Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

REFLECTORS

Date Range From

1950

Date Range To

1965

Materials

ALUMINUM

No. Pieces

3

Description

THREE CYLINDRICAL LIGHT REFLECTOR ORNAMENTS. ONE HAS SILVER BASE WITH BLUE STAR ATTACHED, ONE RED, ONE HAS SILVER BASE FEATURING GOLD SUNFLOWER-SHAPE ATTACHMENT. ALL THREE DISPLAY FAN-LIKE FOLDS IN BASES. GOLD AND RED REFLECTORS MEASURE 8.0 CM IN DIAMETER BY 1.0 CM HIGH. BLUE REFLECTOR MEASURES 8.3 CM IN DIAMETER BY 1.5 CM HIGH.

Subjects

CEREMONIAL ARTIFACT

Historical Association

DOMESTIC

History

BENNET DONATED A VARIETY OF CHRISTMAS TREE ORNAMENTS INCLUDING THE REFLECTORS. *UPDATE* IN 2018 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF THE COLLECTION, INCLUDING A NUMBER OF ARTIFACTS DONATED BY TREVOR BENNETT. ON AUGUST 28, 2018, PUNDYK SAT DOWN WITH BENNETT FOR AN INTERVIEW REGARDING THAT DONATION. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION HAS BEEN EXTRACTED FROM THAT INTERVIEW: ON THE REFLECTORS BENNETTT STATED, “YOU SCREW THE LIGHTBULB OUT, PUT THIS AGAINST THE SOCKET, AND SCREW THE LIGHTBULB BACK IN AND THEN THEY SERVED AS REFLECTORS AND THEY REFLECTED THE LIGHT INTO THE ROOM AND THEY WERE MUCH MORE INTERESTING. THEY’RE METAL, THEY ARE A FOIL THAT HAS BEEN PRE-PRESSED. AND THEN THEY HAD SUPPOSEDLY A FIREPROOF CIRCLE OF MATERIAL BEHIND THEM WITH A HOLE PUNCHED IN THAT WOULD TAKE THE BASE OF THE LIGHTBULBS. SO YOUR TREE SPARKLED. IT LOOKED VERY DIFFERENT THAN ANYBODY ELSE’S.” “I HAD ONE ON EVERY LIGHT EXCEPT THE BUBBLE LIGHTS. I QUICKLY FOUND OUT IF YOU PUT THEM NEAR THE BUBBLE LIGHTS THE BASE WOULD BREAK AND YOU WOULDN’T HAVE – IT WOULD MELT FROM THE HEAT. SO THEY WENT ON THE ORDINARY LIGHTBULBS.” ON CHRISTMAS GROWING UP, “A WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS WE STARTED DECORATING AND THEY STAYED UP ‘TIL JANUARY 1ST AND TAKEN DOWN ON JANUARY 2ND, AND THE BOXES FOR MOST OF THESE ITEMS WERE KEPT SO THEY’RE ABLE TO GO BACK IN THE BOXES. I WAS [RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DECORATIONS]. I HAD TO FIND THEM AND PUT THEM UP TAKE THEM DOWN, PACK THEM PROPERLY. AND IF THEY WEREN’T PACKED PROPERLY, NOTHING WAS SAID, THEY WERE JUST SIMPLY THROWN OUT. MY MOTHER WAS VERY GOOD AT HAVING THINGS TIDIED UP AND PUT AWAY WHERE THEY SHOULD GO. IF YOU COULDN’T TIDY IT UP, YOU COULDN’T KEEP IT. THAT WASN’T A BAD WAY OF GROWING UP. IT MADE ME LEARN RESPONSIBILITY FAST.” “[CHRISTMAS] WAS A NICE BREAK IN THE YEARLY ROUTINE. IT WAS A CHANCE TO MEET GOOD PEOPLE YOU ONLY SAW ONCE A YEAR. THE STORES HAD ALL SORTS OF NEAT THINGS. I REMEMBER EATON’S HAD AN ELECTRIC TRAIN SET WITH WONDERFUL SCENERY AROUND IT, THAT THEY USED TO SET UP IN THE BASEMENT OF THE STORE A CORNER. IT ATTRACTED ME AND DOZENS OF OTHER KIDS AS WELL.” FOR INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT SEE PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20060032009

Acquisition Date

2006-10

Collection

Museum

Less detail