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ELECTRIC CHRISTMAS LIGHTS
1970+

Editor's Notes about the 1950s-1970s Old Christmas Tree Lights Pages:

The pages from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s were written by Bill Nelson, but were left out when George reconfigured the site, starting about 2004. There are also signs that some of these pages were still incomplete the last time they were published (about 2003). For your convenience, we have copied them from the 2003 version and "filled in the blanks" where we could. That said, Bill was just starting on the 1970s pages when health problems forced him to quit, so they're quite short. I am just glad that the brothers took this on in the first place, so the fact that the 1970s pages only show a few unusual pieces does not detract from what they were able to accomplish overall.

 

This era in Christmas lighting saw the end of American-produced lighting outfits. After about 1978 or so, almost all lighting sets and light bulbs, even those from the huge American companies such as General Electric and Westinghouse, were foreign made. Prices were coming down, and the variety of novelty lights and other lighting string variations was rapidly growing. This section will highlight some of the lighting sets and accessories available during this time.

 

This 1977 General Electric set of midget lights was one of the first Straight-line outfits offered by that company. Up until this point, the midget lights were offered in loop type sets, which made decorating a bit inconvenient. It is interesting to note that these developments paralleled the development of the earlier miniature based C-6 type lighting in the late 1920s, as those sets were first offered in loop styles as well.

 

Lit from within by a string of midget lamps, this outfit is but one example of the many "message" lighting strings available during the 1970s. Similar outfits, using bells for the letters instead of the plastic shapes shown here, were offered as early as 1934.

 

First offered in the early 1920s, behind-the-lamp reflectors continued to remain popular throughout the 1970s. This set of seven would be enough for a typical 7 light outfit in candelabra based C-7 lamps. Manufactured by Franke in 1974.

 

A 15 light Reflector set by Yuletide Enterprises, item no 5380. This set was made in Taiwan and dates to around 1970. The photo has been kindly shared with us from by J. S. Pilliteri of New Jersey. The set is from his collection.

 

This "Celestial Motion Tree Topper" by the Bradford Company was offered in the early 1970s. It consists of a simple heat activated illuminated drum inside the clear dome halves in the center of the star, and as it rotates, the unit creates a disco-like light pattern on the walls, ceiling and Christmas tree branches. Lately, this light has become extremely collectible, and the unit, which originally retailed for $3.95, now sells for more than $250.00. The Star is shown here with the included tabletop stand. There are several versions of this topper, and other examples include a plain round ball and an angel with clouds that sparkle as the drum turns.

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