CIJ- Day 4- Put it Outside- History of Outdoor Decorations

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AnnieClaus

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Today I will focus on the History of Outdoor lights and decorations.

Are you wondering how outside lights came to be?
It all started in 1880, Thomas Edison, who had just invented the lightbulb- introduced the first outdoor light display. He displayed a string of his bulbs outside of his lab which sat near a railway. This allowed many people to be able to see them at night.

In 1925 colored lights were invented by a New York teenager, Albert Sadacca.
He decided to repurpose white novelty lights his family sold.

In the 1930's Outdoor Christmas lights provided a form of comfort. In the U.S., all blue light displays became popular and reflected the somber mood of a nation in turmoil.
However, only 10% of rural America had electricity so outdoor light displays were few and far between.

By the 1950's outdoor Christmas lighting became a phenomenon. Electric companies emphasized lighting outside as a way to contrast the blackouts during WWII.
Companies such as General Electric and local governments sponsored lighting competitions. This encouraged both homeowners and business owners to participate.

The 1970's introduced the invention of mini lights which enabled people to expand their outside decorating.

LED lights hit the scene in 1998/1999, which allowed homeowners to save on electricity and encouraged them to expand their displays.

The early 2,000's saw the invention of net lights and also the Christmas yard inflatable.

The current trend is for light display shows set to music.

150 million light sets are sold in America each year.

What will the future hold for Christmas outdoor decorations? Only time will tell!
 
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AnnieClaus

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Here are some pictures:
* Thomas Edison's light string. You can see that it is literally light bulbs.
* An early box of outdoor lights. How many boxes would be needed to decorate a whole house?!
Yikes!
 

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jampss

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Oh very cool! I didn't know all that. :)
 

sweetpumkinpye

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I love how a teenager invented coloured lights. Well done
 

Myron's Mom

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I didn’t know a teenager invented colored lights.
I miss the old C7 and C9 lights that’s we had when I was little. I don’t miss burning my fingers. The new ones just aren’t the same.
 

Lori K

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Thank you for sharing! Learning something new every day. :)
 

missjane

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Interesting to read about how lighting has changed over the years. I miss C7 and C9, too.
 

Cathymac2

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i am catching up on posts (it's always crazy at my house...) and i thoroughly enjoyed this! I did not know this. I hope it comes up on a trivia game this holiday season so I can show off my new found knowledge!!