A Bit About Glass Ornaments
German glass ornaments were introduced to America by Frank Woolworth in the 1880s, but such ornaments were produced under labor-intensive conditions and were expensive, with few Americans being able to afford more than one or two ornaments per year. On the eve of World War II, however, American companies began manufacturing inexpensive, mass-produced ornaments that made it possible for almost any American to have an extensive collection of Christmas ornaments for little cost. With a few modifications, Corning Glass’s light bulb machine could spit out 2,000 blank glass ornaments a minute that were then bought by ornament companies to be decorated, packaged and sold by the dozen!
Collectible Ornaments: Max Eckhardt’s Shiny Brite company manufactured colorful glass ornaments in a variety of sizes and shapes. Packed in boxes by the dozen or half dozen, glimpses of the ornaments could be caught through the cellophane windows of the boxes’ covers. The reds and greens of the past were supplemented with turquoise, chartreuse, orange, purple, and other vibrant colors. Glittery bands of mica decorated some balls while others were silk screened with seasonal motifs such as snowy scenes, sleigh rides, carolers, and poinsettias. Some balls featured silvery indents on their surfaces that reflected the surrounding light. In the early 1950s, clear glass balls appeared decorated with bands of color or glittering sparkles. Molded plastic Santa Clauses, angels, snowmen, and other holiday icons were inexpensive, mass-produced, and readily available.
The concept of decorating a tree with ornaments for Christmas is not a new tradition. In fact, Christmas ornaments date back to 16th Century Germany. This concept remained exclusively within Germany for quite a while. The first tree ornaments in Germany were candles, used by Martin Luther to entertain and delight his children. Other Christmas ornaments of this time (after the introduction of the candle as an ornament) were paper flowers, candy, hard cookies, fruit, and tinsel made of silver, tin, and other shiny materials. Since then, the Christmas ornament has obviously changed a lot – perhaps due to the safety concerns of hanging candles on a flammable tree that is surrounded by children. Ornaments have always been beautiful creations proudly displayed on a tree for all to marvel at.
In 1973, Hallmark introduced the concept of collectible Christmas ornaments, further broadening the concept of the Christmas ornament. Soon, collectible Santas and other traditional Christmas characters like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman became familiar sights on American Christmas trees. Since Hallmark’s introduction of collectible ornaments in 1973, people began collecting and giving collectible Christmas ornaments as gifts for the holiday season. These Hallmark ornament collections started out as glass and yarn creations, but slowly expanded to include acrylic, wood, metal, porcelain, and intricate handmade items in every shape or figure imaginable. Still though, collectible Santas remain among the most popular theme for an ornament, regardless of the materials used to construct him. Santa has been and probably always will be a lasting symbol of Christmas for people around the world.
Glass is the most common material, probably, currently being used as a base for designing Christmas Tree Ornaments of various shapes and sizes. While glass lends a great look to the tree and can be molded in almost any desirable shape, it can be breakable at times. |
