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Ad Rates / Articles / Classified Ads / Editorial / Home / Links / Showtime   Christmas tree lights through the ages   List Jim Trautman Next   Thomas Edison put the light in Christmas     By Jim Trautman I once asked my grandparents how they decorated their Christmas tree in the days before electric lights.   “With candles,” of course.   The problem with placing live flame among the branches was one could not leave the tree unattended and buckets of sand or water had to be kept at hand.   Thomas Alva Edison, always the promoter, sparked a change with the first display of electric Christmas lights in 1879, at his workshop in Menlo Park, New Jersey.   The first contained only 60 bulbs, each plain and clear, that were used to light Edison’s laboratory and the surrounding houses. But this modern wonder attracted the attention of local residents and passengers aboard trains on the Pennsylvania Railroad, which ran nearby.   Edison topped that spectacularly the following Christmas when his display featured thousands of lights. His employees had worked the entire year. Lights were strung on all the buildings in Menlo Park and on the train Edison employed to travel between buildings on his property.   The Pennsylvania Railroad ran special trains to the site and thousands of visitors came to gawk from as far away as New York City and Philadelphia. Reporters described the display as a “fairyland of lights” and Edison as “the Enchanter” for bringing such excitement to the holiday season. The famous singer Sarah Bernhardt was on hand to assist in the lighting ceremony.   In 1937, a 40-metre tower was constructed at Menlo Park in the shape of the first electric light and visitors to the small museum there can observe that first sturdy bulb still faintly burning.   Despite the public’s fascination with those early displays, the first commercial Christmas light sets weren’t manufactured until 1901 by Edison’s company, General Electric. The 2 candle power carbon filament lights were sold in strings of nine and advertised in places like Ladies Home Journal.   But there were two major problems. First, cost: Each string sold for $12 more than an average worker’s weekly wage. Secondly, most homes and apartments did not have electricity as yet. Sets were rented for a week or two rather than purchased.   Indoor Christmas lights did not become popular until shortly after World War I when the Sadacca brothers - Albert, Leon and Henri - pioneered the use of coloured lights. The three brothers formed the NOMA company which stands for National Outfitters Manufactures Association.   NOMA brought cheap, safe Christmas lights and bulbs into the market with General Electric and Westinghouse becoming its main competition.   Urged on by advertising, not just in newspapers and magazines but also on the new medium of radio, the public was soon hooked on Christmas tree lights. It was the “Roaring Twenties” and anything new was sought after.   The market expanded further with the introduction of the figural light bulb. An ad in the December, 1926 issue of Good Housekeeping suggested that, “bulbs blown in shapes of fruit, animals, candy canes, stars, and other figures are interesting and attractive on your tree.”   Throughout the 1920s and 30s, millions of shaped bulbs were made. Japan was the main exporter of such bulbs into the North American market.   Originally, each white, milk glass bulb was hand-painted, one at a time. But high demand made mass production in molds necessary; quality gave way to quantity.   It was, of course, the golden age of the five and dime stores and now the bins were filled at Christmas with figural bulbs: Santa Claus, snowmen, bells, birds, airplanes, radios, lanterns, blimps and even one of the Mounties. Buyers could pick up an entire matched set of lights or mix and match to create themes.   More fads followed. In the Roaring Twenties, lighted Christmas wreaths were mounted on automobiles.   In the period from the 1920s to the 40s, the Sunday comic pages were king. Figural bulbs tapped into the desire to collect and display favourite comic page or radio characters appearing in the shape of Dick Tracy, Little Orphan Annie, Popeye, Betty Boop, Kayo, Our Gang, and others.   Some companies manufactured beautiful sets of prism-shaped lights that dispersed light in rainbow colours. From Japan came Krystal Star Lamps, silver with coloured star tips reflecting the bulb’s light.   Decoratively painted, heavy Christmas tree stands were created that could hold water, keeping the tree fresh and came with a light set designed to fit into the base.   In the 1930s, Walt Disney characters became a hot item. A set of eight milk-glass bulbs featuring Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs appeared. At the 1939-40 New York World’s Fair, Disney introduced an eight-bulb set that included Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Pluto.   But what made the Disney set unique was its design, which featured characters painted on shades of Bakelite plastic covering each bulb. Each shade featured a different scene, such as Mickey and Minnie carrying home a Christmas wreath.   The artwork on the box, turned out to be another selling point. It shows Mickey and Minnie decorating a tree, with Pluto assisting. The complete set with box is valued at $600. An individual shade uncracked sells for $20.   Japan produced other lighted ornaments as well, including miniature papier-mache houses, shops and churches with cellophane windows that could be placed on the tree or mantel as a decoration. A lighted bulb fit into a small hole at the back.   A major advance in the technology of light sets occurred in the 1930s, with the introduction of sets linked in parallel series. Before this, every time one bulb went out, the entire set would go dark. Then the fun began - find the burned out bulb (if two were out, it really became interesting). I'm sure many un-Christmas words were heard!   Shortly before the start of World War II, Carl Otis, an accountant for the Montgomery Ward Department Stores, invented the bubble light. But it took until the end of the war for NOMA to begin selling bubble lights at Christmas.   The principle was simple: As the bulb in the base became hotter, the liquid in the visible tube began to bubble. Each set of bubble lights had several colours - red, green, blue, yellow, orange. The lights were fascinating to watch, bubbling away in the darkness. Small wonder they became best-sellers. No two appear to bubble alike.   The Sail-Me Company of Chicago, Illinois, marketed decorative paper shades that fit onto the top of each bulb. Heat from the bulb made the shade revolve, animating scenes such as children playing under a Christmas tree, Wise Men following the star, Santa Claus carrying a large bag of toys. They were sold in boxes of four and eight. Box of four - $30 and box of eight $60. Individual shade - $6.   The postwar years saw a growth in the market for lights and lighted accessories. Toronto’s William Dixon Toy Company sold large numbers of its bristle-brush Christmas wreath, designed to be displayed in a window, with a lighted red bulb visible to all who passed by.   NOMA and other companies also made metal and plastic reflectors in the shape of stars, snowflakes and rainbow colours, which were placed around the ordinary bulbs to add excitement.   Throughout the years, Christmas lights have reflected the era. Amid the flying saucer craze of the 1950s, for example, NOMA sold lights that had each bulb covered with a large piece of plastic to provide an unearthly “glow.” On the box, Santa Claus was depicted riding in a flying saucer.   In 1957, with the first Russian satellite, Sputnik, NOMA issued the famous Star of Bethlehem lighted tree topper. It was billed as the “Unbreakable Christmas Tree Top” and resembled the satellite, with its large illuminated centre and white spikes radiating outward.   Replacing bubble lights in the 1950s were General Electric’s snowball lights, which had the bulb covered with coloured plastic that diffused the light.   With the arrival of the artificial tree in the 1960s, the sale of full-size lights plummeted. The hot new item, aluminum trees, demanded tiny twinkle lights and for years miniature lights dominated the market.   In recent years, bubble lights have returned and lights in the shape of Santa faces, candle flames and holly leaves have appeared on the market.   Thomas Edison, an able marketer with a million bright ideas, knew Christmas bulbs would be a winner. North American homes, warm, colourful and glowing with holiday lights this December, are the best proof.   What better time then to hit church sales, flea markets and the many second-hand stores to seek out those light sets that bring back nostalgic memories of the Christmas season. The variety is unlimited and the price inexpensive.   I seek out sets manufactured by little known companies and for the box art and have hundreds of my favourite bulbs, the old painted ones.   Some coloured bulbs are rare only having been manufactured for one season. One such bulb from the late 1940s is coloured in a multi-swirl pattern resembling Bakelite beetle ware.   Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.     Return to top of page   This Is Publishing © 2012 581 8th Line West, RR1 Hastings, ON, K0L 1Y0 Phone/Fax: 705-696-1833   webmaster