The first artificial trees were made in Germany in the late 1800s using goose or other feathers sometimes dyed green to resemble pine needles.
But the real innovation came in the early 1900s in America when the Addis Brush Company decided they had a better more permanent solution to making artificial trees. One crazy employee must have been looking at the brush he was making and said, "Hey, this would make a good tree!"
It makes more sense when you know that the Addis Brush Company manufactured toilet brushes.
See the resemblance? 
They obtained the patent for the "Silver Pine" in 1950. I think someone in my family had one of these. It was designed to have the rotating light underneath changing the color of the tree.
Thus the modern day artificial Christmas tree was born. Only now-a-days we call them permanent life-like. I guess it sounds more positive. I say it's fake tree and doesn't shed needles on my carpet so I love it!
Best thing is now I know what to do if the toilet desperatly needs cleaned and I run out of those handy dandy wand thingies.
I KNOW someone in my family had one of these and still have the rotating light!
ReplyDeleteWe had one of the metal trees, but ours was gold instead of silver. I'm seeing a few of the silver ones pop up in antique stores and flea markets, but never a gold one. I'd love to have one of those now..
ReplyDelete~Barb