Ever Gleaming

Online Exhibit

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Celebrating America’s Aluminum Christmas Tree

Aluminum Christmas trees became a popular holiday fixture in the 1960s, and the Aluminum Specialty Company of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, helped launch the national craze. Their tree, the Evergleam, was the most popular tree available, and several million of them found their way into American homes.

Explore this online exhibit to see original trees, images, and artifacts from the 1960s, and to learn how this Wisconsin innovation took the country by storm.

History

The Aluminum Specialty Company’s sales team posing in front of their aluminum Christmas tree prototype at the American Toy Fair in New York, March 1959. (Photo courtesy of Jerry Waak)

A Brief History of the Evergleam

After introducing the Evergleam at the American Toy Fair in March of 1959, the Aluminum Specialty Company manufactured hundreds of thousands of trees in time for the upcoming holiday season. The effort paid off as business boomed. Eventually, the company produced trees in a variety of styles and colors, as well as accessories including revolving stands and color wheels, throughout the 1960s.

Key Dates in Evergleam History

Metal Christmas tree spotted in Chicago by Aluminum Specialty Company employee, December 1958
Aluminum tree prototype created by Aluminum Specialty, Winter 1958–1959
Aluminum Specialty tree debuted at American Toy Fair in New York, March 1959
Aluminum Specialty tree sold to consumers on a massive scale, 1959
Aluminum Specialty tree branded the Evergleam, 1960
Evergleam improved and refined, massive amount of trees produced, and accessories developed, early 1960s
Diverse array of Evergleam products and accessories created, throughout 1960s Aluminum trees referenced (negatively) in the television holiday special A Charlie Brown Christmas, 1965
Aluminum trees referenced (negatively) in the television holiday special A Charlie Brown Christmas, 1965
Evergleam improved and refined, massive amount of trees produced, and accessories developed, early 1960s
Evergleam production discontinued due to declining sales, 1971–1972
First aluminum Christmas trees collected by Manitowoc photographer-artists Julie Lindemann and John Shimon, 1990s
First article about aluminum Christmas trees published by Shimon and Lindemann, 1997
Season's Gleamings: The Art of the Aluminum Christmas Tree published by Shimon and Lindemann, 2004
First Ever Gleaming exhibition hosted by the Wisconsin Historical Museum, 2005
Evergleam images shared widely on social media, 2010s
First Evergleams on Eighth annual downtown storefront window displays exhibited in Manitowoc, 2015

Learn More about the History of Evergleam

HISTORY OF EVERGLEAM

Evergleam Christmas Tree

Following the success of the Evergleam Christmas tree, the Aluminum Specialty Company of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, continuously introduced new types of trees and developed a number of accessories. Explore the various products in this gallery.

Evergleam aluminum Christmas tree, early to mid-1960s Four-foot silver Fountain Manitowoc photographer-artists Julie Lindemann and John Shimon collected this tree in the 1990s. Their personal collection became the inspiration for their book, Season's Gleamings: The Art of the Aluminum Christmas Tree, which was published in 2004. WHS Museum #2005.178.1.1-.2 Gift of J. Shimon and J. Lindemann
Evergleam aluminum Christmas tree, early 1960s Seven-foot silver pom-pom tree The first style of Evergleam branch featured straight needles, but in later years Aluminum Specialty made different styles such as the pom-pom tree. Curled needles gave these trees the appearance of having pom-pom balls at the end of their branches, resulting in fuller-looking trees with more surfaces to reflect light. WHS Museum #2005.162.1.1A-CY
Evergleam aluminum Christmas tree, mid-1960s Seven-foot silver Tru-Taper Throughout the 1960s, other manufacturers began to produce aluminum trees. Aluminum Specialty responded to this competition by producing a line of high-quality trees including the Evergleam Tru-Taper, which boasted many branches of varying sizes that produced a lush appearance. WHS Museum #2005.168.1.1A-EL
Evergleam aluminum Christmas trees look different depending on their branch styles because the varying shapes and forms reflect light in different ways. Aluminum Specialty produced dozens of tree models, but the branches came in four basic styles (left to right): Straight Needle, Frosty, Swirl, and Fountain. Private Collection
Four-foot silver Evergleam aluminum Christmas tree with straight needles, early 1960s. (Private collection)
Four-foot silver Frosty, Evergleam aluminum Christmas tree, early 1960s. (Private collection)
Four-foot silver Frosty, Evergleam aluminum Christmas tree, early 1960s. (Private collection)
Four-foot silver Fountain, Evergleam aluminum Christmas tree, early 1960s. (Private collection)
Unassembled Christmas tree made by the Aluminum Specialty Company, 1959 Six-foot silver tree During the first year of production, Aluminum Specialty had not yet fully developed efficient packaging of its trees. The box came with cardboard pieces that formed a tray to place the assembled branches, and this tree required two trays to hold all of the branches. WHS Museum #2009.121.1.1-.3
Evergleam aluminum Christmas tree, early 1960s Four-foot silver tree Aluminum Specialty developed smaller trees for smaller spaces in homes or businesses. This four-foot model with straight needles took up less floor space or could be set on to a table. WHS Museum #2005.167.1.1A-BI
Evergleam aluminum Christmas tree, ca. 1965 Six-foot pink tree Typically, Evergleam owners used color projectors to splash light onto the silver branches of their trees, but in the 1960s, Aluminum Specialty began to produce a number of trees with colored branches of green, gold, and pink. Pink Evergleams are highly sought after today, partly because few were originally produced. WHS Museum #2005.174.1A-CR
Evergleam aluminum Christmas tree, early 1960s Six-foot green tree Typically, Evergleam owners used color projectors to splash light onto the silver branches of their trees, but in the 1960s, Aluminum Specialty began to produce a number of trees with colored branches of green, gold, and pink. WHS Museum #2005.166.1.1A-CS
Evergleam aluminum Christmas tree, early to mid-1960s Eight-foot gold tree Typically, Evergleam owners used color projectors to splash light onto the silver branches of their trees, but in the 1960s, Aluminum Specialty began to produce a number of trees with colored branches of green, gold, and pink. WHS Museum #2005.169.1A-DW
Evergleam aluminum Christmas tree, late 1960s Six-foot Blue Frost Aluminum Specialty experimented with their styles by tweaking existing designs. The Blue Frost version of the Evergleam featured the addition of blue needles at the tips of branches. Private Collection
Evergleam aluminum Christmas tree, late 1960s Four-foot Dual-Color The Dual-Color was perhaps one of Aluminum Specialty's last major innovations to the Evergleam in the late 1960s. It’s likely that few were produced as they rarely appear today in the online marketplace. Private Collection
Seven-foot silver Peacock, Evergleam aluminum Christmas tree, mid-1960s. Designed to sit against a wall in tight spaces, this Evergleam is actually two-dimensional—the only model of its kind. The Peacock’s stand and pole are obscured by decorative cardboard covers, which are covered in foil and have clean lines and angles. The result is a very modern, space-age appearance. (Private collection)
Two-foot Evergleam aluminum Christmas trees, early to mid-1960s. Aluminum Specialty designed trees for tabletop use, which were ideal for small living spaces. Two-foot trees came in silver, gold, pink, and green. (Private collection)
Seven-foot pink Evergleam aluminum Christmas tree, early to mid-1960s. Photographs of Evergleams and other aluminum Christmas trees from the 1960s and 1970s show that many people decorated their trees with traditional ornaments instead of using color light wheels or projectors. This image shows one of the many ways to decorate an Evergleam in the home. (Private collection)
Eight-foot silver Fountain, Evergleam aluminum Christmas tree, early 1960s. Photographs of Evergleams and other aluminum Christmas trees from the 1960s and 1970s show that many people decorated their trees with traditional ornaments instead of using color light wheels or projectors. This image shows one of the many ways to decorate an Evergleam in the home. (Private collection)
Six-foot gold Evergleam aluminum Christmas tree, early 1960s. Photographs of Evergleams and other aluminum Christmas trees from the 1960s and 1970s show that many people decorated their trees with traditional ornaments instead of using color light wheels or projectors. This image shows one of the many ways to decorate an Evergleam in the home. (Private collection)
Five-and-one-half-foot silver Slim-Line, Evergleam aluminum Christmas tree, early 1960s. With its shorter branches, this Evergleam has a very sleek appearance and takes up less floor space than other models. The Slim-Line is the only model that came in half-foot heights. (Private collection)
Evergleam Sata-Lite projector light, 1960 Following the success of the Evergleam, Aluminum Specialty developed accessories for their trees such as projector lights. The fixture contains a small motor which spins the colored plate, and its name comes from the Space Age craze in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s. This light was used as a sample by Jerry Waak, who began his career as a salesman and later became vice president of the toy division at Aluminum Specialty. WHS Museum #2006.4.1.1A-C Gift of Jerry Waak
Evergleam Motorized Color Wheel, mid-1960s. This fixture contains both a light bulb and a small motor to spin the color wheel. When the wheel is placed on the floor and pointed upward at an Evergleam, the shiny branches reflect swirling colored light. (Private collection)
Evergleam Motorized Color Wheel, early to mid-1960s. This fixture contains both a light bulb and a small motor to spin the color wheel. When the wheel is placed on the floor and pointed upward at an Evergleam, the shiny branches reflect swirling colored light. (Private collection)
Color Wheel
Evergleam Revolving Turbo 4-Color Projector and box, mid1960s This revolving light fixture projects rotating colored light on to an Evergleam’s reflective branches. It has no motor. Rather, the warmth created by the incandescent bulb is vented out the top causing the lightweight fixture to spin. WHS Museum #2011.19.1.1-.2
Evergleam Tabletop Revolving Turbo 4-Color Projector and box, mid-1960s This revolving light fixture projects rotating colored light on to an Evergleam’s reflective branches. It has no motor. Rather, the warmth created by the incandescent bulb is vented out the top causing the lightweight fixture to spin. This tabletop version was made for two-foot and four-foot tabletop Evergleams. WHS Museum #2011.49.1.1-.2 Gift of Thomas Rathsack
Evergleam Revolving Christmas tree stand, early to mid-1960s This dome-shaped tree stand contains a small motor which continuously rotates an Evergleam 360 degrees. The graceful animation allows the branches to twinkle with reflecting light. Some stands also came with a tiny music box which played the Christmas classic “Silent Night.” WHS Museum #2005.164.1.1A-B
Evergleam Revolving Christmas tree stand, early to mid-1960s. This cone-shaped tree stand contains a small motor, allowing an Evergleam to continuously spin in a 360-degree rotation when it is plugged in. The graceful animation causes the tree's branches to twinkle with reflecting light. This stand's plastic covering features an eight-point star, perhaps inspired by the emerging space-age craze in the United States. (Private Collection)
Evergleam Revolving Tri-Lite Christmas tree stand, mid-1960s This aluminum tree stand contains a small motor which continuously rotates an Evergleam 360 degrees. It also contains a light box which projects four columns of light upwards through the spinning tree. Even though the stand has four color plates, it’s called a Tri-Lite because the internal light fixture uses three lightbulbs. WHS Museum #2005.165.1.1A-C

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