Victorian Artificial Christmas Tree

In 1868, Harper’s Bazar describes a new style of Christmas tree -- an artificial holiday tree that was made of “metal tubes, trunk, branches, and all in one, imitating so accurately the Christmas pines that when placed beside real trees it is difficult to distinguish the metal tree from the natural one.” The metal tree was connected by a pipe to the chandelier to conduct gas through every limb which would then “light up the tree most brilliantly.” The Christmas tree was decorated with “reflectors of polished tin and gay-colored paper” to reflect the light. Then ornaments in the shape of “name-colored animals in miniature, elephants, tigers, lobsters, etc.” were suspended by elastic cords.

One would think that the safety of the household displaying such a tree would be in question! 

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