I love my snow globes. One was bought as a Christmas present to myself the Christmas after Colin died and the other was picked up from a charity shop a couple of years ago.
The larger one has a wind up mechanism playing Jingle Bells with Santa going round on his sleigh and a tiny train that appears and disappears in and out of a tunnel, with glittery snow.
They are on the top of the low bookshelves now - out of the way of small fingers, although in a few years time I'll be able to keep them on the window sill to catch the sunlight.
I've searched through my Christmas books and there is no mention of snow globes in any of them. Not much history and on the t'internet it says ............
At the end of the 19th century the Austrian Erwin Perzy, a producer of surgical instruments, invented the so-called Schneekugel (snow globe) and got the first patent for it. Originally his goal was to develop an extra bright light source for use as a surgical lamp. As he tried to intensify the candlepower of a so-called Schusterkugel (a water filled flask used to focus light since the Middle Ages) with particles made out of different materials for reflection purpose, the effect reminded him of snowfall and it's said that by this he got the idea for a snow globe. He then built his first actual globe with the basilica of Mariazell as a model in it. Because of the great request for his snow globes, Perzy, along with his brother Ludwig opened a shop in Vienna, where the production continues until today as a family business. Today the globes get exported throughout the world; the material out of which the "snow" is made is handed down from generation to generation as a production secret (it should float as long as possible in the water before sinking down).
In the U.S the first snow globe-related patent was granted in 1927 to Joseph Garaja of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The original snow or "flitter" was made from bone or porcelain chips. The liquid is a mix of water, antifreeze (ethylene glycol), and glycerol. Glycerol is the additive that slows the descent of the snow.
Sometime in the long distant past I seem to remember having a small plastic globe and also trying to make one with water and sawdust in a jam jar - think that was a fail!
Nice to know where snowglobes originate, they are lovely but I don't have any as they are heavy and I am clumsy.
ReplyDeleteMy large one is heavy but the little one isn't - perhaps you will find a small one
DeleteI didn't know that musical snow globes were even a thing! Now I shall have to keep a look out for one :-)
ReplyDeleteYou can get ones that light up too!
DeleteAlways fancied one, suspect it is the child in us.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could remember the one I had as a child and what was in it
DeleteThose snow globes are really pretty. My Mum bought me one years ago which played a tune and then a few years ago when we got the decorations out of the loft we found the glass had smashed and everything in the box was damp! No idea why it happened and I never replaced it but maybe now is the time...
ReplyDeleteMine has a note on the box that warns against storing in hot or cold temps so maybe that was what happened
DeleteI remember making them with a whole crowd of children at church- we stuck tiny cake decorating burs (snowmen, reindeer, santa, Xmas trees etc) on the lid of a jam jar, then filled the jar with water, some glycerin and a spoonful of glitter. The screw top was smeared with superglue and the lid put back on firmly. It worked (sort of!) But they were very messy little kids. I never tried it again! I love snow globes
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I remember making the snow globes with the Cubs - and yes it was messy but good fun.
DeleteHazel 🌈🌈
I can't imagine why I thought sawdust would work!
DeleteNever tried it with cubs - chaos I reckon!
I bet the grandchildren will love those, especially the one with the train. I had one as a child and loved it. Christmas magic.
ReplyDeleteIt wont be many years before they are able to wind it up themselves
DeleteI don't think you ever grow out of snow globes. I wish I had one!
ReplyDeleteI can think of several fictional references to snow globes; I think they're all in children's books.
I now need to know which books!
DeleteA Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas features a snow globe.
DeleteIt's my favourite Christmas book.
~ skye
Your Snow globes are so pretty, when I moved in 12/2017 my GD brought me one for a present with a little house and tree which is beautiful and so appropriate. I am going to get the tree up in Sunday when my D comes.
ReplyDeleteHazel 🌈🌈☃️☃️
Your globe sounds lovely
DeleteThere is a shop in the small town of Stranraer (the town near to our cottage) where display a whole shelf full of all singing, all dancing snow globes in every shape and size. Obviously, the people living there are really into their snowglobes. I only have a tiny one with a ginger cat inside (similar to my own cat Tiger) it was a little stocking filler many years ago and always makes an appearance at Christmas.
ReplyDeleteThe shop where I got mine always has lots every Christmas - took me ages to decide which one to get
DeleteI must say Sue I don't know anyone with a snow globe apart from you so whenever anyone mentions snow globes I always think of you.
ReplyDeleteEveryone need a snow globe!
DeleteI have a musical snow globe too! It contains a little house with 2 fir trees and plays 'Have yourself a merry little Christmas' It has survived 3 house moves and I love it :)
ReplyDeleteI wind mine up every day at least once!
DeleteI like snow globes but may have just one. I like the history of the snow globe. I am enjoying looking at my Advent London Calendar every day. It's from JacquieLawson.com Fun to see London again and there's a home for me as well! It is only the living room but it's good to change decor and touch things and candles light, change the color of the poinesettia, a dog and cat in room...fun! Enjoy your days!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you...I find them as magical as kaleidoscopes. The only one we've ever had was one with Elmer the elephant in it when my son was small. Unfortunately he dropped it down the stairs and it landed on a hard floor. As you might imagine it didn't end well! Arilx
ReplyDeleteI have a couple of snow globes that our oldest son bought as Christmas gifts for me over the years. I love them. Yours are lovely.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Your snow globes are lovely. I also have one and it plays, "Here Comes Christmas".
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