Canadian Christmas lighting
development largely paralleled that of the United States. NOMA Electric
Incorporated, the largest Christmas lighting company in the world, had
a Canadian division in Toronto as early as 1932. Universal Electric
sold Royal Electric Company Christmas items in Canada, modifying only
the electrical cords to conform to Canadian electrical safety
standards. Presented on this page are some of the decorative lighting
outfits sold through the years in Canada. Many thanks to Fred Fox, a
friend and fellow collector, who kindly shares many of his Canadian
lights with us on this page.
Fred will be glad to answer
any questions you might have about his sets. You can e-mail him
HERE.
The earliest
Canadian outfit in
my personal collection is from Messervey's, of Bridgeport, Ontario.
Known mainly for their figural Christmas lamps, Messervey's also
operated across the border in Buffalo, New York. The figural lamps are
marked either "Messervey's" or "Buffalo". Both variations are believed
to be Canadian products. The rather generic box art seen on this outfit
was also used on American outfits from various manufacturers. This set
is from the early 1920s. |
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Here's
another Canadian
Messervey's outfit, circa 1925. The carbon filament pine cone or "seed
pod" lamps are marked "Messervey". This box art, also rather generic,
was used on American outfits as well. |
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Sold by the
M. Propp Company in identical
boxes in the US and Canada, this outfit can be found with carbon
filament lamps as shown here, with imported Japanese C-6 ribbed cone
lamps, and GE MAZDA C-6 ribbed cone lamps. This is a generic outfit,
made to be sold at a reduced cost due to the lower-quality lighting
string. The only clue to the fact that it is actually a Propp outfit is
the large "P" in a red triangle found on the end of the box. Circa
1928. From the collection of and photographed by Fred Fox. |
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Circa 1932,
this is a very early example of
NOMA's entry into the Canadian market. Notice the screw-in connector,
equipped so as to make a convenient connection to a nearby lamp socket.
From the collection of and photographed by Fred Fox. |
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In the late 1930s, The Matchless Electric
Company and NOMA Electric Incorporated of Canada entered into an
agreement whereby NOMA Electric would be the sole Canadian distributors
of Matchless Wonder Stars. Collectors believe that color combinations
not available in the US were sold in Canada under this agreement. |
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NOMA of Canada sold both General Electric
and Westinghouse lamps in their outfits and as replacement lamps. This
is a countertop box of C-9 outdoor replacement lamps and is from the
mid-1930s. From the collection of and photographed by Fred Fox. |
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Here is a similar box of lamps, this time
C-7 size. The box actually is pink, a very non-Christmassy color! |
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