph Urban's ~ Unique Commissioned Art ~ Flint Faience Tile Murals ~ Original Blue-Prints~ The Fairy Tale House Est.1928

Urban, Joseph (1872–1933), designer and architect. One of the greatest of all scenic artists, he was born in Vienna, where he later studied at the Art Academy under Baron Carl Hassauer and at the Polytechnicum. Urban first came to America to create the Austrian Pavilion for the 1904 St. Louis Fair. The Boston Opera Company brought him back in 1911 to design its sets, but it was his work on The Garden of Paradise (1914) that brought him to the attention of Florenz Ziegfeld and launched his Broadway career. Although he designed sets for James K. Hackett's Shakespearean revivals and other plays, it was his work on musicals for which he became famous. Urban created the sets for all the Ziegfeld Follies from 1915 to 1931, as well as such shows as Sally (1920), Sunny (1925), Rio Rita (1927) Show Boat (1927), The Three Musketeers (1928), Whoopee (1928), and Music in the Air (1932). He was the first major designer to carefully coordinate colors and to employ subtle lighting to enhance his color schemes. Typical of the work of “Unfailing Urban” was his opening set for Rosalie (1928), in which a brown arch framed a brown village rising to a bluish‐brown sea. His (and Ziegfeld's) favorite color was blue, and he gained fame for what became known as “Urban blue.” He also designed several theatres, most notably the egg‐shaped, boxless Ziegfeld Theatre, with its magnificent murals and gilt stage. Away from the theatre he served as architect for numerous homes and buildings and also earned a reputation as an illustrator of children's books. Biography: Joseph Urban, Randolph Carter, Robert Reed Cole, 1992

Some built projects...

 Austrian Pavilion, Louisiana Purchase Exposition, 1904 Sherman Hotel Tiger Room, Chicago, 1920 Wiener Werkstätte Showroom, NYC, 1922 Mar-A-Lago, Palm Beach, Florida, 1925-1926 Demarest Little Castle, Palm Beach, Florida, 1926 Paramount Theater, Sunrise Building, Palm Beach, Florida, 1926 Biddle House, Palm Beach,1926 Bath and Tennis Club, Palm Beach, Florida, July 1926 Ziegfeld Theatre, 1926-27 St. Regis Hotel Roof Garden, 1927-1928 Hotel Gibson Roof Garden, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1928 Bossert Hotel, Grill Room, Brooklyn, 1928 Bedell Department Store, New York City, 1928 William Penn Hotel, Pittsburgh, 1928, 1932 (Hearst) International Magazine Building, 1928-1929 Central Park Casino, 1929 Metropolitan Museum of Art 11th annual exhibition of American Industrial Art, 1929 The Gingerbread Castle, Fairy Tale House Hamburg NJ, 1929 New School for Social Research NYC, 1929-1931 Atlantic Beach Club, Long Island, NY, 1930-1931 Park Avenue Restaurant, 1931 Congress Hotel, Joseph Urban Room, Chicago, Illinois, 1932 Katherine Brush Apartment, 1933

What was Joseph Urban's Fairy Tale House...

The walls are made of ginger-bread (your imagination tells you so), the roof of frosted sugar. Candy cane towers and cake icing turrets, animal cracker handrails and a plum pudding grille were once a thrill at the Gingerbread Castle. Its once appearance of being lifted from an Enchanted Forest where Hansel and Gretel stumbled on in an old fairy tale.

Opened in early 1930’s, The Gingerbread Castle is where dreams came to life, and Hansel and Gretel awaited to take every child and grown –up through this exciting adventure.

The Gingerbread Castle recaptured the spirit of childhood and provided all visitors, young and old, with a momentary glimpse back into an almost forgotten memories. Based on Grimm Brothers’ collection of German Folk tales published in 1812, the Gingerbread Castle featured most of the character known to children regardless of nationality or color.

Visitors were led by Hansel and Gretel through the Gingerbread castle while they recited the fairy tales connected with each display. Some of the favorites were Humpty- Dumpty perched atop his famous wall, Prince Charming astride his prancing charger, the Spitting Black Cat standing guard over the castle up high up in the turret and the Wise Old Owl watching every move with unblinking yellow eyes.

The tour led past the strange abode of the Old Lady Who Lived In A Shoe, and down the dank stairs to the dungeon like cellar of the castle the Witch’s Trophy Room then up a winding staircase to the Main Hall of the castle where Hansel and Gretel pointed out the gingerbread cookies studding the walls, the peppermint sticks, and the windows composed of multi-colored candles.

Your were then directed to the little alcoves off the main hall which contained figures depicting heroines from various fairy tales. Miss Muffet’s spider suspended from a single thread from his huge web high up in the turret of the castle.

An awesome pit covered with a plum pudding grille; an evil witch astride her broom ready to flee from reproachful eyes and the witch’s evil kitchen where a big black cauldron contains the bones of the hapless children trapped in her lair and cooked alive!

Hansel and Gretel then lead you out through a narrow door into a landing high up in the battlements and down a brick stairway past animal cracker balustrades formed by elephants. A look on high you could see the black seal perched on a peppermint stick balancing a big orange ball on his nose.

The tours would lead you back over to the reception area where you could take a train ride on the grounds!

The Gingerbread Castle was truly a place where dreams came true.

How Is This one of Joseph Urban's Masterpieces? 

F.H Bennett was a boy who loved to sit on the floor at his mother’s feet and listen with wide eyed wonder at the little fairy tales she related to him.

In years gone by, Bennett never forgot the fairy tales told to him and he hoped that someday …somehow …he could build land of make believe…..

In the1920’s, He attended a stage production of Humperdinck’s famous opera, “Hansel and Gretel”.

  Inspired by the fabulous stage settings and designs, by Joseph Urban, the world renowned set designer, he conceived the idea of constructing a gingerbread castle in which figurines illustrating fairy tale characters would be displayed.

  Bennett approached Urban and two years later The Gingerbread Castle was completed at a cost of $50,000.00 and opened to the public on the grounds of the Wheatsworth Mills. One of the original Nabisco factories. Click the link to the right to read Time Magazines Article/Interview with Fred H. Bennett Dated Monday, July 14, 1930 -

 Today the Gingerbread Castle is in the hands of a notorious developer in the Hamburg area. Hopes are it is not destroyed and can live on and be restored to its intended purpose.The Gingerbread Castle is one of Josephs Urbans last projects completed before his passing. Columbia University in NYC, has a small collection of Mr. Urbans works, designs, buildings, and sketches at their facility.

Scattered abroad are some of Urban's unique art. Available in their original condition and in some minor repairs, are some items listed below for private collectors who wish to adore Mr. Urban's masterpiece art work. Along with the items below which include rare, unique Flint Faience Tile Murals, A Weathervane (Prince on His Steed) with decorative base, The original blue prints of the "Fairy Tale House", with Mr. Urban's mark on them. Several sheets of complete description and details used to design and build the "Fairy Tale House". All dated from the1920's. In their original condition, fragile and need minor preservation work. They are truly a gem and to be appreciated by architects around the world. Mr. Urban has inspired and gleamed for most of his life with his influence in stage design,architecture, art and more...

Mr .Urban commissioned Prince Charming and Cinderella, pictured below as a display, after Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddie...the "Hollywood Stars of the Era"...

The Flint Murals are unique to the Gingerbread Castle. One of our favorites pictured below are "Agriculture in Egypt & Seasons of Wheat" They are truly beautiful, colorful and will simply be adorned by any ceramic tile collector...

Interested collectors should email thegingerbreadcastle@embarqmail.com, or inquire through our contact form below and include all necessary information of inquiry. As pieces are available at certain auction houses, we will be sure to post on this site....

God Bless....