The first garden gnomes were introduced to the United Kingdom in 1847 by Sir
Charles Isham, when he brought 21 terracotta figures back from a trip to
Germany and placed them around the gardens of his home, Lamport Hall in
Northamptonshire. Only one of the original batch of gnomes survives: Lampy
as he is known, is on display at Lamport Hall, and is insured for one
million pounds. Garden gnomes have become a popular accessory in many
gardens, although they are not loved by all. They can be the target of
pranks: people have been known to "return to the wild" these garden gnomes,
most notably France's "Front de Liberation des Nains de Jardins" and Italy's
"MALAG" (Garden Gnome Liberation Front). Some kidnapped garden gnomes have
been sent on trips around the world, being passed from person to person and
photographed at different famous landmarks, with the photos being returned
to the owner.
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