Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

Date Range From

1960

Date Range To

1965

Materials

PLASTIC, CLOTH, CARDBOARD.

No. Pieces

1

Height

13.0

Length

109.0

Width

15.8

Description

STRING OF BELL-SHAPED CHRISTMAS LIGHTS WITH GARLAND. EIGHT PLASTIC BELLS DEPICTING CHILDISH IMAGERY. BELLS ARE RED, YELLOW, GREEN AND CREAM. ARTIFICIAL GREENERY IS ATTACHED TO STRING OF LIGHTS WITH MASKING TAPE. GREENERY INCLUDES PINE CONES, PLASTIC APPLES AND GOLD BEADS. LIGHTS PLACED IN WHITE BOX FROM EDDIE BAUER STORE.

Subjects

CEREMONIAL ARTIFACT

Historical Association

DOMESTIC

History

ACCORDING TO DONOR TREVOR BENNET AT TIME OF DONATION, "THESE BELLS WERE ALWAYS HUNG IN THE WINDOW IN FRONT OF OUR CHRISTMAS TREE." THE DONOR RECALLED THAT THE ORIGINAL GARLAND WAS REPLACED IN APPROXIMATELY 1965 BECAUSE IT HAD CRUMBLED. THE DONOR CLAIMED THAT THE BELLS WERE MANUFACTURED FROM [ACETATE], AND THAT THEY RAPIDLY BECAME SOFT AND CHANGED SHAPE AS THEY AGED. THE DONOR STATED THAT THE DECORATION, "...PROVIDED 50 YEARS OF PLEASURE BUT NOW NEED TO BE RETIRED." FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE PERMANENT FILE. *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 BELLS BENNET STATED, “THESE WERE BELL SHAPED LIGHTS. THEY HAVE DECALS ON THEM. THIS ONE HAS SANTA AND HIS SLEIGH. ANOTHER ONE HAD A SOLDIER ON IT AND I CAN’T REMEMBER WHAT ELSE. YOU CAN SEE FROM TOP OF THIS ONE ON THIS RIGHT THAT THEY HAD STARTED TO MELT AND AT THAT POINT I THOUGHT THEY’RE INTERESTING PIECE OF ARTWORK. THESE SORT OF BELLS HAVEN’T BEEN MADE SINCE. I HAD TAKEN STRING AND PULLED OUT ALL OF THE WIRING SHORT AND THEN PUT - I TAPED THEM ONTO A PIECE OF LIGHT CORD AND THEN THEY COULD BE HUNG IN A WINDOW AND USED.” 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

P20060032016

Acquisition Date

2006-10

Collection

Museum

Less detail