Sterling Straitline Outdoor Lighting Outfit (1950s)

Sterling Straitline Outdoor Lighting Outfit 

These vintage Christmas lights, made by the company, Sterling, date back to the 1950s. 

The box to these colorful Christmas lights specifically States that "Each Lamp Burns Independently". This was a major factor in Sterling's marketing for these lights, as older wired Christmas lights would go completely dark if even just one bulb blew out. But these lights were made with "parallel-wired" technology that meant the rest of the string stayed lit. 

The bulbs used in this set are C9 outdoor bulbs made by General Electric. These bulbs were popular in the 1950s as they used tungsten filaments that burned much cooler than the original carbon-filament lamps of the 1920s, which were considered much more dangerous. However, these bulbs could still get hot enough that modern safety protocols warn that they can reach "self-combustible" temperatures if they were left against dry needles for too long. 

Donated by: Kirk Graham, Texas, USA