CoolSnowGlobes Deer in the Woods Cool Snow Globe

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The snow globe: an emblem of winter, a cherished childhood trinket, a gift-shop staple. It’s an object that simultaneously evokes holiday cheer and, for some, eye-roll-worthy kitsch. Snow globes are irresistible for their promise of brief, easy entertainment—plus the added visual delight of the whimsical miniatures found inside. Gradually, news of the whimsical trinket reached America. In 1927, a man from Pittsburgh named Joseph Garaja applied for the first snow globe patent there, and with it, he introduced a radical new method: underwater assembly. This ensured that each globe would be fully filled with liquid and saved a significant amount of time and money—transforming the snow globe from an expensive indulgence into the affordable commodity we know today. The oldest known description of a snow globe–like object comes from an 1880 U.S. Commissioners report on the 1878 Paris Universal Exposition, where a local glassware company showcased a group of “paper weights of hollow balls filled with water, containing a man with an umbrella.” The objects also contained white powder that fell “in imitation of a snow storm” when turned upside down. Such glass-domed paperweights were popular in the late 1800s, but this appears to be the first to include such a playful feature—and it seems to have been the world’s first snow globe. It's hard not to be enamored with snow globes. They simply bring out our love of fantasy in so many ways. From the idyllic tiny scenes inside to the magic of snow you can enjoy, but not shovel is pretty darned appealing.

By the middle of the century, snow globes had become an American phenomenon. Brands employed them for advertising, and they were even used to promote civilian morale during World War II, with tiny soldiers becoming common additions. Innovations in plastic production and injection-molding during the 1950s further improved the snow globe—pricey particles used for the “snow” were replaced with cheap plastic “flitter,” while glycol mixed with water helped it fall more slowly. The product could be found in gift shops across the country, becoming a highly sought-after souvenir during the post-war tourism boom; Walt Disney’s earliest-known snow globe, one with a miniature Bambi, dates to 1959.Whether they contain replicas of snow or sparkling glitter, and when gently shaken these water balls change for calm scenes to swirly blizzards. Kids are especially mesmerized by them. Thankfully, lots of snow globes are automatically activated by a switch on the base in case you're worried about tiny hands letting them crash to the floor while shaking. How Were Snow Globes Invented? However, it was an Austrian man named Erwin Perzy who is widely considered to be its proper “inventor,” albeit accidentally. In 1900, while living outside Vienna, where he ran a medical instrument–supply business, Perzy was asked by a local surgeon to improve upon Thomas Edison’s then-new lightbulb, which the surgeon wanted made brighter for his operating room. Drawing upon a method used by shoemakers to make quasi-“spotlights,” Perzy placed a water-filled glass globe in front of a candle, which increased the light’s magnification, and sprinkled tiny bits of reflective glitter into the globe to help brighten it. Indeed, the snow globe appeared at a time when upper-middle-class families, newly wealthy following the Industrial Revolution, began collecting intricate, artistic objects and displaying them in their homes. Though it’s unclear exactly how much these early globes cost, they were expensive due to the amount of time necessary to paint, mold, and assemble them. After World War I concluded in 1918, a boost in tourism led to greater demand for eye-catching souvenirs—especially snow globes.

And despite—or, perhaps, because of—their penchant to be viewed as “kitschy” and “low-brow,” snow globes have recently crossed into the realms of fine art and design. Since the mid-2000s, Brooklyn-based duo Ligorano/Reese have been turning the traditionally child-friendly object on its head with snow globes that replace Santa Claus figurines with cuss words, drug references, and the seven deadly sins. (Ligorano/Reese have also made “ History of Art” globes that feature the names of 20 influential art movements, such as Surrealism and Fluxus.)

Why Do We Love Snow Globes?

According to this article by Linda Rodriquez McRobbie for MentalFloss, there's a bit of a comical and quite interesting story about how they came into being. Where Can You Find Illuminated Snow Globes? Believe it or not, there's plenty of evidence to say that if Thomas Edison had invented a better lightbulb, we might never have gotten to indulge in our passion for snow globes. We've found that those by Thomas Kinkade are the most elegant and realistic, but also the most expensive of all.

Adults especially love illuminated snow globes. Often the scene inside involves snowy villages and Christmas homes. Thanks to incredibly small but efficient LED lights, a flip of the switch is enough to make the tiny towns and homes glitter with realistic warmth.

How Were Snow Globes Invented?