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It is believed that the creation of the original waterglobe
was borrowed from the concept of glass-paperweight dating
back as early as 1800’s in France. From there,
in 1889, the world's first waterglobe was created. This
palm-sized glass globe featured the famous Eiffel Tower
as its center-piece and has a ceramic base and fake
snow. It was introduced to the public in the 1889 Paris
Exposition and proved to be a successful souvenir item.
Later in the Victorian era, snowstorms, as they were
called became popular as souvenirs, toys and desk paperweights.
And in the early 1920’s, it crossed the Atlantic
to the United States and Canada.
The pivotal point in the history of waterglobes came
in 1927, when Joseph Garaja of Pittsburgh, filed a patent
pertaining to the mass production of glass waterglobes
of “artistic attractiveness and novel ornamentation.”
Once the patent was granted on December 31, 1929, the
concept was copied and waterglobes were soon sold everywhere.
Capitalizing on the popularity of waterglobes, American
companies in the 1940's use them in their advertising
campaigns. While in Europe, religious themed waterglobes
were popular gifts for Catholic children.
Today’s waterglobes can come with music, revolving
piece or base, lighting effect, button-activated snow
blower and much more.
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