Aluminum Christmas tree facts for kids
An aluminum Christmas tree is a special kind of artificial Christmas tree. It was very popular in the United States from 1958 to the mid-1960s. As the name says, these trees are made from aluminum. They have shiny foil "needles" and are lit up from below by a spinning color wheel.
The 1965 TV show A Charlie Brown Christmas showed these trees as a sign of Christmas becoming too focused on money. This made them less popular. But by the mid-2000s, aluminum trees became popular again, especially online. They are now even found in museums.
Contents
The Story of Aluminum Trees
How They Were Made
Aluminum trees were some of the first artificial Christmas trees that were not green. Before them, people made white "snowy" trees at home with cotton. These homemade trees looked like they were covered in snow and did not drop needles.
Aluminum Christmas trees were first made for sale around 1955. They stayed popular into the 1960s and were made until the 1970s. The first company to make them was Modern Coatings, Inc. in Chicago.
Most aluminum trees were made in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, by the Aluminum Specialty Company. Between 1959 and 1969, this company made over one million trees. Their most famous tree, the "Evergleam," sold for about $25.
Why They Were Popular
The 1960s were the most popular time for aluminum Christmas trees. They were even sold in the Sears catalog. The catalog described them as "exquisite" and "dazzling." It said they were "fireproof" and could be used year after year.
However, by the mid-1960s, these trees started to lose their appeal. Many were put away in basements or thrown out. The TV special A Charlie Brown Christmas in 1965 is often said to have helped end their popularity. By 1967, they were almost completely out of style.
Coming Back into Style
By 1989, you could find aluminum trees for very little money at yard sales. But in recent years, they have become popular again. People who collect things started buying and selling them, especially on online auction websites. In 2005, a rare 7-foot-tall pink aluminum tree sold online for $3,600!
How Aluminum Trees Looked
Aluminum Christmas trees had aluminum branches that attached to a central pole. This pole was usually made of wood or aluminum. The pole had holes drilled at angles. When the aluminum foil branches were put in, they formed a tree shape. Each tree took about 15 minutes to put together.
These trees could not use regular lights. Stringing electric lights on an aluminum tree could cause a short circuit and be a fire hazard. Instead, a special "color wheel" was placed on the floor under the tree. This wheel had different colored sections. As it spun, a light shone through it, casting many colors onto the tree's shiny branches. Sometimes, a spinning Christmas tree stand made the display even more impressive.
Aluminum Christmas trees were often described as futuristic. Their design brought to mind the exciting glitter of the Space Age. An article in Money magazine called their design "clever." It also said that once people got over thinking they were "bad taste," aluminum trees were actually beautiful decorations. Their Space Age look fit perfectly with the modern home styles of that time.
Their Place in Culture
The aluminum Christmas tree became a symbol of Christmas becoming too focused on money in the 1965 Peanuts TV special, A Charlie Brown Christmas. This show is a classic. Its mention of the aluminum tree made the tree famous, even while making fun of it.
In the special, Lucy van Pelt tells Charlie Brown to get a "big, shiny aluminum tree...maybe painted pink." But Charlie Brown was sad about Christmas becoming too commercial. So, he bought a small, skinny natural tree instead, even though he was surrounded by many huge aluminum trees.
Because they have become popular again, aluminum Christmas trees are now in museum collections. One example is the Aluminum Christmas Tree Museum. This museum has been called "campy" by Fodor's. The Children's Museum of Indianapolis has a vintage aluminum Christmas tree and color wheel in its collection. The Wisconsin Historical Museum has also shown vintage aluminum trees in its "'Tis the Season" exhibition.
See also
In Spanish: Árbol de navidad de aluminio para niños
- Feather Christmas tree
- Festivus
