For 100 years, thousands of factory workers in Manitowoc fashioned aluminum into everything from cookie presses to rowboats, earning the accolade, "Aluminum Cookware Capitol of the World."
In 1959, Manitowoc's Aluminum Specialty Co. sent a shock wave through the traditional American home by producing the "Evergleam" all-aluminum Christmas tree.
An instant sensation, millions of trees were shipped throughout the world and even Elvis adorned Graceland's front yard with rows of the trees. Their most famous appearance was on the 1965 premiere of "A Charlie Brown Christmas."
Some of the workers, now retired, vividly recall twisting and gluing the fragile tinsel from July to November in time for Christmas. The trees are now considered quite valuable.
Julie Lindemann and John Shimon, authors of Season's Gleamings - The Art of the Aluminum Christmas Tree, meticulously photographed the trees to produce the book. It is now available for $17.80, plus s&h, from the Manitowoc Visitor & Convention Bureau and other area book stores. To order call 1-800-627-4896 or email us at visitmanitowoc@manitowoc.info.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Saturday, July 4, 2009
What happened in Manitowoc in '62?
On a recent "Millionaire" game show, the $100,000 question asked what happened in Manitowoc in September 1962. The crash of the Sputnik was one of four choices. The contestant didn't know the answer.
The SPUTNIK IV was launched at Balkanur, USSR, May 14, 1960. However, SPUTNIK IV could not be recovered due to the failure of the ship's orientation system and it began a slow plunge to Earth, with a 20 cm by 8 cm piece landing on Manitowoc's North 8th Street in front of the Rahr-West Art Museum
With the success of the first Sputnikfest in Fall of 2008, the event will again be held September 11 & 12, 2009 to commemorate the historic moment that occurred in Manitowoc back in 1962.
Sputnikfest 2009 will include:
Sputnikfest is held outside the Rahr West Art Museum, where a brass ring in the middle of the street marks where the fragment was found imbedded in the pavement. An exact replica of the SPUTNIK IV fragment is on display at the Rahr-West Art Museum and at the Visitor Information Center.
The SPUTNIK IV was launched at Balkanur, USSR, May 14, 1960. However, SPUTNIK IV could not be recovered due to the failure of the ship's orientation system and it began a slow plunge to Earth, with a 20 cm by 8 cm piece landing on Manitowoc's North 8th Street in front of the Rahr-West Art Museum
With the success of the first Sputnikfest in Fall of 2008, the event will again be held September 11 & 12, 2009 to commemorate the historic moment that occurred in Manitowoc back in 1962.
Sputnikfest 2009 will include:
- Fine and indie artist craft fairs
- Food and refreshments, including specially brewed Sputnikale
- Live music
- Sputnikfest merchandise
- Dunk a local celebrity in the "Splash Down" dunk tank
- Family Space Walk and prizes for best costume
- Cosmic Slide
- "Alien Operation Game" and more!
Sputnikfest is held outside the Rahr West Art Museum, where a brass ring in the middle of the street marks where the fragment was found imbedded in the pavement. An exact replica of the SPUTNIK IV fragment is on display at the Rahr-West Art Museum and at the Visitor Information Center.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)