Celebrating Christmas Ornaments

Book excerpt: They sparkle, they shine--they light up the tree and the eyes of all who look upon them: therein lies the beauty of Christmas ornaments. Across these pages in richly detailed photographs are a merrily glistening array of some of the most creative, clever, and exquisite ornaments ever produced. A lively introduction explains the tradition of decorating trees, and gives the history of ornaments from the first commercially marketed ones (made possible by a new glass-blowing process) to the silver balls and garlands produced by newly arrived immigrants to the United States to modern designs fashioned out of Styrofoam and satin. The authors also look at some homemade treasures, including designs on paper and food-based decorations such as cookies, pretzels, and marzipan.