It should be no surprise that Thomas Edison, the inventor or the light bulb, would have a hand in Christmas tree lighting.  The first light bulbs strung together for use on a Christmas tree were designed and created by Edward Johnson in 1882.  Mr. Johnson was an inventor that worked for what is known today as Con Edison, the electric company started by Thomas Edison. Mr. Johnson decorated a tree in his home and by 1900 many of the large department stores of the day began lighting up their trees. 

Christmas tree lights were also quite expensive at the time and so lighting trees with candles continued to be a tradition for most families. It wasn’t until the 1930s that electric lights started to become the preferred method of lighting the average Christmas tree in the U.S. Early Christmas tree light strings were produced first by GE and then later by the NOMA Electric Company.  In the 1960s, prices for electric lights were driven down by foreign imports and more people were able to afford to not only light up their tree, but the outside of their homes as well.

Emile Galle was a French Art Nouveau artist whose medium was glass. His beginning came in his father’s factory, where he produced clear glass pieces decorated with enamel.  However, his most sought after pieces today are his original opaque glass pieces with carvings or etchings of plant motifs in two or more colors; known as cameo glass.  Some of his vases and lamps are very elaborately designed and very expensive but he also produced what some call “Industrial Galle” pieces; which is relatively less expensive art glass.