The Christmas of 1835 found Harvard professor Charles Follen yearning for his German homeland. Although his life’s work as an educator and political activist would earn him many distinctions, he is most fondly remembered for his actions that Christmas Eve. Keeping with a 200 year old German tradition, he brought a large spruce tree into his home and adorned it with candles and presents for his 3 year old son Charlie, and in doing so started one of the most cherished of all American Christmas traditions, the Christmas Tree.
Candle lit trees were the centerpiece of Christmas decorating for the next several decades. Then, in 1882, Edward E. Johnson, a close friend and employee of Thomas Edison’s, decorated his family tree with electrical lights and invited the press to come and view his new concept. Pictures of the “electric” tree received considerable press coverage, but the response from the public was less than enthusiastic. The early electric light were risky to use and required the expertise of an electrician to install. It would not be until the turn of the 20th century that an easy-to-use set of lights would be produced by the General Electric Company and mass-produced light would be sold nationwide.
Early Christmas lights have been gaining in popularity over the past decade and this year are seeing record sales. Collectors watch for lights in two basic categories; candle lights from 1880-1915 and electric examples from 1900 through the 1950s.
From 1890-1915 come two candle light collectibles. English figural lights, which are found in the shape of grapes, tulips, cameos of Queen Victoria and royal shields. Highest priced of these are the red/cranberry art glass examples. Also popular are Victorian tumbler lights. Produced both here and in England, these 3.5 inch molded or blown glass vessels were hung by wire from the tree. They are found in clear, amber, green, amethyst and cobalt.
The first “safety” electric tree lights were introduced in 1917 by Albert Sadacca. Sales were discouraging with only 100 sets of lights sold the first year causing Saddacca to change his clear lights to colored in 1918. Within the next few years Albert Sadacca built his NOMA Electric Company into the largest seller of Christmas lights in the world. Watch for lights with the NOMA name when shopping for antique and vintage lighting.
Smooth cone shaped colored bulbs and milk glass bulbs came into popularity from 1920-1930. Towards the end of the 30s you will start to see the UL approved tag. Character bulbs such as Santa, angels, snowmen clowns and popular comic characters were produce during this time frame and remained in vogue well into the 1950s.
Christmas 1946 saw the introduction of the first bubble light, the NOMA biscuit. Sold by Montgomery Ward and inspired by the Bubbler Juke Box, it came in a 9 light set with “alligator” socket clips. By 1948 other companies entered the market, with their own variations on the bubble light. Those of note include: The delicate deco-style Raylite Kristal Snow, which used oil in the fluid tube producing the effect of bubbling champagne and the Royal Electric Sparkling Bubble Lamp with methylene chloride filled tubes that produced fast bubbles.
The 1950s brought us lit tree toppers, wreaths with bubble lights and perhaps the most popular lighting innovation of the era, the color wheel. As popular now as when they hit the shelves 1958, both color wheels, and the aluminum trees they light are in high demand. The difference between now and then? The wheels which originally sold for $18.95 will now set you back $80-$100!
While the lights of Christmas past are fun to collect, remember to always have them checked by an electrician before using them in your home. Until next time….Linda
Linda Kennett is a professional liquidation consultant specializing in down-sizing for seniors and the liquidation of estates and may be reached at 317-258-7835 or lkennett@indy.rr.com.
