1930-1940 PAGE 2

Another attempt to solve the burnt out lamp problem in series wired sets came to us from Japan. Patented in 1930, the XL lamps contained a shunt device that allowed the rest of the light string to remain lighted should one or more lamps burn out. While the invention worked to keep the string lit, it was not successful from a practical point of view. When a bulb failed, the remaining seven on the string would receive considerably higher voltage, shortening their life. If the failed lamp was not replaced quickly, the stress on the remaining lamps soon took its toll. Genuine XL lamps are so marked on the glass envelope at the base of the bulb. There were also regular lamps made with the distinctive heavy embossed flame design, but they do not say XL on them. The Reliance company distributed all of the XL light sets, although their name is seldom found on the boxes. Incidentally, the "XL" nomenclature referred to the lamps having "Xtra Life", as some of them were rated at 16 volts instead of the more common 14 or 15. Operation on normal household current of 110 volts resulted in the lamps lasting just a bit longer.
Inside and outside views of the 1930 edition of the XL lighting set.
A close up picture of the lamps, showing their distinctive embossed flame pattern.
Inside and outside views of a circa 1935 XL outfit.
The hard to find XL Candles set was first offered in 1934, two years before General Electric offered their own version of candle lamps. These bulbs also have the XL shunting device as described above.

Date	Manufacturer	Notes	Outside of Box	Inside of Box
ca 1930	Unknown	An early outdoor set, parallel wired with Japanese outside colored intermediate base lamps.
ca 1932	Paramount	This is a typical set from Paramount, series wired and equipped with imported Japanese lamps.
ca 1934	Reliance	It is interesting to note that lantern bulbs were never originally intended for Christmas lighting, but rather for parties, festivals, etc. Through the years, the lanterns found their way to Christmas trees and remained in favor until the beginning of World War II. A few years after the War, the lanterns reappeared for a short time in the early 50s, and then were no longer produced.
ca 1935	Leo Pollack Company	The Leo Pollock Company of New York produced these lights in about 1935. The Company produced only very high quality outfits that have survived the years well. This set uses the candelabra base C-7 120 volt lamps
ca 1935	Crest-O-Lite	This is an outdoor outfit using intermediate base C-9 lamps, and is weatherproofed for outdoor use. It was produced throughout the mid 1930s.
ca 1935	ClemCo	Here is the most commonly found box from ClemCo. This particular example houses candelabra base indoor/outdoor lamps and has a weatherproof rubber coated cord..
ca 1936	Paramount	Paramount was the first company to incorporate General Electric's new candle-shaped light bulbs into a boxed set. GE had introduced the lamps a year before, but they did not become popular until they were sold in sets like this one.
ca 1938	NOMA	First marketed in 1938, this candle outfit from NOMA used the newly introduced General Electric candle lamps. Offered in both series and parallel wired sets, they were not big sellers for two reasons. First, the lamps were top heavy and would not stand up properly, and secondly, they often developed burned circular holes in their paint due to the close proximity of the filament to the outside glass envelope. The set was offered in an attractive box that opens like a book. Sold for only a few years, NOMA discontinued the set shortly after World War II.
ca 1938	ClemCo	This 1938 outfit from ClemCo uses outside painted T-4 bulbs. The candles themselves are white plastic and are held in place on the tree with metal clips. This set is quite hard to find, as it was made for only three years.
ca 1938	PAR	A Japanese figural lamp, typical of this era. Few of these lights survive with all of their paint intact like this example did. The light is a representation of "Three Men in a Tub", from the "Rub-a-Dub-Dub" children's nursery rhyme.
ca 1938	Real-Lite	In a strangely "non-Christmassy" colored box, this outfit from Real-Lite is a actually a NOMA product.
ca 1938	Reliance	This interesting outfit from Reliance contains eight "ornament lights". The lamps are delicate silvered glass and hand painted, just like real ornaments of the era. Small 15 volt lamps are inserted, and when lit, give off a wonderful iridescent glow unlike any other type of Christmas light. Sadly, the lights most often burnt out in their first season of use, as the silvering of the glass envelopes served to trap heat, causing the bulb to lose its vacuum seal very easily. Produced for only a few years in the early 1930s, these Japanese-produced lamps are very hard to find today.


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