From Fire to Electricity
Christmas lights are everywhere
To bless the world again!
Haloed candles' golden flames
At every windowpane-
Lamplight streaming cheerily
From welcoming doors flung wide-
Firelight soft on little heads
That dream of Santa's ride-
Starshine drifting from the sky-
Lights that bob and glow
As dancing lanterns mark the way
The merry carollers go-
O lovely Christmas lights that make
The world a wondrous place,
Show us the way until we see
The glory of his face!
Maureen Murdoch
Christmas 2021 is just a new memory in our mind. The fun of family gathering together, the delicious and mouth-watering goodies, made by relatives and friends. The anticipation of wondering if you will get the present you want. The decorations of pine and holly to make our homes smell nice, and the christmas tree that stands in almost every house. Some small, some large, white or green {maybe even pink}
The verse above was written and published in the local newspaper called: The Petal Paper- from Petal, Miss, on December 24th 1959. It tells about how the Christmas lights light our way to splendid surprizes. How they twinkle and shine waiting for the day of celebration.
In general without the lights to dress our trees, or adorn our houses, Christmas would lose some or most of its luster.
So what do you think about candles being used to decorate a live or artificial Christmas tree? Well in the mid 1800’s that is exactly what was used. Candles were attached to the boughs of the branches with ostentatious candle holders. Furthermore to make the flames look different colors, the holders were made with colored glass, and as the flames flickered they would catch the colored glass and almost dance .
The candles were never left alone to burn without someone nearby. They most likely would only be lit a few minutes before guest were due to come, and extinguished a short time later. They were so precarious that fire brigades would have to be called in to extinguish the flames when they caught the trees on fire. The candles would also be a danger to the people themselves by walking to near the tree, a girl with long hair, or the dress she had on would catch a spark or flame and catch on fire.
Because candles were very expensive in the 1800’s, many families used tallow lights or nutshells filled with oil, and floating wicks. To try and contain the hazards that came with live fire on a tree, various forms of brackets and hoops would hold the candles. They also made homemade drip trays to catch the dripping wax. No matter the different ways tried, fire on a Christmas tree would always cause danger. People wanting to make their Christmas tree sparkle would have to wait for a better method, and just three short years later a man named Edward Johnson, a friend of Thomas Edison would debut the first Christmas lights.
Plug in your Christmas Tree
Johnson had what would probably be the first electric lights on a Christmas tree in 1882. Hand Blown tiny bulbs that were hand wired, adorned his tree which was powered by a generator, and started what would be the way we still light our trees today.
Subsequently, with the invention of Edison’s light bulb, we would move on to a brighter future. Miniature lights came in all sizes and uses beside Christmas lights, they were made to be used in chandeliers also.
Meanwhile, common folk would have to wait for many years until they would be able to light their trees. Electric was still very expensive, and only the most prosperous could afford them. Many believed it would prove to be as dangerous as fire. The cost of a string of just 8 lights at that time would cost a person almost a weeks wage, or about $80.00 today.
The Companies That Would Light the Season.
General Electric, a company that we are all familiar with, bought the rights to light-bulb production in 1890 from Edison. At first {GE} only produced porcelain light bulbs. Soon they branched out to glass.
When Christmas time came, a person would have to hire a “wireman” [what we call an electrician today] to cut lengths of rubber-coated wire, strip the ends,fastened them to sockets, then fit a larger socket to a power outlet, and this would then be a completed string of lights. Whew what a chore that would be, just to light your tree. A Person could rent lights then also, at a cost of $12.00 dollars for the season. In today’s money that would be about $300.00.
In 1919 GE would debut a new flame shaped bulb using a MAZDA tungsten filament. At first all the bulbs were made in a round shape, but with the innovation of the flame bulbs the round ones were discontinued by the year 1922. The flame bulbs with a point at the top was considered a little more appealing.
I find that now a days we can find the round shaped bulbs again, so it may be perceived that we have come full circle.
With the innovation of this new light bulb, and being already connected to the wires, Christmas lights were shooting into everyone’s house. The prices were getting cheaper and you could purchase them ready to decorate with. At this time people could also buy snowmen, saints, or Santa Claus, to put outside to decorate their house already lit.
Since 1920 a place in Altadena Ca, called Christmas Tree Lane has put on an outdoor Christmas Light show. It was started by a man named Frederick Nash, and continues to this day. To find out more about America’s first light show go to: www.californiathroughmylens.co/christmas-tree-lane-altadena/
Meanwhile onto a company that would at one time be the largest manufacturer of Christmas lights in the world. NOMA [National Outfit Manufacturer’s Association] would form by the joining together of many smaller electric companies like; Owl Flashlight Co, and Beacon Miniature Electric Co. They would invent the bubble lights that would be very popular in the late Forties and early Fifties. In some retailers you can still purchase them today.
To uncover the rest of this fascinating story about NOMA go to https://oldchristmastreelights.com/noma_story.htm it really relates how electric lights were moving forward.
Christmas Lights in the White House
President Benjamin Harrison, in 1889 was the first president who put up a Christmas Tree in the White House. He adorned his tree with candles, [which we know were dangerous] toys, and ornaments. All this was done for the grandchildren he had at the time.
President Grover Cleveland, who loved that Harrison had decorated a tree, constructed one himself in 1894 and lit it up with the first electric lights.
Meanwhile on Dec 24, 1923 President Calvin Coolidge lit up the first National Christmas tree on the grounds of the White House lighting it with a strand of 2500 lights that were red, white, and green. I would think that had to be such a beautiful sight.
Meanwhile today the White House itself, and the grounds use over 80,000 lights in the holiday season.
As I write this blog, the Holiday Season has just come and went. Without the many many lights that shine thru the season, the holidays would be very dark. I want to thank all the manufacturers of lighting past and present that help make our Christmas season brighter!