DesignNJ_Dec22Jan23_digitalIssue

stylenewjersey | ICONIC DESIGN
Christmas Past
Ceramic trees shine again
BY REN MILLER
If there’s ever a time for nostalgia, it’s
Christmas. Those who celebrate the
season treasure their memories of happy
gatherings, familiar carols, favorite meals and
colorful decorations. Vintage decorations, in
particular, are tangible keepsakes that remind
us of Christmases past and the people who
made them meaningful.
“Existing outside the time in which they
were first made and used, [vintage decorations]
can inspire and connect people today,”
famed ornament designer Christopher Radko
says in his forward to Vintage Christmas, a
book written by Bob Richter and published
by Globe Pequot. “[Vintage decorations
are] a highly creative and personal way of
affectionately embracing our legacies.”
One vintage decoration that made a comeback
during the pandemic as we sheltered in
place — and longed for simpler times — is the
ceramic Christmas tree. The trees reminded us
of our mothers, grandmothers and aunts who
made them during the heyday of a ceramics craft movement that began in the
1950s and boomed through the 1960s.
The trees fed an appetite created by two socioeconomic factors:
• Americans who came of age in the 1950s grew up during the Great
Depression, when holiday decorations tended to be made by hand rather
than purchased. That continued even as the economy prospered after
World War II. At the same time, interest in holiday décor expanded
beyond Christmas trees and wreaths into all types of tabletop items.
• Women proved their mettle in the workplace when taking over for
men who left to serve in the war. When the war ended in 1945, however,
many turned their jobs over to returning veterans. Social activities gave
these newly unemployed women a reason to escape the house; magazines
of the time were filled with tips on garden, card and other types of parties.
Ceramics studios jumped on the trend and invited women — sometimes
men attended but less often — to create and paint decorative items that
were then glazed and fired to a shiny brilliance.
Christmas trees quickly became the darling of ceramics fans. Although
based on designs from the 1940s, when artists handcrafted the trees
and wired each light individually, they became easier to make with the
introduction of reusable molds that resulted in detailed, repeatable designs.
The new trees had holes in the branches to hold colorful plastic bulbs
shaped like a flame (and later birds or stars). A platform supported the tree
Ceramic trees are finding renewed popularity as
we search for connections to our past.
and was wired for a regular household light
bulb to illuminate the whole tree rather than
wiring each light.
The trees became de rigueur for 1950s
through 1960s holiday décor — all sizes and
colors (especially green, green with whitetipped
branches, white and pink); with or
without glitter; sometimes all one color of
lights and other times mixed. Some have a
plastic star inserted into the top.
By the 1970s, however, ceramics were on
the decline. Women joined the workforce in
bigger numbers, leaving less time for social
activities. An influx of ready-made imports
reduced interest and value. Many moldmaking
firms and ceramics studios couldn’t
remain competitive and either consolidated
or closed. (Some ceramics studios still exist;
search online to find one near you.)
Today, if you have a ceramic Christmas
tree from the 1950s-1970s, it no doubt
has sentimental value. Thanks to renewed
interest, it may have monetary value as well, depending on size, condition
and age. Larger trees in pristine shape sell for premium prices on websites
such as Etsy.com and eBay, where prices in late October rose as high as
$2,159 for an unusually tall tree (33 inches). More common sizes (12 to
18 inches) in excellent condition were offered around $200-$500. Prices
typically rise as Christmas approaches.
Two notes: (1) Be aware it’s hard to know a tree’s age unless the maker
inscribed the date by hand. That’s different from an imprinted date,
which indicates when the mold was made, not the tree. Some molds
made in 1958 are still in use, so a brand-new tree could bear a 1958
imprint. (2) If your tree is missing some of the colored plastic inserts,
check for them at crafts stores or online.
Then sit back and enjoy your Christmas memories once again. DNJ
The Real Thing
The nature-produced trees that inspired ceramic trees have an interesting
New Jersey connection. What is believed to be the very first farm devoted
just to growing Christmas trees was in Hamilton Township, Mercer County.
W.V. McGalliard planted 25,000 Norway spruce trees in 1901 and started to sell
them seven years later for $1 each (equivalent to about $35 today).
24 December 2022/January 2023