TABLE OF CONTENTS HISTORY THE TIMELINE MANUFACTURER'S HISTORIES THE PATENT PAGES THE PRE-ELECTRIC ERA VINTAGE ADVERTISING THE LIGHT SET GALLERIES RELATED LINKS |
VINTAGE NOVELTY LIGHTED
FIGURES |
Manufactured by Miller in beginning in the late 1940s, this light was also sold as a simple non-electrical candy container, packed with a cellophane-wrapped bunch of lollypops. There was also a matching Santa on skis available from the same company, available either unlighted or with candy as well. |
Dating to 1948, this is only one of several Santa faces offered in hard plastic by NOMA, the leading manufacturer of Christmas lighting in the world at that time. This particular plaque is most often found with the paint rubbed off of Santa's nose and cheeks from storage over the years, and this example is no exception. It appears that a previous owner has tried to touch up the damage. |
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Here is the same plaque that was sold in the very late 1950s and early 60s, showing a somewhat "less expensive" paint job. Referred to by collectors as the "sunburned Santa variation" of the plaque, this much less desirable version is also the one most commonly found. The example is shown lit, and showcases Santa's somewhat frightening bright orange-red face. |
This charming lighted scene of caroling children was sold by NOMA in 1949. The door contains a music box, which plays "Jingle Bells". The interesting street light is a combination of two other NOMA products, as it has a glass rod from their earlier (circa 1938) GloLite electric candle, and base parts from a multiple wired bubbling light. The distortion and damage to the light itself also helps us to date it, as the disfiguration is from a fire retardant additive that NOMA added to their electrical plastics in the late 1940s, and the chemical actually serves to destroy the plastic over time. This scene is exceedingly difficult to find today. |
Manufactured by the Alps Company, this Santa lantern is circa 1950. Many similar lanterns like this were made by various manufacturers, including a snowman, elf, and even a Jack-O-Lantern for Halloween. The earliest of these lamps, manufactured in the late 1930s, feature painted glass figural shades, while later examples like this one featured plastic shades. The Alps company also made the highly-collectible all glass Alps bubble light, pictured on the Bubble Lights Identification page. |
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Here is an earlier version of the Santa lantern, known as the Wee Winkie Santa Lantern, also by ALPS. This light is circa 1948, and the Santa globe in this case is a heavy milk glass. These lanterns all run from two AA size batteries. | ||
A circa 1948 ALPS blinking Christmas tree, named the Wee Winkie Blinkie Tree. The clear lamp at the top of the tree blinks, while the red lamps decorating the tree itself burn steadily. |
Clear plastic halos for Christmas light bulbs were sold by all of the major lighting manufacturers in the 1940s and 50s. The examples shown here are from NOMA, in a countertop display box of halos for the C-7 multiple burning lamps. The halos glow with a very nice effect, and were quite popular for window and mantle candles, as well as on individual tree lights. this box is circa 1948. |
TABLE OF CONTENTS HISTORY THE TIMELINE MANUFACTURER'S HISTORIES THE PATENT PAGES THE PRE-ELECTRIC ERA VINTAGE ADVERTISING THE LIGHT SET GALLERIES RELATED LINKS |
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