In the 1907 Times Square celebration, the original New Year's Eve ball was mainly made of iron and wood. It was built for the first ball-lowering ceremony held at One Times Square to welcome 1908.
The first ball measured about five feet in diameter and was illuminated by 100 light bulbs. Its design was inspired by time balls, devices once lowered from towers or masts at a precise time so ships and nearby communities could set their clocks. The Times Square event adapted that idea into a public New Year's ritual.
Later balls changed substantially. Aluminum, crystals, and advanced lighting replaced the original materials, and the ball became larger and more technologically elaborate. The event was not held in 1942 or 1943 because wartime lighting restrictions prevented the usual illuminated ceremony, though crowds still observed midnight quietly.