Snow globe
A snow globe is a water-filled sphere made of glass or plastic, in which also are small particles that swirl up when shaken and then allowed to settle as snow slowly. The balls contain small figurines or miniature landscapes, which are " snowed " when shaken.
History
When the very first snow globe was made is not known. A forerunner was a water-filled glass ball, swam in the birds. The Alchemist Leonhard Thurneysser she left in 1572 make of the Grimnitzer Glashütte. One of the oldest historically known snow globes 1878 was seen at the Paris World Exhibition. The subject was a man with an open umbrella.
End of the 19th century, the Viennese surgical instrument mechanic Erwin Perzy the snow globe invented a certain extent new and was the first person who patented the " glass ball with snow effect ". Actually Perzy had specialized in the manufacture of surgical instruments. At the request of the surgeon, he wanted to develop a very bright light source, for which he made experiments with a so-called Schuster ball. It consists of a water-filled spherical glass flask is placed in front of burning candles, so that it can amplify the candlelight. Perzy mixed water at the glass chips to enhance reflectivity.
The swirling chips reminded him of snow and brought him to the idea of the snow globe. He built a tiny model of the Basilica of Mariazell, she placed in a glass ball, filled it with water and added semolina as snow added. This model gave a friend who owned a souvenir stand, where it met with great interest from customers. In 1900 Perzy opened with his brother Ludwig together an operation to devote himself entirely to the production of glass beads. This operation still exists today and is now led by Erwin Perzys same- grandchildren. For the preparation of the figures in the balls, the company developed an alloy that is also sold out New Year's Eve Cast for lead casting.
In the 1950s, joined by some manufacturers of polystyrene in place of the glass; the " snowflakes " are now usually made of a plastic mixture. Additives to the water to prevent algae can form. Was the snow globe into a mass production by modern production methods. Newer models have evaporated water can refill with a syringe.
Topics
The designs of snow globes are very diverse and not always wintry; There are landscapes, churches or religious motives, snowmen, fairy tales and comic book characters, horror motifs, angels, etc. Sometimes they have a function as souvenirs or toys for children. For those who love snow globes have become a popular collector's item. The most well-known collector was Walter Benjamin.
As Berlin souvenir was towards the end of the 1980s a " Smogkugel " available, which contained a black precipitate.
Uses the Snow Ball Scene
The painting The Snow Globe City a light display case by the Swiss artist Matthias Zimmermann uses the motif of the snow globe in an artistic context.
In the movie The Snow Globe ( Snowglobe ) from 2007 serves as an enchanted snow globe the central object.
In the ORF talk show Wir sind Kaiser guests bring as a gift with a snow globe with a penguin.
Snow Globe Museum
In Vienna there is a snow globe museum that presents the history of the snow globe, snow globe, as well as various types extensively.