Since the holiday season seems to start in September these days, there’s no doubt you’ve started thinking about your decor for the season. And if you’re into things like ironic sweaters, hipster mustaches, and Mad Men, then you probably fancy picking up an aluminum Christmas tree — you know, those things first manufactured in the 1960s as a metal alternative to the traditional holiday twig.
While modern versions can be found on Amazon and other retailers (and vintage ones will break your wallet on Ebay), there’s nothing quite like the real thing — and a vintage exhibition in Wisconsin is bringing it all back together. From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Tapping into nostalgia for a time when Christmas trees looked as silvery and shiny as an astronaut, the Wisconsin Historical Society Museum is opening an exhibit on Tuesday featuring 20 Wisconsin-made aluminum trees.
Billed as the largest public exhibition of Evergleam aluminum Christmas trees, the exhibit will include rare 2-foot tabletop trees, a selection of 4-, 6- and 8-foot aluminum trees, accessories such as rotating tree stands and multicolored light wheels as well as advertising and packaging. The exhibit also includes trees in gold, green and even pink — the holy grail of Evergleams. Because few people bought pink trees, few were made, which now makes them very rare and valuable.
“I’m pretty sure this is the largest collection of Evergleams since a 1960s Christmas tree show,” said curator Joe Kapler, who hasn’t seen a pink Evergleam come on the market since 2005.
If you live close by or are passing through Wisconsin, this exhibit is open until January 11. More information can be found at the official website.