Wer hat die Schneekugel erfunden?
Who Invented the Snow Globe?

Everyone has seen one, bought one, played with one, enjoyed one. Mass-produced all over the world, today the common snow globe is a nostalgic childhood memory, a kitschy souvenir, a fun blizzard in a glass bulb, an advertising gimmick, a glittery paperweight, even a symbolic element in a classic movie.

A replica of the Perzy snow globe that appeared in Orson Welles’ CITIZEN KANE (1941). Also see the video below. PHOTO: The Frame Shop of Appleton, Inc., a retail shop in Wisconsin that sells Vienna snow globes.

But not all snow globes are created equal. The snow globe used for the opening sequence (and other scenes) in Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane (1941) was made by the Austrian firm with the first patent for a snow globe. The Original Wiener Schneekugelmanufaktur (Original Vienna Snow Globe Factory) in Vienna, run by the founder’s grandson, Erwin Perzy III, still sells replicas of the “Kane” snow globe. More recently, then President Obama’s family ordered a custom-made Perzy snow globe for their younger daughter. Other US presidents, world dignitaries, and many famous people have ordered special Perzy snow globes from Vienna. But ordinary mortals can also buy normal Perzy creations at the firm’s factory shop (and museum) in Vienna’s 17th District.

Murky Beginnings
The true story of the origins of the snow globe is a bit murky. The first confirmed record of an actual snow globe was one created for the 1878 Paris Universal Exposition, which featured a man with an open umbrella. But a much earlier precursor was a water-filled glass globe featuring birds rather than snow. It was probably made in 1572 by the German alchemist Leonhard Thurneysser at a Brandenburg glass works (Glashütte) in Grimnitz (now part of Joachimsthal).

Yet another snow globe made an appearance in Paris, this time at the 1889 Paris Universal Exposition. This version was more souvenir oriented, with a miniature ceramic Eiffel Tower in honor of the brand new 324-meter/1,063-foot tall wrought-iron original that served as a striking entrance to the world’s fair. This early snow globe was small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. We know that because one of the original globes is on display at the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass in Neenah, Wisconsin.

A US Patent?
Some people claim that the first US patent for a snow globe was granted on December 31, 1929 to Joseph Garaja of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Yes, Garaja did file an application for a patent on August 17, 1927, but United States Patent No. 1741692 was for an ornamental “paper weight” containing water with floating fish figures attached to wire stems. It was a glass globe mounted on a base, but not really a snow globe at all. There is a debate about whether snow globes began as paperweights, but Garaja’s 1929 patent has very little to do with snow globes. Neither in his written application nor on his drawings is there any reference to “snow” – other than a reference to “…fixed units, as the representation of a small castle or snow image etc.” In any case, Garaja’s application mentions possible “advertising uses,” and the US patent came over two decades after the Perzy patent in Austria.

Erwin Perzy I
Although he may not have been the first or only inventor of the snow globe, the Austrian surgical instrument maker Erwin Perzy (1876-1960) does deserve most of the credit for independently inventing and popularizing what he called the Schneekugel (snow globe). In 1905, Perzy became the first person to obtain a patent for “a glass globe with snow effect.” He and his brother Ludwig (1879-1964) partnered to create the first snow globe factory in 1905, with Ludwig handling the business end, and Erwin doing the creative work.

One of Erwin Perzy’s first snow globes, with a miniature Mariazell Basilica, is on display at the Vienna Snow Globe Museum. PHOTO: Wiener Schneekugelmuseum/ÖBL

As with many inventions, Perzy’s Schneekugel was something of an accident. While attempting to make a better lamp for his detailed work, he wanted to improve the venerable Schusterkugel (shoemaker’s globe), a water-filled glass bulb that craftspeople had long used to concentrate light on their work. Perzy first experimented with glass shavings in the water, attempting to boost the light. Then he tried semolina, which remained suspended in the water, slowly floating down like snow. Suddenly Perzy, who had always had a fascination with toys and toy-making, had his eureka moment. For a friend he created a snow globe with a ceramic miniature of Austria’s famous Mariazell Basilica, a baroque pilgrimage church in northern Styria (Steiermark). The friend ordered more Mariazell (then spelled “Maria Zell”) snow globes that he could sell to pilgrims as souvenirs. (See photo.)

It was the birth of an entirely new industry. Beginning in 1900, with years of trial and error, Perzy perfected his method of crafting high-quality glass globes. The firm itself was officially founded in 1905. The current formula for the snow in Perzy snow globes is a closely guarded trade secret, but it seems to be some kind of mixture of wax and plastic. The result is that, unlike cheaper imitations, a Perzy “snowfall” can last as long as two minutes.

Erwin Perzy I was born in Vienna’s Favoriten district in 1876. His snow globe factory has been run by three generations of Perzys to this day. PHOTO: Perzy family

In the beginning, all of Perzy’s snow globes featured churches and religious themes, but after the Second World War, his son Erwin II decided to branch out with other figures related to Christmas and winter. (The firm’s current snowman logo reflects one of the first variations, a miniature snowman.) To this day, the high season for Perzy snow globes is Christmas and the Advent season that leads up to it. Most Austrian and German Christmas markets have booths selling Perzy snow globes. One of the firm’s biggest markets is in the United States, with Erwin Perzy II having developed transatlantic ties, an effort that continues today under Erwin Perzy III. Today’s snow globes contain all kinds of figures, from Teddy bears and good luck charms to ballerinas and famous landmarks.

Now manufactured in four different sizes, from 25mm (0.98in) to 120mm (4.72in), each globe is handcrafted in the Perzy workshop at Schumanngasse 87 in Vienna. The family-run business has been around since 1900, and it shows no signs of slowing down after over a century of operation. Although many imitators have come and gone, the Perzy name continues to stand for quality snow globes made in Austria and sold all around the world.

Also reflecting Erwin Perzy’s interest in toys, the firm early on began making metal charms (Glücksbringer) in various forms. The very first was a miniature replica of a stud (nail) designed for horseshoes to keep horses from slipping in ice and snow. Since then they have made pins, charms, and metal toys in many shapes and forms at their Silvester Peter location near the snow globe shop. The company never stopped making these items, not even during two world wars and the economic crisis of the 1930s. Today they also offer a variety of figures made out of ceramics, polyresin, glass, and felt.

Snow Globe Videos

The following videos are related to Perzy snow globes and the story of their Austrian inventor.

1. The Perzy Snow Globe Story (in German with English subtitles)

2. BBC: The Perzy Snow Globe Story (in English)

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