Christmas color wheel collection

[sambootoo]

Through my years of visiting AWO, I've enjoyed everyone's collections of washers, dryers, dishwashers, mixers, and so forth. Thought I'd share some pictures of my unusual collection--color wheel made for aluminum Christmas trees. These have fascinated me all my life. When these trees were the rage, I couldn't be satisfied until I could see what kind of color wheel each one had! Here are some I've managed to collect, repair, and enjoy.
First, the Penetrays:

 

[sambootoo]

Then the Holly Times: The one on the far right is the one I grew up with. My parents bought it along with our 7 foot PECO pom pom aluminum tree (which I still have)from JC Penneys in December of 1964--I was in the first grade!

 

[sambootoo]

Then the Colortones:

 

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Spartus:

 

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Bakelite models

 

[sambootoo]

Steber rotolens, Compco Colormagic, Evergleam, Evergleam Sat-a-light

 

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Myriad Light, Colortone, Rainbo-Lite, Tomar

 

[sambootoo]

Ferry, On-A-Light, Nordendale, Harmony House (Sears), back row Ferry, Gem (maker of the Harmony House)

 

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Doman Electra, Imperial

 

[sambootoo]

Feel free to move this to "As the tub turns" if that's where it should be. I thought that's where I was posting it to!

 

[rp2813]

OMG I had no idea there were so many makes and models of color wheels. That is an awesome collection!

We had the $7.95 Penetray type with the red printing on the box to glitz up our aluminum tree, which I think was an 8-footer, although I was younger and shorter at that time, so maybe it was only a 6-footer.

I think my sister got the wheels out of my parents' attic after she found an aluminum tree at a thrift store about 10 years ago, but she has yet to use the tree or the wheels. I think I need to get the tree and the wheels from her. They'd be the perfect response to the tackiness the holiday season has become.

 

[peterh770]

Friend of ours growing up had a large house with very large windows. The windows were all hung with white sheers along with the main panel drapes. For Christmas, they would close the white sheers and put a color wheel light behind each window. So when you drove by the house, every window was a different changing color. Very simple, but very dramatic!!!

 

[kevin313]

Incredible collecction! Facinating - thanks for sharing this impressive array of American holiday pop culture! Love it...I have to say, it never occurred to me that someone would collect color wheels. But, after having seen your collection - why not? Simply awesome!

 

[bugsyjones]

I have a reproduction version of the Colortone wheel. I use it with a 7ft pom pom aluminum tree that I got for free out of a storage building.

I also noticed you have flood lights in them. I don't use a flood light in it for fear of melting something. I don't suppose I've tried a flood either. I guess it would be more of a problem in the models that use the gel inserts instead of the plastic. I use a 40 watt appliance-style bulb. It gives off pretty good light. Nobody can see it from the road anyway.

~Tim

 

[retropia]

Very educational! Thanks for sharing your collection.

Have you tried using a CFL-style floodlight in any of your color wheels? I'm curious as to how those might work. They would certainly generate less heat and use less electricity. I'm not sure the light quality would be the same, though.

 

[washernoob]

who woulda thunk it... There really is a collection for everything!

Simply awesome collection you have there! Those are very very cool!

Still need to find a sink collector. Cant say i have ever heard of one!

 

[hooverwheelaway]

Ooooh!

What a fabulous thread! Bravo! I looooove all of your color wheels! I think that's an awesome collection! If I didn't have to go to bed and wake up for work in less than 5 hours, I'd pull all of my color wheels and their boxes down for a photo shoot right this minute! I'll be sure to do just that within the next few days!

Thanks for sharing!

Do you ever turn them all on at the same time? LoL

~Fred

 

[qsd-dan]

Lovely collection.....and with original boxes too!!

 

[hooverwheelaway]

One of mine decided to unscrew itself the other day...
I came home from work, and my handy husband had already put it back together.