Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

REFLECTOR

Date Range From

1950

Date Range To

1965

Materials

PLASTIC

No. Pieces

1

Height

2.0

Diameter

8.0

Description

TRANSPARENT GREEN FLOWER-SHAPED LIGHT REFLECTOR.

Subjects

CEREMONIAL ARTIFACT

Historical Association

DOMESTIC

History

BENNET DONATED A VARIETY OF CHRISTMAS TREE ORNAMENTS INCLUDING THE REFLECTOR. *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 THIS REFLECTOR BENNETTT STATED, "THIS IS A DIFFERENT REFLECTOR, IT DOES THE SAME THING BUT IT’S PLASTIC. IT DIDN’T SPARKLE BUT THE ENDS OF THESE GLOWED REALLY NICELY. THEN YOU WOULD FIND OUT THEY WERE REALLY NEAT AND THEN YOU WONDERED ABOUT THE SAFETY. IF YOUR LIGHTS ARE ON FOR A LONG TIME, SAY FOUR HOURS, THE PLASTIC WOULD GET REALLY SOFT AND THEN MELT SOMEWHAT AND SOMETIMES THE HOLE WOULD GET BIG ENOUGH THAT THESE PLASTIC REFLECTORS WOULD FALL OFF.” “YES, SO YOU WERE VERY CAREFUL WITH THEM OR YOU DIDN’T USE THEM. THEY DIDN’T GET USED IN MY HOUSE. THEY GOT THROWN OUT BUT I KEPT A COUPLE OF THINGS JUST AS REMINDERS. AND THESE ARE JUST A REMINDER OF A GOOD IDEA THAT WAS REALLY AN UNSAFE IDEA” 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

P20060032010

Acquisition Date

2006-10

Collection

Museum

Less detail