A Question for Miss Hamilton

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laspirateur

Well-known member
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Sep 18, 2006
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Re: the picture of the L's on your collection page, specifically, the unusual truncated L on the right:

I'm assuming that was some kind of demo piece that salesmen used, yes? Regardless, was there ever an L model produced in that same beautiful turquoise green that they used on the G? It's terribly becoming.

Also, do you have any pictures of the correct/original braided hoses for the E and the AE? They're hard to see in the pictures and I'm trying to locate some to "dot the i's" in my collection.

9-18-2006-16-32-47--L'aspirateur.jpg
 
Maggie Hamilton's Truncated L

That is a strange thing that honestly NO ONE to date has been able to identify, including the retired vac shop owner that I got it from! Quite a few collectors have inspected it and all have walked away scratching their heads about it.

It would APPEAR to be some sort of demonstration chamber, save for the fact that the inside of the bag chamber has no air holes except on the back wall (facing the motor). So few holes means that air flow would be greatly restricted and thus prevent a really adequate demonstration.

Plus, the chamber is too short to accommodate a normal-sized disposable Electrolux bag. The cloth bag that is in it is a standard R/S/L-type cloth bag with the oval-shaped metal collar. It was in there when I got it but I really can't see the point, since the bottom third of the bag is bunched up against the back wall of the chamber.

I would like to know what this thing is! Here and following are nine photos of it.

9-18-2006-23-03-30--charles~richard.jpg
 
Correct Hoses for the E and AE

The hose for the Model E was the same hose as the LX and LXI - dark gray cloth with bright blue arrow-shaped tracing. Except that for some reason the machine-end coupler for the Model E hose was painted hammertone blue instead of chrome. As far as I know, this is the ONLY (pre-plastic body) model Electrolux to ever have anything other than a chrome-plated hose-coupler! I did find a beautiful Thrift Model with a hammertone coupler but I believe the hose is a replacement hose.

When the LX/LXI/E hoses were new, the gray part of the hose was dark, almost a charcoal gray color, and the blue tracing was very bright and vivid. This produced a very interesting optical illusion that I recall observing as a 3-year-old child in my neighbor's Model E that I was absolutely fascinated by! (My mom had an AE and I thought, at that young age, the E was prettier and more interesting)

Anyway, when you stare at an LX/LXI/E hose for a long time, it eventually seems that the blue tracing is floating above the gray background! This has to do with complimentary colors and all that stuff. It sure did give those hoses a very otherworldly appearance! It only works with hoses that are still very vivid in color -- once they start fading, the effect goes away.

The hose for the AE was the first Electrolux hose to be made of woven vinyl instead of woven cloth. The colors were basically the same as the E hose but since the material was vinyl instead of cloth the colors did not come out quite the same. It seems to me I have already talked about this here somewhere, so poke around for it.
 
id venture to say thats a special task attachment. perhaps when collecting debris that you dont want going into your paper bag. such as workshop debris, moths or insects, or large volumes of soil that would fill a paper sack. seems inefficient for the cloth bag to not have enough space, but this looks like something that was only used on occasionally.
 
Thanks for the response

You and I seem to have scarily parallel lives. My fascination with vacuum cleaners also began with Electrolux E's and AE's and I'm still in love with Margaret Hamilton. If I ever find the letter she sent me I will post it (I'm afraid my Father, in one of his "I've got to simplify my life" fits may have thrown it out with whole bunches of my other stuff {including vintage appliance cataglogues, GRRRRR!}).

If you know of any sources for those gray/blue E, AE hoses please let me know. I've had great success locating turquoise G hoses, a little success locating AF and R hoses, and S hoses, but so far no luck on the older ones.

I can't imagine what that L gizmo is about (maybe someone's first attempt at a wet/dry vac? You could stuff the small chamber with something that would keep water from entering the main vacuum???). My first guess would have been that it was that old vacuum dealer's son's first project at welding academy but that turquoise green looks like authentic Electrolux factory product. Do you think they're are a few turquoise L's out there somewhere? Also, your beige/turquoise L in your picture has a new ON/OFF switch; is this possibly a transition model?

I can't exactly remember the year, but I remember clearly the day my Mother bought the turquoise G. She was balking a little at the price of the new model and the Electrolux man went back down three flights of stairs to bring a Model L up to show her. I remember the Model L(first one I'd ever seen) was the Tan/Beige version and I especially remember him pulling the automatic cordwinder out of a box and showing her how it would fit on the front of the unit where the chrome cord corona was. I remember wishing she would buy both machines because the new L(with the cordwinder accessory) looked so much like our old AF. She went with the G but the very next week my Father bought a Beige/Turquoise L for my Grandmother. A year later a tenant moved in to our downstairs apartment with the Tan/Beige L. I'm still looking for that Tan/Beige L.

9-19-2006-10-15-55--L'aspirateur.jpg
 
Large Debris..

I'm wondering if this truncated "L" was used in a hair salon, barber shop or pet grooming place. I've seen pet grooming attachments that have a can or tank that collected the hair before it got into the bag, thus extending the life of the bag. I'm guesing that's what this is. The perforated holes would stop clumps of hair from a barber's floor and the finer dirt would still pass thru and collect in the machine's bag system. No need for a bag in the truncated unit. Whether this is a home made unit or an electrolux prototype, I can't tell. It might be too well built for a home made one though.

Not sure if it could be used as a de-moth container either.

Just my wild a**ed guess. Maybe it will spurr some more thoughts.

Joe
 
Large debris collector?

Well, the only thing that blows a hole in that theory is that the cover for the little chamber, just as with the Model L, will not latch into place unless it contains a bag.
 
The more I think about it

the more I think someone was trying to use this as a wet/dry vac: put a large damp sponge in the abbreviated tank and defeat/eliminate the bag-latch and you could use your main L to suck up water spills.
 
Greetings, CRL!

I have an oddly short Electrolux cloth bag (factory) that I have always thought came from one such chamber, especially after seeing yours (your chamber!)

AKA Bent
 

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