Until fairly recently, when the subject of collecting vintage Christmas tree ornaments was broached, what came to mind was traditional Victorian (mostly German) fare: silvered glass balls (otherwise known as kugels), benevolent pudgy Santa figures (called belsnickles), sentimental pastel-hued paper angels, gilded fruit and the like.
| The mid-century years were a time of kitsch and fluff. Flocking was a major element in enhancing the tree itself, and some ornaments were flocked as well. |
But just as design in general went through a radical shift following World War II, so did the collecting of Christmas ornaments change with the recent revival of interest in mid-century modern furnishings.
After all, bubble lights and aluminum-foil ornaments even trees made of aluminum are definitely more in sync with the resuscitated lava lamps and kidney-shaped tables being seen again today.
The 1950s were a time of exuberant postwar optimism, following the years of deprivation and disquiet on the home front. Housing construction was at an all-time high and people were making fresh starts in terms of decorating their new abodes.
When the holidays rolled around and it was time to trim the tree, many Americans resisted buying traditional ornaments that originated in Germany, seeking instead objects made in the good old U.S.A., and preferably constructed of one of the shiny new synthetic materials.
The bubble light was the hot new thing, the big novelty hit of the decade. Actually, Benjamin Franklin had thought of sealing a bubbling liquid in glass tubes two centuries earlier, but it was a man named Carl Otis who adapted the idea for Christmas lights, using a mixture of methyline chloride and water to produce the desired hypnotic effects. Otis patented the idea in 1935, but only one firm, NOMA Electric, showed any interest, finally producing and marketing them in the mid-1940s.
Their popularity inspired other manufacturers to compete, the most successful of which was Raylite, with its Kristal Snow Animated Candles. Since millions of bubble lights continued to be made until the 1970s, they are relatively easy to find at garage sales, flea markets and 1950s collectibles stores. Many are as appreciated for the bright graphics of their packaging as for the lights themselves.
In the 1960s, as anyone whos seen The Graduate knows, plastic was the operative word. There was an infinite variety of plastic ornaments. Some were sprayed with silver and then lacquered. Others were the see-through variety embedded with the appropriate symbols of the season: Christmas trees, bells, angels, Santas and snowmen.
Even the nativity creche scenes under the tree could now be found in acetate plastic.
Gone was the pastel palette of yesteryear, replaced by bright primary colors and flashy new tones like lime and fuchsia. Aluminum was seen not only in its basic color, but also in purple, green, blue and even shocking pink. This was true for the tree as well as its adornments, as a large proportion of the population switched to artificial trees around this time.
According to Robert Brenner, author of Christmas 1960-Present (an excellent reference published by Schiffer), Dow Chemical alone sold more than 1.5 million artificial trees in 1960.
The mid-century years were a time of kitsch and fluff. Flocking was a major element in enhancing the tree itself, and some ornaments were flocked as well. Winter weather entered the living room in the form of Saran icicles that adorned the tree, and snowy effects were produced wherever possible.
Novelty lights of the 60s included midget bulbs from Italy and Icicle Lights made of clear plastic cupped in a white frost covering and lit by clear miniature bulbs that produced a frosty glimmer on the trees.
Beyond the tree itself, there were countless objects that in their day might have been described as kooky by the older generation. They ranged from smiling Santa coffee mugs, teapots and salt and pepper shakers to flamboyantly patterned red, white and green tablecloths and napkins.
These are objects that will appeal not only to the collector but also to anyone who might want a touch of that more optimistic time. And one of the best things about them is that, with few exceptions, they dont cost that much more now than they did then.
RESOURCES
A Pictorial Guide to Christmas Ornaments and Collectibles by George Johnson (Collector Books).
Christmas 1960-Present by Robert Brenner (Schiffer). n
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