A very unusual 1937 lighting experiment
from General Electric:
A Disposable
Lighting Outfit
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Set
Unlit |
Set
Lit |
Lamp Close Up |
Lamp Lit at Low Voltage |
Bakelite Junction Box |
Close Up of Junction Box and Plug |
Close Up of Connector |
This collector was recently contacted by a
gentleman researching Christmas lights for a forthcoming Smithsonian
exhibit. He provided the information that these lights are a 1937 attempt
by General Electric to produce a "disposable" light string! Since the
lamps are permanently wired together in each series festoon, when one
fails, the entire festoon is then useless. It was intended to simply be
tossed away, and a new string plugged into the junction box in its place.
The junction box itself appears quite similar to one used in the 1936
model Desoto automobiles. It is apparent that General Electric never
produced this experimental set in any great number, as so far, only three
of these sets are known to exist. The lamps have tungsten filaments, and
are a bit smaller than a standard C-6 Christmas bulb. The connectors are
rubber covered, and are stamped in white print with the General Electric
"meatball" style logo and the words: "Mazda Lamp". The set has an American
plug, and runs at proper brightness on 120 volts. It is also interesting
to note that the blue light bulbs in the festoons exhibit the same paint
peeling problem that GE's C-6 miniature base lamps of this era had.
Date |
Manufacturer |
Notes |
Outside of Box |
Inside of Box |
ca
1937 |
Timco |
A typical example
of how boxes got less colorful as the Depression wore on. |
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ca
1937 |
APEX/Paramount |
A tiny
Depression-era outfit, in a very thin cardboard box. In fact, the
cardboard is so thin that it is a wonder this little outfit
survived. Packed in a box about one-half the size of typical boxes
of this era, the outfit originally contained inexpensive
Japanese lamps and sold for just 29¢.
This set was manufactured under the APEX name by Paramount. |
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ca
1937 |
Paramount |
A set of Paramount
Candle Lights using the new GE candle shaped lamps. |
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ca
1937 |
Royal |
Royal's set of
candle lights is a hard set to find today. Apparently, not many were
sold. |
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ca
1937 |
NOMA |
NOMA's version of
the candle lights included their patented Berry Beads to help hold
the lamps upright. These light were sold in an attractive book-style
box. |
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ca
1937 |
Reliance |
These
ornament lights were imported from Japan. Due to the silvering on
the inside of the glass, the lights had a short life as a result of
the increased heat trapped in the bulb. This set is almost
impossible to find today. |
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ca
1937 |
Clemco |
ClemCo's
candle lights used the T-4 light bulbs instead of the larger candle
lamps. This set was not made for very long. |
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ca
1938 |
Glo
Lite |
This Glo Lite
Candle was sold individually from stand-up counter cards as well as
in sets of eight complete with the lighting string. When the NOMA
company bought the company, the plastic bases of these lights were
used in their earliest, experimental bubbling lights. |
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ca
1938 |
Real-Lite |
In an unusually
"non-Christmassy" box, this set from Real-Lite was apparently a good
seller. The Real-Lite company was purchased by NOMA, who continued
to use the Real-Lite name for some of their lighting outfits. |
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ca
1938 |
ClemCo |
In the late 1930s,
ClemCo revised their box style, making it more colorful in an effort
to increase sales. Both C-6 miniature base and C-7 intermediate base
strings were marketed in this new box. |
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ca
1938 |
Paramount |
Paramount marketed
these lights under their Sterling brand name. The set included
imported lamps. |
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ca
1938 |
Pass
and Seymour |
The P&S company is
an electrical device manufacturer, still in business at their
original address to this day. They manufactured Christmas lighting
outfits for a short time. |
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ca
1938 |
Reliance |
This lantern set by
Reliance did not mention Christmas use, although the set was
marketed at Christmas time as well as during the rest of the year. |
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ca
1939 |
Paramount |
This set of bell
lights included uncommon flashlight-type lamps in the set instead of
the usual C-6 miniature base lamps. |
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ca
1939 |
Paramount |
This set included
imported lamps, and was marketed under the Paramount name. Other
lighting companies also sold the same lights under their own names.
It is unusual for a major lighting company to sell Japanese lamps
under their major brand name, as most used "generic" names for sets
that included imported lamps. |
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