Monday, December 5, 2016

Light That Tree



While researching the availability of electric lights for a story set in 1890 America, I came across a reference to a letter from Montana pioneer Elizabeth Chester Fisk who wrote to her parents on December 29, 1891 that " . . . we lit the tree using electric lights. The effect was good and we had no candles to watch and no wax drippings to clear from the carpet or gifts." (Travers, Sam. Christmas in the Old West, Missoula, MT: Mountain Press Publishing Co., 2003. Page 155. ISBN 0-87842-460-1)

Electric lights on a Christmas tree in 1891? Clearly, this needed investigating. What I found was that Christmas lights back then were a lot more complicated that just looking for one burnt out bulb in a string. Check out this photo from GE Reports.



A box of GE Christmas tree lights from 1905. Image credit: The Schenectady Museum of Innovation and Science.

My research led me to Mr. E. H. Johnston, President of the Edison Company for Electric Lighting, who was the first person to use electric lights on a Christmas tree when he lit his 1882 tree with 120 globes of different colors. He then attached them to a dynamo, or crank, in the cellar which caused the tree to revolve, delighting his children and people who passed his window. Read the detailed newspaper article written about it here. (In and About the City: How an Electrician Amused his Children". New York Times. December 27, 1884. Retrieved July 17, 2015)


Early GE Christmas tree lights advertisements. Image credit: Museum of Innovation and Science Schenectady. Courtesy GE Reports
The White House tried them out in 1894 when Frances Cleveland decorated the library tree with "Tiny parti-colored electric lamps instead of the old-time wax candles." (Courtesy wikipedia.)

I've read that the public was leery of them and stuck with candles despite the fire danger, but the site Envisioning the American Dream has the explanation that it was due to cost and practicality. It shows that when the first General Electric (GE) Christmas light set came out in 1903, it cost $12, while at the time, the average wage earner brought home a weekly paycheck of about $13.20. 




And you couldn't just plug them into a socket like we do today. Back then, all electric appliances like toasters, irons, and extras like Christmas lights had to be connected to an existing wall or ceiling light socket, like you see in the above ad. Sometimes you had to choose between the light, or the appliance in the dark. 



Edwardian Drawing Room. Courtesy of The Cambridge Historical Society, Cambridge, MA

Can you see how the table lamp is hooked up to the ceiling light in the above photo? It kind of stands out, doesn't it?

I couldn't find a photo of an interior White House Christmas tree, but here's one of President Calvin Coolidge illuminating the community Christmas tree south of the White House on the Monument Grounds on December 24, 1923. Courtesy the Library of Congress National Photo Company Collection.

President Coolidge illuminating the community Christmas tree south of the White House on the Monument Grounds on December 24, 1923. Courtesy Library of Congress

Over the years there have been many different colors and shapes of bulbs to pretty your tree. Here are some of the earlier ones, courtesy of GE Reports.


Several shapes and colors of GE lights, 1910. Image credit: The Schenectady Museum of Innovation and Science.

By 1916, the price of Christmas lights had decreased by half, followed by another large cut in the 1920s which finally made them affordable to everyone. 


1916 Sears Roebuck and Company catalogue 

There have also been numerous other lighted decorations, such as these tree stands...


1926 3-Bulb Belmont Treeliter Metal Christmas Tree Stand sold by Etsy


1936 NOMA Lithographed Tin Lighted Tree Stand sold by Etsy

The tree stands look like they would highlight the tree wonderfully from the bottom up since the middle is usually the darkest part. However, the thought of water leakage onto the unprotected wires gives me the willies. Death by fire or electrocution? 



1904 General Electric advertising

I've steered clear of the technical aspects of electricity, however if you're really interested, check out the links I've scattered throughout this post. Whether or not you celebrate Christmas with a tree, I hope you've enjoyed this short walk through the brightly lit world Thomas Edison gave us. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts and memories of old Christmas lights, or any other decorations of days gone by. 



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Anita Mae Draper's historical romances are woven under the western skies of the Saskatchewan prairie where her love of research and genealogy yields fascinating truths that layer her stories with rich historical details.  Anita's short story, Here We Come A-Wassailing, was a finalist for the Word Guild's 2015 Word Awards. Her novellas are included in Austen in Austin Volume 1, and The American Heiress Brides Collection. Readers can check out Anita's Pinterest boards for a visual idea of her stories to enrich their reading experience.  Discover more at:





18 comments:

  1. What a fascinating post, Anita. I didn't know anything about this part of Christmas and I'm amazed that electric lights were available that early. You had me checking some of my old Sears and Wards catalogs to see what was advertised in the way of Christmas ... fun!

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    1. Stephanie, I was checking them too, and was disappointed that there are so many more summer catalogues available online than winter, and barely any focusing on Christmas during those early years. But I loved looking. :) Thanks for stopping by.

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  2. I really enjoyed reading this information. Thank you so much. I love Christmas.

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    1. Thanks for letting me know, Melissa. I love Christmas too. Yes, the commercial aspect, but also that everyone seems so aware of hope and peace. We NEED as season where those words are the focus, don't we.

      Thanks for sharing. :)

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  3. Anita - what a delightful post! I'd love to have one of those old painted tree stands. Thanks for sharing such fun information.

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    1. You're welcome, Davalyn. Yes, I'll be on the lookout for those painted stands as well. There is one with a Nativity scene that I especially like although it doesn't have the lights. I appreciate you stopping by. :)

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  4. Oh my, I remember having a bird, a Santa, and a snowman as tree lights when I was a little girl. So interesting to know the history. I used electric lights on a tree in the town square in my historical when the town bought a generator and light sets from a Connecticut company in the 1890's. I found out about it in reading about electricity in Connecticut for another novel set in that state. I love Christmas and the Christmas story. Celebrations and customs may change through the years, but the story of Christmas and Jesus' birth never changes, and I'm so thankful for that.

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    1. Martha, you reminded me that although I didn't include it in my post, battery operated strings of lights were common back in those early days as well.

      Your memory of the bird, Santa and snowman tree lights is wonderful. Thank you for sharing that. :)

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  5. Very interesting post. I was amazed at the price when they first came out. I doubt that very many would choose lights with their entire paycheck. The tree stands are just beautiful. Thank you for "enlightening" me. (sorry to "punish" you).

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    1. Haha, Leesa. Good one. :D

      Yes, I was quite astounded at the price of those lights as well. Really explains why they'd take the chance with candles.

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  6. Fascinating post! I had no idea electric lights were available that early--and boy, were they expensive. Yikes!

    Love the pics, too. Thank you!

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    1. Thanks, Susie. Yes, it was quite a jolt to discover the price as well as the reference to early Montana. I love research! :)

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  7. Thanks for sharing. Wow, talk about expensive. The thought of candles on trees always scared me. I love decorating my tree each year. I have an artificial tree because I am allergic to pine. It has it's advantages....no water needed, rarely any needles to vacuum up and I can put the tree up at anytime without worrying about it dying before Christmas.

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    1. We have an artificial tree for practicality and safety as well, chappydebbie. However, I now find plastic needles all over the floor when we're setting up and taking down.

      One of my earlier needlepoint projects were these plastic canvas candle holders from Herrschners back in the early '80s. I loved the way they enhanced the tree, giving it that old time presence, and yet it was a pain to place them in spots that sat away from overhanging boughs. I mean, even though I'd never light the candles that came with the kit, I wanted it to look realistic.

      Thank you for sharing today. :)

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  8. What a great post...thank you! We once had a fixture that held three different colored lights and a circular disc that turned so that when turning, different lights shone on our Christmas tree.

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    1. You're welcome, Melanie. That would have been eye-catching, Melanie. I can just imagine it made the inside of those old ornaments with the pushed-in, or concave, centers sparkle as it turned around. Thanks for sharing that memory. :)

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