Bakelite hand held vacuum cleaner

[Ianmdx]

Can anyone tell me anything about this bakelite hand held vacuum cleaner. I'm told that it was called a Dustette and manufactured in the mid 1930s by the Streetly Manufacturing Company for the Co-Operative Wholesale Society (CWS). But I thought that Dustette was a trade name used by Hoover?

Does anyone know if any of this description is correct, or its actual date of manufacture, or who might have designed it?

Thanks for you help.

 

[hoover119dude]

I CAN HONESTLY SAY I HAVE NEVER SEEN ONE OF THESE BEFORE.  I SURE HOPE I CAN FIND ONE SOMEDAY AS I LOVE THE ART DECO LOOK OF IT.

 

[super-sweeper]

The "pattern" in the Bakelite seems so familiar...

I want to say this a Russian cleaner! I say this do to similar patterns appearing on such cleaners noted in the thread, "Any knowledge about Russian vacuums".

 

[vacbear58]

Dudley hand vac

You are half correct on both fronts, the Dustette was a hand cleaner manufactured by Hoover Limited, it looks nothing like this cleaner.

On the other hand you are correct that it was manufactured for sale by the CWS, and sold under the "Dudley" brand. There is a bit of a history around this company. The earliest knowledge of it would be around the mid to late 1920s when it produced a cleaner called the Eltra, this looked very distinctive having a relatively short body with an elongated, "stepped" chromium rear. This same model later appeared as a "Bustler" and later again as a Dudley (for CWS). Bustler are also known for their "stick" vacuum cleaner from which I believe this was developed, although they crop up from time to time, I have only ever seen them as "Bustler". Unfortunately I cannot give you exact dates, but it appears that Bustler are pre WW2 and Dudley (CWS) post WW2 - Dudleys seem to go on until the early 1960s.

The styling of this cleaner would indicate that it is pre-war although it is possible that production continued for a period after WW2. It is of course missing its bag which is attached on the other side of the cleaner from your picture - the bag was navy blue.

Yes, I have one of these cleaners, and will post some pictures when I have a chance, probably next week

Al

 

[Ianmdx]

Dudley Hand Vac

Thanks very much Al - very informative. Can you confirm it was made by Streetly Manufacturing? Is there anything in the way of a makers mark moulded into the Bakelite casing?

Ian

 

[vacbear58]

Dudley hand vac

I will have a look for you Ian, but wont be able to get back to you before Monday. Do you actually have one of these cleaners? or just the picture

Al

 

[paulg]

Probably very rare

Bakelite is brittle so I suspect not many of these units survive. Great find but don't drop it!

 

[Ianmdx]

Dudley hand vac

Yes Al - we have one of these in our collection - the one in the photograph. The collection is housed at the Museum of Design in Plastics in Bournmouth. So I don't actually have the hand vac in front of me.

Ian
Archivist Librarian to the Plastics Historical Society

 

[tolivac]

High quality Bakelite may withstand a few drops-but the cheap "knockoffs""Molded mud" did not.If it was fiber reinforced-it could stand up better.I would be concerned if that hand vac ate something hard-will the hard item get thrown thru the fancase?Was the fan made of Bakelite,too?It is kinda of a neat little vacuum.The picture doesn't show the bag.

 

[sries]

WOW!!!!!!!

I'm suprised that it's not cracked or broken in places because bakelite is usually very fragile.