The Golden Glow of Christmas Past —
Christmas Collectors & Annual Convention
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Santa takes to sleigh with a bag full of toys in this c. 1920 German Christmas decoration.
A rare Santa with a walking stick, c. 1930 Germany.
There are a few precious ornaments in my family’s collection that I recognize as antique. Well, let me rephrase that — I recognize them as old and don’t want to admit that they are technically “antique,” since that would reflect on my own age.
It was only until recently, perhaps as I began to appreciate the true value of older things, that I’ve come to handle these ornaments more carefully. I really don’t want to lose them. It bothers me to recall how often ornaments were dropped and shattered on the hard wood floor when I was a child. How I wish we’d taken better care.
There is an interesting group of people who DO take better care. They exist to preserve the historic and collectible objects of Christmastime. These knowledgeable curators of the past make up the membership of an organization called The Golden Glow of Christmas Past.
A spun cotton Heubach boy ornament, c. 1920.
The Golden Glow of Christmas Past was founded in a barn outside of Dayton, Ohio, in 1980 by a gentleman named Jerry Ehernberger. Originally a group of 20, the organization now boasts a membership of more than 1,000 people from around the world. While the group started with an interest in Christmas lights, the focus has spread to all pre-1966 Christmas-related items.
31st Annual Golden Glow of Christmas Past Convention
From July 26 to July 30, hundreds of Golden Glow members will gather in Rye Brook, N.Y., for the 31st Annual Golden Glow of Christmas Past Convention. The convention presents an opportunity for the club membership to meet other collectors, buy and sell items, attend educational presentations, view a Museum-like display of items from membership collections, participate in an auction, and gather for discussions with individuals who share the same passion and interest for antique Christmas items. Open to members only, the convention attracts collectors dealing in a wide variety of Christmas categories.
Say “hello” to an original Snow Baby, c. 1915 Germany.
If you visit the Golden Glow of Christmas Past website, you can begin to get an idea of just how many different categories of Christmas collectibles exist. As I browsed through the listings, I found myself becoming more interested in learning about the history of many of the items pictured. Dresden ornaments? I had no clue about them previously, yet now I recognize that Germany was the leader in early ornaments and that Dresden and Sebnitz ornaments are the great, great grandparents of the ornaments we buy today. And while some ornaments and figurines were manufactured, many were creatively constructed using wire, cotton, and paper. The fact that so many have survived more than a hundred years of handling is really a credit to the collectors.
If you find yourself with more old ornaments than new, perhaps you’re a collector, too.
Golden Glow Membership
It costs $50 for one year’s membership to The Golden Glow of Christmas Past, which includes six issues of the Golden Glow Newsletter and inclusion in an Annual Membership Directory. More benefits, information, and multi-year savings can be found at www.goldenglow.org.
Chromolithographed paper Santas.
A special thanks to Barbara and Gary Heidinger of Grossmutter’s Christmas Attic. Members of The Golden Glow of Christmas Past, the Heidingers provided all the photographs featured in this article. To learn more, or to add or start a collection, visit their main website at www.christmas-past-collector.com and be sure to link to their other sites at www.Christmas.li (English) and www.Weihnacht.li (German).
All Photographs © Barbara H. Heidinger Romer and courtesy of Grossmutter’s Christmas Attic.
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