Skip to main content

A look at Christmas tree tech from the 1940s through today

If you celebrate the holiday, your family will soon be putting up the Christmas tree. Whether it’s a real tree or an artificial one (there are arguments on both sides) it’s an enduring symbol of the season for many of us. Christmas trees have evolved over the years — let’s take a look at some of the most popular retro features of O Tannebaum.

The 1940s: Musical Christmas Trees

This tree is from Wish Book Web’s 1947 Sears catalog. This little tree played “Silent Night,” and MeTV says “It was made from flame resistant … grass-like rayon.” That’s perhaps the only time someone called rayon “grass-like.”

Recommended Videos

 The 1950s/1960s: Make it a metal Christmas

We’re not talking about a Metallica Christmas album here. MeTV quotes a 1937 issue of Popular Science as saying “Something new and outstanding in the way of Christmas-tree decoration can be had by using an ordinary insect gun to spray aluminum paint on the tree.” These aluminum trees were commercially available by the 1950s, and this 1960s Reynolds ad plugs the beauty and convenience (the 1950s were all about convenience) of aluminum. And remember, Lucy was all over this trend. “Get the biggest aluminum tree you can find Charlie Brown, maybe painted pink!”

The 1960s — Spin the wheel to win!

You have your shiny aluminum tree, but let’s make that baby really pop. That’s where a rotating color wheel came in, like this one. MeTV said this turned your tree into a “a veritable discotheque,” — an apt description. Stayin’ Alive on Christmas Eve.

 

The 1960s: Flock it!

To give your fake tree a fake snow look, you could get a tree with fake snow, AKA flock. Or spray it on yourself with one of those newfangled space-age aerosol cans. Cover the branches with this goop to simulate a real olde-fashioned look. Maybe spray some pine scent on there, too. Hey, they didn’t know the pitfalls of aerosols back then!

The 1960s: How about one for the backyard?

Remember when we mentioned the convenience factor? It was alive and well in the 1960s as well. Here’s good old Dad mowing the backyard on his modern riding mower with his beautiful family and two car garage in the background. From the look of his outfit, a quick nine holes awaits. And what’s standing tall in the backyard? A glittering modern Christmas tree, of course. You can plant an artificial tree anywhere! Just run some lights from the patio and you’re all set. Season’s Greetings from Simplicity!

Present day

Two words: Fiber. Optics. Perhaps if you don’t want to spring for one of these behemoths, some nice fiber optic lights, available on Amazon, will do.

fiber-optics-google
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Brinke Guthrie
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Brinke’s favorite toys include his Samsung Galaxy Tab S, Toshiba Chromebook 2, Motorola Moto G4, and two Kindles. A…
Roku expands smart home lineup with two upcoming security cameras
The Roku Battery Camera on a tree

Roku might be known for its streaming sticks and smart TVs, but the brand also has a strong presence in the smart home market. From video doorbells and smart lights to plugs and motion sensors, Roku’s smart home catalog is surprisingly robust. The catalog is set to expand in the coming months, as Roku has officially revealed two upcoming security cameras -- the Roku Battery Camera and Roku Battery Camera Plus.

The Roku Battery Camera Plus is the most enticing of the two, as it can get up to two years of battery life on a single charge (the Battery Camera gets up to six months). They can also be combined with an optional solar panel to extend their battery life. Beyond that, most specs are shared -- including 1080p resolutions, color night vision, and the option to receive motion alerts when activity is detected around your home.

Read more
Aqara releases new Matter hub, security system, and climate sensor
The Aqara Matter Hub

Aqara has been busy as of late. The company announced Matter support for 50 new device types earlier this month, and now it’s launching three new products -- the Aqara M100 Hub, Climate Sensor W100, and Camera Protect Kit Y100. All three are now available for purchase.

If you’re interested in syncing all your smart devices together, the Aqara Smart Hub M100 is bound to be the most exciting of the bunch. The next-gen smart hub is designed for seamless Matter compatibility, allowing you to set up complex automations between Aqara products and Matter-enabled products from other platforms.

Read more
Is there a Walmart Plus free trial? Get a month of free delivery
A Walmart sign on the outside of a store.

For regular Walmart shoppers, signing up for Walmart Plus is a no-brainer. It's basically Walmart's version of Amazon Prime, with subscribers unlocking free shipping on most orders, early access to discounts and new product drops (like Nintendo Switch 2 restocks), the best grocery delivery, and more. If you're always taking advantage of Walmart's bargains for the best smart home devices or the best tech products in general, but you're still not sure if you'll be able to maximize the benefits of Walmart Plus, we highly recommend claiming the free trial to the service, and we've got everything you need to know about it right here.

Is there a Walmart Plus free trial?
There is a Walmart Plus free trial available, and it’s one of the best free trials we’ve seen in terms of how many great features and conveniences you’re able to access. This is really a reflection of how great the Walmart Plus service is, as the Walmart Plus free trial is essentially a 30-day experience of what it would be like to be a paid Walmart Plus subscriber. A Walmart Plus membership can help you save over $1,300 per year, so taking advantage of the 30-day free trial is a great way to get in there and see what those savings will look like. And if grocery delivery is what you're really after, an alternative you might consider is the Instacart free trial -- they have more than one program to try!

Read more