Thomas Edison’s Secret Weapon: The Man Who Lit Up Christmas for the First Time

For many of us, Christmas lights signify the Christmas season, but it was not always that way.

A Man with A Plan

The name Edward Hibberd Johnson may not ring a bell, but it does light up your world during the Christmas season. According to Smithsonian Magazine, it was in 1882 that Johnson had an idea to promote an invention that was years away from becoming a staple in every home and business in America.

The Thomas Edison Connection

Edward Johnson’s job could be easily described as marketer for Thomas Edison’s inventions. Widespread electrification was decades away when Thomas Edison patented the light bulb in 1880 when Johnson, Edison and other investors formed the Edison Lamp Company to sell the bulbs.
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Along Comes Christmas

Now comes the age-old question in marketing: How can I convince people that they need to buy my product? There are many answers to that question but for Johnson, the answer was simple: Give them something beautiful that they have never seen before. Wah-Lah. Christmas tree lights were born.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

Johnson decided to use his home for the marketing effort. The townhouse at 136 East 36th Street in New York City would offer the world its first glimpse of the magic of Christmas lights on a Christmas tree. The tree was placed near a window that faced the street on a revolving pedestal. Johnson got word out to the press and was ignored by many of them who could smell a marketing gimmick a mile away. Johnson only needed one to respond, and he found him in a reporter with the Detroit Post and Tribune. As the story about the tree went out in the papers, passersby stopped to see the new addition to Christmas in the townhouse window.

An Idea Ahead of Its Time

While people loved the lighted Christmas tree, most could not afford to have one in their home. Then there was a matter of electricity not being available to everyone. In 1900, a string of 16 flame-shaped bulbs sold for $12 or about $350 today. By 1914, a 16-foot string cost $1.75. By the 1930s, Christmas lights were everywhere. And the rest, is history!