Trystan Casey
The first electric Christmas tree lights were introduced in 1882 by Edward Hibberd Johnson, a friend and business associate of Thomas Edison, who invented the first successful lightbulb. Johnson hand-wired 80 red, white and blue light bulbs and wound them around his Christmas tree. The tree was powered by an electric current drawn from Edison's main office. Johnson's innovative display drew a crowd, and he added more bulbs each year, turning his creation into a tradition.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of invention | 1882 |
| Inventor | Edward Hibberd Johnson |
| Number of bulbs | 80 |
| Bulb colours | Red, white and blue |
| Cost of bulbs | $12 for a string of 16 bulbs in 1900 |
| Cost of electrician | $300 per tree |
| Total cost | $2,000 in today's money |
| Date of widespread adoption | 1903 |
| First electric Christmas tree in the White House | 1895 |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Thomas Edison's 1880 display
The history of electric Christmas tree lights can be traced back to Thomas Edison, who in 1879, invented the incandescent bulb. During the Christmas season of 1880, Edison hung strands of electric lights outside his Menlo Park Laboratory in New Jersey. An article in the New York Times on 21 December 1880, described a visit by officials from the New York City government to Edison's laboratory, where the walk from the train station to the building was illuminated with 290 light bulbs.
The first use of electric Christmas lighting was by Thomas Edison in 1880, but it was not until 1882 that one of Edison's employees, Edward H. Johnson, showcased the first illuminated Christmas tree to reporters who visited his Manhattan house. Johnson, a close friend of Edison and the president of the company Edison formed to provide illumination in New York City, hand-wired 80 red, white, and blue light bulbs and wound them around his Christmas tree. The tree also revolved, with an electric current drawn from Edison's main office powering the lights and the crank that rotated the tree.
Johnson's electrically lit tree was revolutionary, and he was compelled to turn his creation into a tradition. Every year, he added more bulbs to the tree, featuring 120 bulbs in 1884, according to The New York Times. At that time, electricity was not yet widely available and light bulbs were very expensive, so families did not start using electric Christmas lights right away. It would take almost forty years for electric Christmas lights to become a widespread tradition.
Broiling 101: High vs. Low Electric Settings
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Edward H. Johnson's 1882 tree
Edward Hibberd Johnson, an inventor and business associate of Thomas Edison, created the first electrically illuminated Christmas tree at his home in New York City in 1882. Johnson, who was Vice President of the Edison Electric Light Company, had Christmas tree bulbs custom-made for him. He displayed his Christmas tree, hand-wired with 80 red, white, and blue electric light bulbs, in December 1882. The tree was set on a wooden box that rotated six times a minute, with the lights flashing in a continuous twinkling of dancing colours. The electric current that powered the lights and the crank that rotated the tree was drawn from Edison's main office.
Johnson's electrically lit tree was a revolutionary spectacle. It drew a crowd of intrigued onlookers, and Johnson was compelled to turn his creation into a tradition. Every year, he added more bulbs to the tree, featuring 120 bulbs in 1884, according to The New York Times. Johnson's innovation not only added flash and colour to the traditional Christmas tree but also greatly reduced the risk of fire associated with the use of candles for illumination.
At the time, electricity was not yet widely available, and light bulbs were very expensive. Despite the initial high cost and the need for specialised wiring, Johnson's idea gradually gained popularity. In 1895, President Grover Cleveland further promoted the acceptance of indoor electric Christmas lights by illuminating the White House family Christmas tree with hundreds of multi-coloured electric light bulbs.
It was not until 1903 that General Electric began to offer affordable pre-assembled kits of Christmas lights, making them accessible to a wider range of people. Albert Sadacca, a teenager from a family that owned a novelty lighting company, recognised the potential of electric Christmas lights in 1917. He began selling coloured Christmas lights through the family business, and by the 1920s, he and his brothers had established the National Outfit Manufacturers Association (NOMA), a trade association.
Taking Apart a Western Electric Telephone: Step-by-Step Guide
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Electric Christmas lights become a tradition
Electric Christmas lights have become a tradition in many households, but this was not always the case. For centuries, people used candles to illuminate their Christmas trees, which was a beautiful sight but posed a significant fire hazard.
The first use of electric Christmas lighting was by Thomas Edison in 1880. During the Christmas season of that year, Edison strung electric lights around the outside of his Menlo Park Laboratory, and the sight of these lights captivated railroad passengers travelling by the laboratory. However, Edison did not initially intend for these lights to be associated with Christmas. That honour goes to Edward Hibberd Johnson, a close friend and business associate of Edison, who in 1882, introduced electric lights to his Christmas tree. Johnson, who was an electrician himself, hand-wired 80 red, white and blue light bulbs and wound them around his Christmas tree. The tree spun in a circle six times a minute on a little pine box as its lights flashed in a continuous twinkling of dancing colours. Johnson's electrically lit tree attracted much attention and was featured in the Detroit Post and Tribune, with a reporter gushing that "one can hardly imagine anything prettier".
Despite the initial excitement surrounding Johnson's innovation, it took several decades for electric Christmas lights to become a widespread tradition. In the early days, electric lights were very costly and required the services of a trained electrician, making them unaffordable for most people. It was not until 1903 that General Electric began to offer pre-assembled kits of Christmas lights, making them more accessible to the general public. Even then, electric Christmas lights were still considered a novelty and were primarily reserved for the wealthy.
In 1917, a teenager named Albert Sadacca, who belonged to a family that owned a novelty lighting company, suggested that they offer brightly coloured strands of Christmas lights to the public at more affordable prices. This marked a turning point in the widespread acceptance of electric Christmas lights. By the 1920s, Albert and his brothers had organised the National Outfit Manufacturers Association (NOMA), which soon became NOMA Electric Co., cornering the Christmas light market until the 1960s.
The tradition of electric Christmas lights received a further boost in 1923, when President Calvin Coolidge began the country's celebration of Christmas by lighting the National Christmas Tree with 3,000 electric lights. This event, along with the efforts of pioneers like Johnson and Sadacca, helped solidify the tradition of decorating Christmas trees and homes with electric lights, transforming the holiday season into a dazzling spectacle of colour and light.
Upgrading Your Shed's Electrical: A DIY Guide
You may want to see also
Explore related products
President Grover Cleveland's 1895 tree
In 1895, President Grover Cleveland requested that the White House family Christmas tree be adorned with hundreds of multi-coloured electric light bulbs. This was the first time electric lights were used on a Christmas tree in the White House, replacing the traditional candles. The tree was described as "a tremendous pine, fully twenty feet tall", decorated with tinsel, and twinkling with red, white, and blue electric lights.
The use of electric lights on the presidential Christmas tree was a significant step forward in the acceptance of indoor electric Christmas lights. At that time, electricity was not yet widely available, and light bulbs were expensive, so electric Christmas lights were primarily reserved for the wealthy. President Cleveland's decision to embrace this new technology in the White House helped to popularise electric Christmas lights among the general public.
The tradition of lighting a Christmas tree with electric lights can be traced back to Edward Hibberd Johnson, a trusted associate and business partner of Thomas Edison. In 1882, Johnson decorated his Manhattan home with a Christmas tree illuminated by hand-wired electric bulbs, becoming the first person to do so. Johnson's tree featured 80 red, white, and blue lights, along with 28 additional lights mounted on the ceiling. The dazzling display attracted widespread attention and sparked a new Yuletide tradition.
Over time, electric Christmas lights gained popularity, and in 1903, General Electric began offering pre-assembled kits, making them more accessible to the general public. However, it was President Cleveland's bold embrace of this new technology in the nation's most prominent home that played a significant role in encouraging the adoption of electric Christmas lights across the country.
Electric Service Providers: Who Powers My Address?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Albert Sadacca's 1917 innovation
Although Thomas Edison invented the first light bulb and Edward H. Johnson put the first string of electric Christmas lights together in 1882, it was Albert Sadacca who saw a future in selling electric Christmas lights. The Sadacca family owned a novelty lighting company, and in 1917, Albert, then a teenager, suggested that the store offer brightly coloured strands of Christmas lights to the public.
Albert Sadacca was originally from Madrid, Spain, and a recent immigrant to the US when he began developing Christmas lights. He helped found the National Outfit Manufacturers Association (NOMA), a trade association, with his brothers in the 1920s. However, the Sadacca family did not gain control of the company until 1939, when Henri Sadacca orchestrated a stock buyout. Albert served as the company's president and chairman into the late 1970s, when he gave up the presidency.
Electric Christmas lights were initially expensive and reserved for the wealthy and electrically savvy. In 1903, General Electric began to offer affordable pre-assembled kits of Christmas lights, making them more accessible to the general public. Over time, electric Christmas lights became a beloved tradition, with President Calvin Coolidge lighting the National Christmas Tree with 3,000 electric lights on Christmas Eve in 1923.
Pricing Electrical Work: A Guide to Estimating Job Costs
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Edward Hibberd Johnson, an employee and close friend of Thomas Edison, introduced the first Christmas tree illuminated by electric lights in 1882.
Johnson's tree was decorated with 80 hand-wired red, white, and blue light bulbs. There were also 28 additional lights on two wires mounted on the ceiling.
Johnson was inspired by Edison's display of electric lights outside his Menlo Park Laboratory in 1880. Johnson was also motivated by the desire to replace the traditional wax candles used on Christmas trees, which were a significant fire hazard.
Johnson's creation was considered a marvel, and it received positive press coverage. However, due to the high cost of electric lights and the need for an electrician to install them, they did not become immediately popular with the general public.
Electric Christmas tree lights became more widely adopted in the 1920s and 1930s when companies like General Electric began offering pre-assembled kits at more affordable prices.
