Vintage Novelty Lights, page two

Manufactured by Miller in beginning in the late 1940s, this light was also sold as a simple non-electrical candy container, packed with a cellophane-wrapped bunch of lollypops. There was also a matching Santa on skis available from the same company, available either unlighted or with candy as well.

Extremely popular during the late 1930s and throughout the 1940s, cellophane window wreaths like this one from Paramount/Sterling were offered by all of the major Christmas lighting manufacturers. The earliest wreaths were chenille, while the later products featured "sparkling cellophane" like the example pictured here. Both types of coverings, for the most part, have withstood the test of time quite well. This wreath is from 1948.

Sterling Cellophane Wreath box.jpg (28227 bytes)

Sterling Cellophane Wreath inside.jpg (34455 bytes)

Miller offered this Vac-U-Form Santa plaque in the late 1940s. Items like these did not catch on right away, but by the middle of the 50s, were quite popular in homes with children. Many varieties were offered, including Nativity scenes, bells, candy canes, snowmen and the like. The example pictured here does indeed have blue holly leaves instead of the green that are pictured on the box.
Offered by Glolite/NOMA in 1946, this Vac-U-Form plaque was called the Old English Lantern. there were several variations of this theme, some more colorful than others.
This plaque by the L.A. Goodman company is one of several that the company offered. It is about 22 inches tall and is circa 1949.
Here is a wall plaque by NOMA, circa 1950. Like the Miller example above, this too is Vac-U-Formed plastic with a cardboard backing and a light.

Dating to 1948, this is only one of several Santa faces offered in hard plastic by NOMA, the leading manufacturer of Christmas lighting in the world at that time. This particular plaque is most often found with the paint rubbed off of Santa's nose and cheeks from storage over the years, and this example is no exception. It appears that a previous owner has tried to touch up the damage.
Here is the same plaque that was sold in the very late 1950s and early 60s, showing a somewhat "less expensive" paint job. Referred to by collectors as the "sunburned Santa variation" of the plaque, this much less desirable version is also the one most commonly found. The example is shown lit, and showcases Santa's somewhat frightening bright orange-red face.

Here is a Raylite (Paramount) lighted musical church, one of several similar offerings from the company. Other available items included lighted altars and tabernacles. NOMA also offered similar products, although theirs were much more elaborate and expensive. This church plays "Oh Little Town of Bethlehem" on its music box. The windows, when lighted, have a pretty stained-glass like appearance.

This charming lighted scene of caroling children was sold by NOMA in 1949. The door contains a music box, which plays "Jingle Bells". The interesting street light is a combination of two other NOMA products, as it has a glass rod from their earlier (circa 1938) GloLite electric candle, and base parts from a multiple wired bubbling light. The distortion and damage to the light itself also helps us to date it, as the disfiguration is from a fire retardant additive that NOMA added to their electrical plastics in the late 1940s, and the chemical actually serves to destroy the plastic over time. This scene is exceedingly difficult to find today.

This delightful 1946 cardboard Nativity scene from ClemCo is lighted by a single C-7 lamp, and features a music box which plays "We Three Kings". The Wise Men rotate on a platform nearby the Christ Child, giving the impression that they are passing by, presenting their gifts. Original selling price was $5.49. The figures are made of plaster. This is a very hard to find display, particularly in good condition like this example.

Manufactured by the Alps Company, this Santa lantern is circa 1950. Many similar lanterns like this were made by various manufacturers, including a snowman, elf, and even a Jack-O-Lantern for Halloween. The earliest of these lamps, manufactured in the late 1930s, feature painted glass figural shades, while later examples like this one featured plastic shades. The Alps company also made the highly-collectible all glass Alps bubble light, pictured on the Bubble Lights Identification page.
Here is an earlier version of the Santa lantern, known as the Wee Winkie Santa Lantern, also by ALPS. This light is circa 1948, and the Santa globe in this case is a heavy milk glass. These lanterns all run from two AA size batteries.
A circa 1948 ALPS blinking Christmas tree, named the Wee Winkie Blinkie Tree. The clear lamp at the top of the tree blinks, while the red lamps decorating the tree itself burn steadily.

Clear plastic haloes for Christmas light bulbs were sold by all of the major lighting manufacturers in the 1940s and 50s. The examples shown here are from NOMA, in a countertop display box of haloes for the C-7 multiple burning lamps. The haloes glow with a very nice effect, and were quite popular for window and mantle candles, as well as on individual tree lights. this box is circa 1948.