Ever wondered about the history of Christmas lights? How they got started? What the early types looked like? Well I stumbled across The Antique Christmas Lights Site just this morning and it holds some of the answers to those questions. Definitely worth checking out if you’re ever stopped after decorating the tree to wonder how such wonderful misuse of electricity got started.
For example, the first electrically lit Christmas tree was put on display by Edward Johnson, an associate of Edison’s, just three years after the invention of the electric bulb. However electric tree lighting wouldn’t really come into its own until the General Electric Company offered a pre-assembled lighting outfit in 1903 for the rather hefty price of $12.00 (roughly equal to about $80.00 today).
Speaking of which, I’ll be putting my own Christmas lights up today, finally. Time to decorate my tree.
