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Yes, it is actually true that feather trees were the first artificial
Christmas trees and they were originally made in Germany as early as
1845. Like many inventions, tabletop feather trees came about out of
necessity. By the mid-19th century, decorated trees were more
 popular
than ever; however, in Germany deforestation was widespread, especially
during the holiday season. It had become the fashion to chop off the tip
off a large Fir tree to use as a Christmas tree; however, this practice
prevented the tree from growing taller and thus made it useless as a
timber tree. Statutes were enacted to limit people from having more than
one tree, hence protecting the forests. With the introduction of the "goosefeather"
tree, this problem was resolved. Goose feathers were plentiful and these
feather trees began to be produced as a cottage industry as the
alternative to cutting a live tree. These goose feather trees became the
first artificial Christmas trees. Metal wire or sticks were covered with
goose, turkey, ostrich or swan feathers. The feather sticks were drilled
into a larger one to resemble the branches on a tree; the feathers were
often died green to imitate pine needles. The trees were made to
resemble the locally growing white pines of the German forestland, so
they had wide spaces between their branches, short "needles," and
composition "berries" on the end of every branch tip.
Meanwhile in America, cut live trees were the cherished way to make the
holiday come alive. When the Germans immigrated to the United States,
they took their beloved portable feather trees with them to use in their
new homes. While it was the German immigrants
 that
introduced feather Christmas trees into the U.S., the practice of using
artificial trees really did not take off in America until Sears Roebuck
first advertised artificial trees for sale in their 1913 catalogs.
Often they had berries and candleholders at the branch-tips and a round
white base. They ranged in size from 55 inches to 17inches tall. By
the late teens, Japan followed suit and manufactured feather trees for
the U.S. market.
In the
1920s feather Christmas trees were gaining in popularity, especially to
European-born Americans continuing to follow their customs. However, by
the mid-1930s their popularity declined somewhat as the tree farm
industry grew. In an effort to revive the market, Germany began
supplying Montgomery Ward with a wider variety of color choices and
fancier designs on the tree stands. Artificial trees all but disappeared
during WWII. Then after the war, in the 1950s, feather trees were
replaced by artificial trees made of synthetic substances, like visca
and aluminum. It's no small wonder why feather trees are now a popular
decorating choice for people with period homes.
About Dresden Star Ornaments’ Feather
Trees
Glenn
and I designed our own feather trees because we wanted a tree that would
work better for displaying our hand-made Christmas ornaments than the
feather trees that we had. Antique trees were too flimsy and in poor
shape; new trees were too narrow and did not have the features we
wanted; so we designed a tree that took the best qualities of the old
trees, but with better features to meet the needs of our Dresden Star
Ornaments’ customers.
 We
have created our very own feather Christmas tree design, with all the
wonderful qualities of antique feather trees, but with more durability
and bigger, sturdier bases. Each tree is handsomely handcrafted by
master feather tree-maker, Dennis Bauer, in the traditional German
style. Branches are constructed with thicker diameter wire therefore
able to handle heavy ornaments. Side branches are "staggered" for a
natural look and are soldered to main branches so they stay in place.
Branches are plentiful and bottom branches are wider for a fuller, more
natural look. Delicate authentic composition berries grace every
branch-tip and are hand-rubbed to a rich dark-red. Bases are large and
sturdy, and much less apt to tip. They are constructed in solid wood,
and are hand-painted with a gold accent stripe and antiqued finish. Soft
goose feathers are hand-picked and hand-dyed with variations in color to
look like antique feathers. The feather Christmas trees are 44 inches
tall -- perfect for a parlor table!
Photos courtesy of Dresden Star Ornaments. Visit the
Dresden Star Ornaments web site to
see their many handmade Christmas ornaments, feather Christmas trees,
antique and vintage putz for under the tree, antique and vintage
Christmas accessories, antique and vintage tree fences, adjustable brass
ornament stands, Santas and more.
Dresden Star Ornaments
www.victorianornaments.com
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