Slide of the Week: December 27th, 2005
Pink Flocked Christmas Tree, Alcoa Aluminum Company, Los Angeles, 1955
When I was growing up the tradition in my family is that we always got our Christmas tree on my birthday – December 20th, and I got to pick it out. When I was in first grade my parents cut loose and actually let me pick out a flocked tree. Getting a flocked tree is Southern California’s version of having a white Christmas.
We didn’t put lights on it because my worrywart mother was afraid it would catch on fire and burn the house down. Is flocking flammable? We never got one again. But every year, without fail, I dream of having a flocked tree. So this year, darn it, I’ve made up my mind - I’m going to get one! I’m not talking about the ordinary Christmas tree lot variety - a white one - oh no! Been there done that! I want a tree flocked in color – turquoise would be my first choice but I would gleefully settle for mint green, periwinkle blue, lavender, peach or pink.
And that brings me to this week’s slide taken at the
ALCOA ALUMINUM COMPANY, LOS ANGELES, 1955.
Nine lovely lady employees are beautifully uniformed in classic shirtwaist dresses in one of two shades of blue-bright and light. Their white collars, cuffs and breast-pocket trim match the winter white coveralls that the lone gentleman wears so well with black shoes and socks. In the foreground a brown paper bag, probably with someone’s lunch in it, sits on a stained wood desk. In the background a honey blond wood paneled wall and a variety of glossy green houseplants. The centerpiece is unlike any Christmas tree I’ve ever had the joy of seeing. It’s not only flocked, it’s flocked in two-tone pink. The higher it goes the pinker it gets! Christmas inspires so much creativity.
In a half-dozen online dictionaries I looked up flock and not one of them had a definition that had anything to do with a flocked Christmas tree. Flocking is a rare thing. In fact there aren’t a lot of flocked things in this world. Paper must’ve been the thing that was flocked - wallpaper. And God knows we all love flocked wallpaper - especially flocked foil wallpaper! Besides the occasional flocked Christmas tree and fancy flocked wallpaper the only other flocked thing that I can think of are those little bobber-head dogs that people used to have on the package tray between the back seat and the back window of their car.
What is the history of flocking anyway? Who flocked the first tree? We rarely do the flocking ourselves. We let someone else flock for us. But for those who do want to flock themselves you can you can get a can of flock. Yes, flocking comes in an aerosol can. Oh, then that must mean that flocked trees are bad for the ozone? So we wear sun block on the 4th of July so we can have a flocked tree for Christmas.
Here’s to Flocking and you!
Charles Phoenix
Los Angeles
December 2005
P.S. Do you know where I can find a tree flocked in color – HELP!
Sets this Slide belongs to:
Holidays
13 Comments on “Pink Flocked Christmas Tree, Alcoa Aluminum Company, Los Angeles, 1955”
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January 9th, 2006 at 12:55 pm
Where is the mistletoe? Nine ladies and only one guy. Could be one interesting Christmas party.
January 12th, 2006 at 10:35 pm
Is this the same company from the 2004 spam birthday cake party?
January 13th, 2006 at 11:25 am
In a fleeting first glance, I thought it said “Pine Flocked…”
Now wouldn’t THAT be an interesting reversal, to festoon an unflocked aluminum tree wtih pine cones!
My world is, uh, different.
…Lorenzo
January 14th, 2006 at 9:41 am
What I like best about this is it’s a set piece, a diorama. As in, next year’s holiday party everyone will be asked to dress alike, in dusty blue, it just makes decorations really pop if attendees color coordinate. Perhaps hand out paper smocks…
January 14th, 2006 at 8:14 pm
Hey Carlos, loved the P.V. matinee show today at the Norris Pavilion! I felt like a youngster with all the folks from the, “Active Senior Center” on the hill. Can you sign me up for the slide of the week? When you do your show on Tijuana from the past (or anything on Baja), count me in! TJ was as very racy town and I’d love to see more about the “Forbidden City” in it’s glory days!
January 16th, 2006 at 1:07 am
Attended your show last night at Norris theater and just had the best laughts I’ve had in a long time. Great slides. Please put me on your slide of the week and newsletter list. Keep on shopping!!
January 17th, 2006 at 5:19 pm
I love this webpage. I’ve read the books Southern California in the 50s, God Bless Americana, Las Vegas in the Fifties, the book about Hawaii, and Southern Californialand. It’s always fun to visit this web page to see what the slide of the week is. I live in Columbus, Ohio and hope to make it to a slideshow.
February 9th, 2006 at 4:38 am
Flocked trees make a big flocking mess on the carpet and it just about all falls off while stringing the lights.
Of all people, you’d think Alcoa would have an aluminum tree, flood lit with a rotating color wheel.
Even more bizarre is that guy who looks like a pervert sitting among all those uniformed Bettys. Whaaa? Here’s another one of those “What else is Charles not showing?” questions.
March 18th, 2006 at 9:17 pm
What a small world!
The guy in that photo is my UNCLE Arturo Parra!
Sadly he passed away in 1982.
Art was so much fun as you can tell that the ladies liked him!
Art Parra was a WW2 Navy Veteran that survived a Japanese bombing of his ship during the war. He and only a few men survived that attack.
He was also known at that time for not wanting to go down into a submarine that he was ordered to board. It almost went down with Art on top! He was highly claustrophic!
He was almost court-martialed for the submarine incident.
Arturo would have gotten a kick out of the pervert remark!
Uncle Art was NATIVE AMERICAN
July 20th, 2006 at 5:08 am
Going down to East LA in the late sixtes, (to see Grandma and Granpa) we saw many a flocked trees of all diffrent colors, pink, bukle, yellow, green, of course white. We got a white one on year what a mess!!!
November 14th, 2006 at 1:32 am
I want to flock my tree this year. Where do you get aerosol cans of flock???
November 16th, 2008 at 10:13 am
I bought a pink christmas tree and 2 wreaths,from an 84 year old lady, 5 years ago.all were pink flocked.Beautiful. She gave me this story about the tree an wreaths. She said,in the early 40’s she lived in New Jersey. Her neighbor had a factory and made christmas tree’s for department stores,Macy’s etc. He asked her what kind of a tree would you like for christmas?she said Pink.He said he had never made a pink tree. Weeks later he came to her home and had 1 pink tree and 2 matching wreath. He said these were the 1st ever pink tree and wreaths made,in Pink. but he liked them so much he was going to make others.Her favorite color was pink.That was a gift for her for christmas. She could not remember his name.but she had kept them all these years.She gave them to me and ask me to keep them because they were the 1st ones made.I had helped her to pack her things to move to Colorado to retire.I believe this is a true store .She swears by it. but cannot rememer his name.so i cannot document it.If anyone know for sure where the 1st pink tree was made let me know.,It is not aluminum.smow on end of each branch with silver ball on tip.snow all over the tree.but heavy on ends of branch.thanks Anita
November 29th, 2008 at 11:08 am
My grandpa used to sell Christmas trees in downtown Winona, Minnesota many years ago. He would flock a few every year, we always got one and he and gram always had one too. The trees were beautiful, but messy, and we always had light in them. I’ll have to ask gramps the next time I talk to him how he made the flocked trees.