snowglobes? snowdomes?

[Benjamin Zimmer]

Sam Clements:
>You know. Those things that your grandmother had, the glass ball on a =
>stand, that had stuff inside that, when inverted or shaken, caused the =
>snow to fall through the liquid, perhaps around a scene.
>
>We have a column by Unca Cecil over at Straight Dope and some comments =
>from members there. =
>http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=3D307759
>
>My question is: What were these things commonly called in the 1900-1950 =
>period, and are they known as something else in the last 20 years.

Jonathan Lighter:
>
>Don't know about pre-1950, but during that decade three generations of
>my family called 'em "those paperweights with the fake snow inside."

Heh.  I checked the script for _Citizen Kane_, since Kane picks one up in
the "Rosebud" scene.  The script calls it "one of those glass balls which
are sold in novelty stores all over the world"!

http://corky.net/scripts/citizenKane.html

Newspaperarchive suggests that variations on "snow-scene paperweight" or
"snow-storm paperweight" were common in the pre-1950 period...


Fitchburg Sentinel Wednesday, November 08, 1922 Fitchburg, Massachusetts
...St Tel. 1129. PAPER WEIGHT, glass with SNOW SCENE, Tel. 2771..

Bridgeport Telegram Wednesday, December 09, 1925 Bridgeport, Connecticut
...according to size to Main lot SNOW STORM PAPER WEIGHTS. They were last
seen.....realistic SNOW STORMs inside used tor PAPER WEIGHTS 50c..

Appleton Post Crescent Tuesday, December 18, 1928 Appleton, Wisconsin
...those glass PAPERWEIGHTS depicting a SNOW STORM or an angel In flight.

Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune Wednesday, August 16, 1933 Wisconsin
Rapids, Wisconsin
...the spherical PAPERWEIGHT with the SNOW-STORM inside that stood on her
desk..

Ruthven Free Press Wednesday, February 21, 1934 Ruthven, Iowa
...check under a glass PAPERWEIGHT with a SNOW SCENE ..

Iowa City Press Citizen Thursday, December 01, 1938 Iowa City, Iowa
...51.25 Chrome Butter Dish .51.50 SNOW STORM PAPER WEIGHTS 50c..

Nebraska State Journal  Sunday, March 19, 1939 Lincoln, Nebraska
...Wedgwood. Dresden figures. SNOWSCENE PAPER-WEIGHTS..

Berkshire Evening Eagle Thursday, April 08, 1943 Pittsfield, Massachusetts
...CARDS for tho hoys in wrvloc SNOW SCENE PAPER WEIGHTS..

Syracuse Herald Journal  Thursday, October 14, 1943  Syracuse,  New York
...SNO-SCENE PAPER- WEIGHTS Fascinating PAPERWEIGHTS..

Nebraska State Journal Wednesday, June 14, 1944 Lincoln, Nebraska
...flowers 1.00 to 15.00. PAPER WEIGHT "SNOW SCENE" type..

Clearfield Progress Friday, November 17, 1944 Clearfield, Pennsylvania
...by "KLETNERT c Best Shield Made SNOW SCENE PAPER WEIGHTS 79c ..

Sheboygan Press Wednesday, November 22, 1944 Sheboygan, Wisconsin
...hundreds of Gift Suggestions SNOWBALL PAPER WEIGHT .89c.

Sheboygan Press Monday, December 17, 1945 Sheboygan, Wisconsin
...l.00 box Ripple and Vellum long SNOW STORM PAPER WEIGHTS...89c..

Mansfield News Journal Monday, December 16, 1946 Mansfield, Ohio
...young who is not intrigued with a SNOW BALL PAPER WEIGHT?

Berkshire Evening Eagle Friday, December 20, 1946 Pittsfield, Massachusetts
...5-Year genuine 2.50 to 4.95 SNOWSTORM PAPER WEIGHTS........ 69c

Bridgeport Telegram Monday, October 20, 1947 Bridgeport, Connecticut
...flurry whenever you wishl .SNOWBALL PAPER WEIGHTS in assorted designs.

Dixon Evening Telegraph Saturday, December 13, 1947 Dixon, Illinois
...CHRISTMAS GIFT FRANK DEUTSCH SNOW STORM PAPER WEIGHTS..


--Ben Zimmer