Dating Hints and Helps, page 2

CONNECTORS AND PLUGS

The earliest Christmas lighting outfits used screw-in current taps like the ones pictured above. In the beginning of the Twentieth Century, American homes wired for electricity were wired for lighting circuits only, and usually only a single light bulb socket was provided for each room. Any additional electrical devices had to be powered from the ceiling outlet. As electricity became more popular, wall lighting as well as ceiling lighting became popular, and suddenly lighting the family Christmas tree with electricity was a bit easier. Actual wall outlets like the brass example pictured above were seldom found-this example was salvaged from a circa 1915 mansion in Knoxville, Tennessee. Pictured below are some of the variations of screw in current taps that the collector may find today.


1905	1915	1920

The bladed wall plug that we are familiar with today was actually a development of a device that was originally used to facilitate the interconnection of stings or festoons of Christmas lights. Patented as the Tachon connector in 1924, the device was actually in use in various forms as early as 1917, and before being patented by Lester Haft, was made by several companies including Propp, Bryant, and Monowatt among others. The Tachon started out as a screw in type of connector with a safety cover, but soon evolved into the two parallel blade type that we are still familiar with. Below are pictures of the two types of Tachon connectors:


1920 screw-in	1926 bladed

Once the bladed plug was firmly established as the most popular type of connector, the screw in type power taps evolved into an adaptable model, with a removable snap on screw in adapter covering the parallel blades. Collectors today will find most of these round, black or brown plugs to be missing their adapters, as by the late 1920s bladed wall plugs were being installed in electrified homes and the adapters were no longer needed.

Bladed plug with snap-on adapter, circa 1927

By the very early 1930s, standard two bladed wall plugs without adapters became the standard issue for electric lighting outfits. Below are pictured several types and approximate dates of use.


1920	1930	1935	1940	1950

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HERE ARE A FEW MORE DATING HINTS:

The McKinley Tariff Act of 1891 specified that all imports into the United States must be marked with their country of origin. In 1914, the Act was strengthened by mandating that the words "Made in..." precede the country of origin.
The NRA symbol that appears on many early 1930s boxes can be a big help. NRA, which stands for the National Recovery Act, was a largely unsuccessful program of the United States Government intended to shore up the ailing national economy during The Great Depression. The companies who made the sets which carry this symbol had met specific guidelines and were allowed to display the mark. The earliest boxes merely have a rubber stamped symbol on them, and later boxes have the logo printed in red as shown here. Sets carrying this logo can be dated to the 1932-1934 time period.
Hand written pricing can also be a big help. Depression era outfits will almost always be priced under $1.00, due to the increased value of the American dollar during those economically stressful years. Pre-Depression sets will have higher pricing, usually somewhere between $1.98 and $5.98, with the very early outfits priced at $10, $12 and $20. Postwar outfits sold for between $3.00 and $9.00.
The use of the words "with MAZDA lamps" will denote an outfit made before World War II, as after the war, General Electric dropped the use of the MAZDA name.
Sets utilizing lamps "Made in Occupied Japan" will of course denote post World War II manufacture. This nomenclature was used during the years 1945-1952.
The use of ZIP and ZONE codes can also be of help. Zone codes, New York 1, New York, for example, were first used in 1943. They did not go into wide spread use until after World War II, however, but any address using the ZONE codes can safely be dated to the 1943-1962 time period. ZIP codes were first developed in late 1962, but were not assigned until 1963.Any item with a ZIP code can safely be dated 1963 or later.

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BOX CONSTRUCTION

The type of box your light set is in can be a big help in determining the era in which it originated. The chart below presents the different types of box construction along with the approximate dates of manufacture:

CONSTRUCTION	APPROXIMATE DATES	EXAMPLE
Wood, with dovetailed corners and a sliding lid. Sometimes, cardboard inserts are present to hold and protect the tiny light bulbs.	1900-1915
Heavy cardboard, with a detached lid, similar in proportions to a shoebox. Corners are glued.	1915-1922
Medium-weight cardboard with a detached lid, and an inner flap covering the contents. The flap is either a copy of the lid artwork, or else will have instructions for use. There are many variations of this type of box. Box corners are either glued or stapled, or both.	1922-1935
Light weight cardboard, with an attached, fold up type lid. No inner flap, and box is either stapled at corners or is held in shape by simple folds..	1935-1941
Various configurations, and may contain clear cellophane in lid or over contents inside. Folded and/or glued thin cardboard construction	1946-present

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End of Section

Comments, questions or suggestions?

TABLE OF CONTENTS HISTORY THE TIMELINE MANUFACTURER'S HISTORIES THE PATENT PAGES

THE PRE-ELECTRIC ERA VINTAGE ADVERTISING THE LIGHT SET GALLERIES RELATED LINKS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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