This archive of Bill Nelson's 2001 web site was provided by Fred Fox and is sponsored by:
Visit the FamilyChristmasOnline site.
FamilyChristmasOnline(tm)
Return to the OldChristmasTreeLights Welcome page
OldChristmasTreeLights(tm)
and
Click to visit Fred's Noel-Kat store.
Fred's Noel_Kat Vintage
Christmas Lights Store

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS       HISTORY       THE TIMELINE       MANUFACTURER'S HISTORIES       THE PATENT PAGES       

THE PRE-ELECTRIC ERA      VINTAGE ADVERTISING         THE LIGHT SET GALLERIES         RELATED LINKS         

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 

A CYBER-MUSEUM OF AMERICAN

 CHRISTMAS LIGHTING

 1900 -1950

 Archive: 2001 Version of this Site

This archive is courtesy of Fred Fox, proprietor of Noel-Kat a Vintage Christmas Light and Decoration Store.
Click to visit Fred's Noel-Kat store.

Between 1999 and 2008, Bill and George Nelson recorded and illustrated the history of Christmas tree lamps and the businesses behind them through the "Old Christmas Lights" and "Antique Christmas Lights Museum" web sites. The 2008 version, which was largely George Nelson's work has been painstakingly reconstructed in the OldChristmasTreeLights.com site.

But some folks like Bill's earlier versions better. In 2011 we were glad to be able to host an archive of Bill's 2003 site, painfully reconstructed by fan Tom Elmore. In 2012, we are glad to be able to host this archive of Bill's 2001 site, probably one of the earliest versions. This version was unearthed by Fred Fox. It has a simpler structure, which means that it's faster to navigate. If you find some topic you'd like to know more about, be sure to check out the later versions.

Initially you might think that posting multiple versions of the site would be redundant. But the brothers had different approaches to the content, different organizational and writing styles, and even different content. Plus, the brothers were constantly updating the sites and moving things around, so some links were bound to be broken at any given time. If you find a "missing link" in one version, you may very well find the information you're looking for in another. So we believe it is for everyone's benefit to present each version.

The rest of these pages are in Bill's own words, not ours, That said, if you have any comments, corrections, concerns, or questions about these pages, please contact us through our Contact page.

Please note that the site authors Bill and George Nelson collected and catalogued the lights and related products shown on these pages - they did not sell them, and we don't either.

As Bill often said, "Thanks for stopping by."

We now return you to Bill's own introduction to this unique resource.

Hello, and welcome to my website, devoted to providing information about the development of electric Christmas lighting in America. Here you'll learn all about early-to-mid twentieth century electric holiday lighting in the United States, and see how it has changed over the years. Did you know that in the earliest days, Christmas lights were so expensive that they were commonly rented for the season? You can read about it on the "Brief History" page. We've come a long way since 1900...

 I've tried to break down the information presented here into logical sections. The first category offers a brief history of  electric Christmas lighting, followed by a reference timeline. There are sections covering early patents for Christmas lighting items, as well as a section devoted to the manufacturer's histories.

 "The Light Sets" section presents lighting outfits from specific time periods. There are also two special sections, one covering the interesting early days of NOMA Bubble Lites, and another devoted entirely to some of the early patents for electrical Christmas items. The best way to see a listing of everything available here is to use the Table of Contents page, where you'll also find a handy search engine to help you find specific information available on this site. 

 

HERE'S A QUICK CONNECTION TO THE MOST POPULAR DESTINATIONS ON THIS SITE:

  Bubble Lights               Galleries: The Light Sets

  Matchless Stars            Bubble Light Identification 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

The information presented here is not complete by any means, as I am a collector and not a certified expert, and my collection is mostly limited to pre-1950s lighting sets. It is my wish to give some hopefully interesting details about and a brief overview of the early days of electric Christmas lighting. The examples pictured on this site are from my personal collection of lighting outfits and devices unless otherwise identified. If you have questions, there are links to e-mail me on every page-don't hesitate to contact me with your questions and comments. I love to "Talk Lights"! 

ALMOST ALL OF THE PICTURES ON THIS SITE ARE CLICKABLE TO ENLARGE.

I'll be glad to help you identify or give you information about any lighting sets you've got questions about.  If I do not know the answer to a question or have the information you're seeking, I should at least be able to point you in the right direction. At present, I am a collector only and do not offer any sets for sale.  

Be sure to check back often, for as my collection grows and my research continues, the site is updated at least  weekly. Thanks for stopping by, and it is my sincere hope that you enjoy browsing through a bit of America's early electric Christmas heritage! 

-Bill Nelson

Knoxville, Tennessee

 

SITE UPDATES
 
With the kind help of Rick Delair, there has been a new section added to the site. Dating Hints and Helps gives some interesting information of the evolution of the General Electric C-6 cone style Christmas lamps-you'll find the information useful to help date many of the lamps in your collection. In addition to the information kindly provided by Rick, there is also help with plugs, connectors, cords and box construction, all designed to help you put an approximate date of manufacture to your vintage lighting outfits.
 

Christopher Cuff has just started a new e-mail discussion group at Yahoo, devoted to old Christmas lights. CLICK HERE to join the group. Hopefully by getting together a group of collectors willing to share their knowledge and expertise, we can all learn more about our wonderful hobby.
 

  
ALL NEW NOVELTY LIGHTED FIGURINES SECTION!

CLICK HERE
to see another new section of the site, devoted to those fabulous lighted novelty figures, wreaths, lighted tree stands and decorations from the 1930s, 40s and 50s.
 

 



The tragic events of September 11, 2001 will forever change America. It is times like these that the people of the United States come together and so clearly demonstrate the principles, morals and values that this great country was founded upon. This coming Christmas will be a difficult one for many families. Please remember them and all Americans touched by this horror in your thoughts and prayers. This year, more than ever, it is my family's wish that the peace and love exemplified by the Christmas season find their way into your home now and always.

 

Since March 3, 2001, you are visitor

My first wife, who taught me both the real meaning of Christmas and how to truly appreciate it, wrote this little saying in every Christmas card she sent during our wonderful twenty years of marriage.

Thanks for stopping by!

The contents and pictures on this website are ?1999-2001 by and are the property of the author, William G. Nelson. All rights reserved. Please ask for permission before borrowing images or quoting large sections of this site. Thank you.

This website was last updated on November 2, 2001

TABLE OF CONTENTS       HISTORY       THE TIMELINE       MANUFACTURER'S HISTORIES       

THE PATENT PAGES       THE PRE-ELECTRIC ERA      VINTAGE ADVERTISING         THE LIGHT SET GALLERIES 

        RELATED LINKS         FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 

 


This archive of Bill Nelson's 2001 web site was provided by Fred Fox and is sponsored by:
Visit the FamilyChristmasOnline site.
FamilyChristmasOnline(tm)

 
Return to the OldChristmasTreeLights Welcome page
OldChristmasTreeLights(tm)

and
Click to visit Fred's Noel-Kat store.
Noel_Kat's Vintage
Christmas Lights Store
Visit our affiliated sites:
- Christmas Memories and Collectibles -
Visit the FamilyChristmasOnline site. Visit our collection of resources for collecting, restoring, and making your own cardboard Christmas houses. Return to the OldChristmasTreeLights Welcome page Visit Howard Lamey's glitterhouse gallery, with free project plans, graphics, and instructions. Visit Papa Ted Althof's extensive history and collection of putz houses, the largest and most complete such resource on the Internet.. Craft and collectibles blog with local news of Croton NY.
- Family Activities and Crafts -
Click to see reviews of our favorite family-friendly Christmas movies. Free, Family-Friendly Christmas Stories Decorate your tree the old-fashioned way with these kid-friendly projects. Free plans and instructions for starting a hobby building vintage-style cardboard Christmas houses. Free building projects for your vintage railroad or Christmas village. Click to find free, family-friendly Christmas poems and - in some cases - their stories.
- Trains and Hobbies -
Visit the Internet's largest resource on choosing and displaying Christmas trains. Visit Lionel Trains. Click to see Thomas Kinkaded-inspired Holiday Trains and Villages.
Learn about backyard railroading with Family Garden Trains
Click to see HO scale trains with your favorite team's colors.
Resources for O gauge and On30 model railroading
- Music -
Carols of many countries, including music, lyrics, and the story behind the songs Wax recordings from the early 1900s, mostly collected by George Nelson.  Download them all for a 'period' album.
Best-loved railroad songs and the stories behind them.
Heartland-inspired music, history, and acoustic instrument tips. Own a guitar, banjo, or mandolin?  Want to play an instrument?  Tips to save you money and time, and keep your instrument playable.
The struggles and influences of early Jesus Musicians and others who laid the groundwork for the Christian music and worship that is part of our lives today.