Beatrice Lang
The first electric Christmas light display is believed to have originated with Thomas Edison, who in 1880, hung strings of electric lights outside his laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey. Two years later, Edison's friend and associate, Edward H. Johnson, displayed the first electric Christmas tree lights at his home in New York City. Johnson's creation of 80 red, white, and blue lights, powered by a generator, was reported by the Detroit Post and Tribune and marked the start of an annual tradition.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year | 1880/1882 |
| Creator | Thomas Edison and Edward H. Johnson |
| Description | First strand of electric lights strung outside Menlo Park, New Jersey laboratory |
| Bulbs | 290 |
| Cost | $35,000 to form the Edison Lamp Company |
| First Customer | Edward H. Johnson |
| First Christmas Tree Lights | 1882, by Edward H. Johnson |
| Bulb Colors | Red, White, Blue |
| Number of Bulbs | 80 |
| Power Source | Generator |
| Location | Johnson's townhouse at 136 East 36th Street, New York City |
| Media Coverage | Detroit Post and Tribune, Electrical World, The New York Times |
| President's Tree | 1895, President Grover Cleveland |
| National Tradition | 1923, President Calvin Coolidge lit the National Christmas Tree |
| Commercial Sales | 1917, Albert Sadacca |
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What You'll Learn
- Thomas Edison created the first light bulb and the first strand of electric lights
- In 1880, Edison hung lights outside his Menlo Park laboratory
- In 1882, Edward H. Johnson, Edison's friend, created the first Christmas tree lights
- Johnson's lights were red, white, and blue
- In 1917, Albert Sadacca and his family began selling coloured Christmas lights
Thomas Edison created the first light bulb and the first strand of electric lights
Thomas Edison is often credited with creating the first light bulb and the first strand of electric lights. However, it is important to note that while Edison did play a significant role in improving and commercializing electric lighting, he did not invent the light bulb itself.
Edison was born in Ohio in 1847 and spent his early years in Michigan, where he received most of his education at home from his mother, a former schoolteacher. He showed a keen interest in chemistry and electronics from a young age, conducting experiments in his parents' basement.
In 1878, Edison began working on a system of electrical illumination, aiming to create a long-lasting incandescent lamp suitable for indoor use. He and his associates experimented with various materials for the filament, the part of the bulb that produces light, eventually settling on bamboo as the best option. On November 4, 1879, Edison filed for a US patent for an electric lamp using a carbon filament and, on December 31, 1879, he made the first public demonstration of his incandescent light bulb in Menlo Park, New Jersey.
Edison's early bulbs had their limitations, such as a short lifespan and high electric current requirements, but he continued to refine his design. He also established the first industrial research laboratory and worked with numerous researchers and employees, applying organized science and teamwork to the invention process.
During Christmas 1880, Edison strung the first strand of electric lights outside his laboratory in Menlo Park, giving railroad passengers their first glimpse of an electrical light display. However, it would take almost 40 years for electric Christmas lights to become a widespread tradition.
In summary, while Thomas Edison is often associated with creating the first light bulb and electric light strand, his true contribution lies in his improvements and commercialization of electric lighting technology, building on the work of previous inventors in the field.
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In 1880, Edison hung lights outside his Menlo Park laboratory
In 1879, Thomas Edison invented the first string lights. The following year, he hung strands of lights outside his Menlo Park, New Jersey laboratory. This was the first electric light display. The lights were strung along the walk from the train station to Edison's building, with 290 bulbs illuminating the path. This display was first witnessed by officials from the New York City government who visited Edison's laboratory on December 21, 1880.
At the time, electricity was not widely available, and electric lights were very expensive. The wiring of electric lights required the services of a wireman, the equivalent of a modern-day electrician. It is estimated that lighting an average Christmas tree with electric lights before the turn of the century cost $2,000 in today's money.
The first person to use electric lights for a Christmas tree was Edison's friend and partner, Edward H. Johnson. In 1882, Johnson hand-wired 80 red, white, and blue light bulbs and strung them around his Christmas tree. He placed the tree by a street-side window, drawing crowds who came to peer in at the glowing spectacle. Johnson's tree was covered by the Detroit Post and Tribune, and a month later, Electrical World magazine also reported on it, calling it "the handsomest Christmas tree in the United States".
It would take almost 40 years for electric Christmas lights to become a tradition. In 1903, General Electric began to offer pre-assembled kits of stringed Christmas lights, making them more affordable and accessible to the public.
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In 1882, Edward H. Johnson, Edison's friend, created the first Christmas tree lights
In 1882, Edward H. Johnson, a friend and business associate of Thomas Edison, created the first-ever Christmas tree lights. Johnson was vice president of Edison's Electric Light Company, and in December 1882, he decided to hang Edison's lights on a Christmas tree.
Johnson was a loyal lieutenant to Edison, and the pair had a long history. In 1871, Johnson hired Edison as a consultant for the Automatic Telegraph Company. Johnson was so impressed with Edison that when the inventor started a new company, he followed him and helped turn Edison's ideas into cash. Johnson was also a key figure in promoting Edison's inventions, such as the phonograph, which he took on tour in 1877, charging crowds to see the new invention. Johnson also invested $35,000 to form the Edison Lamp Company to sell Edison's light bulbs.
Johnson's Christmas tree lights were a natural extension of his work with Edison and his own business acumen. He hand-wired 80 red, white, and blue light bulbs, which he strung together around a tree in his New York City townhouse. The tree was powered by a generator and placed on a revolving pedestal. Johnson invited the press to view his creation, and the Detroit Post and Tribune wrote about the "handsomest Christmas tree in the United States".
Johnson's innovation sparked a new tradition, and he added more bulbs to his tree each year. However, electric Christmas lights were initially very expensive, costing around $2,000 in today's money to light a tree. It wasn't until 1903 that General Electric began offering pre-assembled kits of Christmas lights, making them more affordable and accessible to the average person.
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Johnson's lights were red, white, and blue
The first electric Christmas lights were created and displayed by Thomas Edison outside his laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey, during the Christmas season of 1880. However, Edison did not associate these lights with Christmas. That association was made by his friend and partner, Edward H. Johnson, two years later. Johnson's display featured red, white, and blue lights, and it was covered by the Detroit Post and Tribune, which called it "the handsomest Christmas tree in the United States."
The colours of Johnson's lights were not only aesthetically pleasing but also carried symbolic significance. Red, white, and blue are the colours of the American flag, and using them on his Christmas tree may have been Johnson's way of expressing patriotism and national pride. At the time, lighting a Christmas tree with electric lights was a novel and expensive endeavour, as electricity was not yet widely available, and the wiring required the services of a trained electrician. Johnson's display is estimated to have cost the equivalent of $2,000 in today's dollars.
Johnson's display set a precedent, and he added more bulbs to his tree each year, with 120 bulbs counted in 1884. His initiative helped establish the tradition of using electric lights for Christmas trees, and he earned the title "Father of the Electric Christmas Tree." However, it took several decades for electric Christmas lights to become widely adopted, with President Calvin Coolidge presiding over the lighting of the National Christmas Tree with 3,000 electric lights on Christmas Eve in 1923.
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In 1917, Albert Sadacca and his family began selling coloured Christmas lights
The history of electric Christmas lights can be traced back to Thomas Edison, who invented the first successful practical lightbulb. During the Christmas season of 1880, Edison hung strands of electric lights outside his laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey. However, it is important to note that these early displays were not specifically created as Christmas lights.
In 1882, Edward H. Johnson, a close friend and associate of Edison, took the idea further. Johnson, who was the vice president of Edison's Electric Light Company, decided to hang Edison's lights on a Christmas tree. This display was intentionally created to showcase the practical application of electricity in Christmas celebrations. Johnson's tree featured 80 red, white, and blue light bulbs and was powered by a generator. The display attracted media attention, with the Detroit Post and Tribune describing it as "the handsomest Christmas tree in the United States."
While Edison and Johnson are often credited with creating the first electric Christmas lights, it was Albert Sadacca who saw the commercial potential and worked to make them accessible to the public. In 1917, Albert Sadacca, a teenager at the time, suggested that his family's novelty lighting company begin selling brightly coloured strands of Christmas lights. The Sadacca family's company started selling these lights, making them more widely available. By the 1920s, Albert and his brothers had organised the National Outfit Manufacturers Association (NOMA), a trade association that further cornered the Christmas light market.
The widespread adoption of electric Christmas lights was also influenced by presidential support. In 1895, President Grover Cleveland decorated the White House Christmas tree with multi-coloured electric lights, and in 1923, President Calvin Coolidge lit the National Christmas Tree with 3,000 electric lights. These presidential endorsements helped to spur the acceptance of indoor electric Christmas lights and inspired Americans to follow suit.
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Frequently asked questions
Thomas Edison, the inventor of the first light bulb, created the first strand of electric lights. During the Christmas season of 1880, he hung these outside his Menlo Park Laboratory in New Jersey.
Edward H. Johnson, a friend and business partner of Thomas Edison, first put together a string of electric lights for a Christmas tree in 1882. He hand-wired 80 red, white, and blue light bulbs and wound them around his tree.
Yes, candles were used to light Christmas trees before electric lights. However, this was a fire hazard and caused many house fires.
Electric Christmas lights were very expensive at first and required the services of an electrician. In 1903, General Electric began to offer pre-assembled kits of stringed lights, making them more affordable and accessible. However, it was not until 1917 that Albert Sadacca and his family began selling brightly coloured electric lights to the public, and the lights gained popularity.
