It is hard to imagine New Year’s and Christmas without familiar visual symbols — Christmas trees, garlands, candles, and, of course, the snow globe. This seemingly simple souvenir has long become part of festive culture in many countries. Yet the path of its creation was far less straightforward and obvious than it might appear.
A Viennese Accident
The history of the snow globe begins at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, when technical experiments unexpectedly gave rise to a new symbol of coziness. One of the most famous versions is associated with the Viennese craftsman Erwin Perzy. He had no intention of creating a Christmas souvenir; his interest lay in solving a problem of lighting. At a time when electric lamps were only just coming into use, Perzy was searching for a way to intensify and evenly distribute light for medical instruments. He experimented with glass spheres filled with water, assuming they could function as a kind of lens.
During these experiments, Perzy began adding small particles to the water, hoping to increase light reflection. The result was unexpected: instead of enhancing brightness, the particles slowly settled, creating the effect of a gentle snowfall. The observation was so striking that it distracted the craftsman from his original goal. Thus, a technical experiment turned into an aesthetic discovery.
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Instead of a powerful spotlight, Perzy ended up with the world’s first prototype of a snow globe. Realizing the potential of his find, he opened a family workshop. Remarkably, the Perzy family manufactory in Vienna is still in operation today, carefully preserving its production traditions for more than a century.
The French Trace
Although the Austrian version is the most romantic, historians also trace the roots of the souvenir to France. They point out that similar objects appeared there earlier. In the 19th century, glass spheres filled with water and decorative elements were used as paperweights. At the 1878 World Exhibition in Paris, such spheres were already displayed to the public, and later light-colored particles were added to create the effect of falling snow. Gradually, a utilitarian object turned into a souvenir that tourists were eager to take home.
Mass Culture
The true boom in popularity came in the 20th century, when the snow globe crossed the ocean. A new stage in its history is associated with the United States, where by the 1920s it had firmly established itself as a mass-produced souvenir. American manufacturers simplified the technology, made the products more affordable, and expanded the range of themes. From that moment on, snow globes became not only festive decorations but also elements of advertising, shop displays, and private collections.
By the mid-20th century, the snow globe had lost its connection to laboratory experiments and stationery supplies, transforming into a universal symbol of winter holidays. Its form and idea proved so successful that they survived decades, changing only in materials and scenes. And today, when we shake a glass or plastic globe and watch the slow “snowfall,” we unwittingly touch a history in which chance, science, and human imagination came together in one small object.
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