In New York City's New Year's Eve celebration, the first Times Square ball in 1907 was made of iron and wood.
The ball drop was introduced for New Year's Eve 1907–08 after New York City's fireworks celebration was discontinued for safety reasons. The first ball was built by the sign maker Artkraft Strauss and was lowered from a flagpole atop the headquarters of The New York Times in Times Square. It was about five feet in diameter and weighed roughly 700 pounds.
The illuminated ball-drop concept was inspired by time balls, devices once used to signal precise time to ships and the public. The Times Square version became an annual tradition and continued even after The New York Times moved away from the building. The event is now organized around One Times Square.
Later balls used different materials and technologies. The current ball is a much larger geodesic sphere covered with Waterford Crystal panels and LED lighting. Thus, the historic first ball should not be confused with the crystal-covered ball seen in modern broadcasts.