12 Unsilvered & Silvered 1940-50's SHINY BRITE Xmas Ornaments withRARE Window Box
It's not the year. The clock is ticking down to Christmas morning and for many people that means the pressure is on to find the prettiest of Christmas Ornaments to decorate their tree. Box of 12 Vintage Shiny Brite Christmas Ornaments.
Fun box of twelve 1940's World War II Era Unsilvered and 1950's Mid-Century Shiny Brite Christmas Tree Ornaments. In this special box of Shiny Brites you will find. 2 Unsilvered Tree Shaped ornaments measuring 3 tall. 2 Unsilvered Tornado Shaped ornaments measuring 3 tall. 2 Silvered Tornado Shaped ornaments measuring 3 tall.
2 Silvered UFO ornaments measuring 3 tall. 2 Double Flower Indent with finial ornaments measuring 3.25 tall. Ten ornaments have lots of glitter accents, however, the two UFO's do not have glitter. By the way, this box is very rare and highly collectable. T hese Shiny Brite Ornaments were made in the USA in the 1940's and 1950's.They will all show signs of age, use and storage. Considering they are over 70 years old, they are in nice vintage condition. These rare and beautiful Shiny Brite Christmas Tree Ornaments are from my private collection and have been tucked away and have not been displayed for years. I have taken 24 photos. Please examine and enlarge each one.
I have packed these ornaments carefully with lots of issue and bubble wrap. Really rare combination of sought after Shiny Brite Ornaments. In 1939 England was at war with Nazi-controlled Germany and the British Navy set up blockades that effectively stopped any exports from war-torn Europe reaching the United States of America. Many Americans found their first wartime shortage was to be Christmas decorations. Up to this point, most of the Christmas decorations used by Americans came from Germany, Czechoslovakia or Japan. To cover this shortage, the Corning Glass Company started to produce round clear glass balls that were blown automatically by machine rather than hand blown by mouth as their European counterparts had been. Corning produced these new American made ornaments 24 hours a day and by 1944 they were making 40 million round glass ornaments per year. During the early years of World War II the new American made Christmas ornaments did not look all that different from those still being produced today. From 1939 through 1941 the ornaments were shiny, thanks to being coated on their interior with a silver nitrate solution.These shiny glass balls were often decorated with painted stripes and topped with a metal cap embossed with "Made in the US of A". With The United States joining in the war in 1941, wartime shortages and restrictions of materials started to plague the new American glass ornament industry. The silver nitrate solution was declared to be "nonessential" by the War Production Board and the manufacturing of it was stopped.
By 1942 American ornaments were being produced without their shiny look. To compensate, some companies inserted a sprig of shiny silver colored tinsel inside the ornament to give it the familiar sparkle that the public was used to. Soon, even the silver tinsel was used up and the ornaments were left without any inside decoration.
Around 1943 all metal was needed for the war effort and the ornament industry could no longer produce metal caps for their glass decorations. Again the companies became creative and started using caps made out of either cardboard or paper and with a piece of cord in place of a metal hanging hook. Some companies used a type of cardboard hanging hook that fastened inside the ball. Other decorating companies were forced to use a little piece of wood stuck sideways in the neck of the ball, with a cord tied to it. Finally, with the end of World War II in 1945, wartime restrictions on materials were relaxed and the more standard Christmas tree ornaments were again being produced in 1946, with the phrase "Made in the USA" embossed on the metal cap.Collecting paper capped ornaments does have advantages. They are easy to date as to years of production, are still easy to locate and are rather affordable. They are also a piece of American history from a time of shortages, hardships, and ingenuity. They will be a great addition to your vintage Christmas Ornament Collection.
Please enlarge all photos that I have taken to see the condition of these ornaments. Please remember, these ornaments were made in the 1940's and 1950's. They will show signs of age, use and storage.
Ornaments have been carefully wrapped in tissue and bubble wrap. Please do not hesitate to contact me. We will be listing many more vintage Christmas ornaments.
You will love the selection. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Please check back again soon! My best to please my customers. Antique and vintage Christmas ornaments.
I personally pick and choose. Only the very best ornaments from my collection to. I hope you check back often as I will be listing many.
Beautiful antique and vintage Christmas ornaments. It's never too early to get into the holiday spirit.