The Not-So-Glorious History of the Artificial Christmas Tree
Love them or hate them, artificial Christmas trees are part of nearly every extended family’s history. Those bendy wire trees that never seem to look quite like a real tree have an interesting past that could’ve been right at home in the bathroom.
Before discussing these bendable wire creations, let’s dive back a little deeper. Real trees were fairly scarce in a lot of places around the turn of the last century. In countries such as Germany, artificial trees were made of wire and goose feathers dyed green, largely because of deforestation. While these trees were popular, they weren’t incredibly durable.
Numerous companies tried to make items both more durable and flame resistant. After loads of trees that looked worse than the one on that famous cartoon special, someone realized that items already being made could be re-structured into tree branches. A brilliant idea arose: Machines that make bottle brushes and toilet brushes could also make tree artificial tree branches and mini trees! Though virtually all of the internet credits Addis Brush Company, leaders from the company itself say they’re not responsible.
Initially dyed green, these toilet-brush trees looked a lot like real pine trees, at least from afar. By the 1950–1960s, when kitsch ruled, pink and white bottle brush trees were also incredibly popular. If you dig through Grandma’s vintage Christmas boxes, you’re bound to find a few of the miniature bottle brush trees, even now. Bottle brush trees have surged in popularity once again, available in virtually any store selling retro-style Christmas decor. Etsy is full of them, and DIY craft sites also offer tutorials on making your own.
The next time you see a bottle-brush tree on display, think of the creators of the toilet brush!
