The History of Electric Christmas Tree Lights
Legend has it that the tradition of putting lights on holiday trees dates back to at least the 17th century. It wasn’t until 1882, however, that an inventor and vice president of Edison’s electric company named Edward Johnson hit on the idea to light up a tree with the new phenomenon of electric lights.
Johnson used 80 small electric light bulbs to decorate a tree in the parlor of his New York City home. The display caused quite a stir (most likely generated by Johnson himself) and was picked up by a few papers. It wasn’t until two years later, however, that Johnson’s improved display landed him in the social section of The New York Times and the idea took off. Johnson created the first string of Christmas lights that were mass produced in 1890. By 1900, department stores started using the new lights for displays and some wealthier people began having them installed in their homes by electricians. Safety was also an issue, and several companies lay claim to being the first to design and sell “safe” electric lights for trees. By the 1930s, safety had been figured out, costs had come down and Christmas tree lights had become a standard part of holiday decorations.
Below is a section of the article dated December 27, 1884, from The New York Times describing Johnson’s tree.
A BRILLIANT CHRISTMAS TREE.
How an Electrician Amused His Children.
A pretty as well as novel Christmas tree was shown to a few friends by Mr. E. H. Johnson, President of the Edison Company for Electric Lighting, last evening in his residence, No. 139 East Thirty-sixth-street. The tree was lighted by electricity, and children never beheld a brighter tree or one more highly colored than the children of Mr. Johnson when the current was turned (sic) and the tree began to revolve. Mr. Johnson has been experimenting with house lighting by electricity for some time past, and he determined that his children should have a novel Christmas tree.
It stood about six feet high, in an upper room, last evening, and dazzled persons entering the room. There were 120 lights on the tree, with globes of different colors, while the light tinsel work and usual adornment of Christmas trees appeared to their best advantage in illuminating the tree. Mr. Johnson had placed a little Edison dynamo at the foot of the tree, which, by passing a current through from the large dynamo in the cellar of the house, converted it into a motor. By means of this motor the tree was made to revolve with a steady, regular motion. The lights were divided into six sets, one set of which was lighted at a time in front as the tree went round. By a simple devise (sic) of breaking and making connection through copper bands around the tree with corresponding buttons, the sets of lights were turned out and on at regular intervals as the tree turned around. The first combination was of pure white light, then, as the revolving tree severed the connection of the current that supplied it and made connection with a second set, red and white lights appeared. Then came yellow and white and other colors. Even combinations of the colors were made. By dividing the current from the large dynamo, Mr. Johnson could stop the motion of the tree without putting out the lights …