Downton Abbey

[anthony]

did anyone notice what i think was the first sighting of a vacuum cleaner in Downton just saw the handle and the bag so not sure what it is lets hope we see it again or maybe another surely they would have had more than one in a house that size

 

[vintagerepairer]

I saw that, I think it was a Dyson Dc04.

 

[watsonw]

Possibly

............a GEC/Siroma/Duco type with a faded plum coloured bag?

I liked the 'Universal' mixer, it's just like the one in the Science Museum in Kensington; shame it sounded like a bag of spanners - unless that was just a sound effect because health and safety regs did'nt allow them to use it for real?

 

[pinkge]

Bet it was...

A early Morphy or a Hoover.
Michael

 

[vacbear58]

Cleaner

My vote would be for a straight suction Eureka, by the shape of the top of the bag. It was certainly not a Hoover as the bag was across the front of the handle, and indeed looking at a 1928 article the Eureka is the only model with the bag in that position. It could not have been a Morphy Richards, the company did not exist then.

For those who have not seen it yet, the cleaner only appears for a few seconds in the opening scenes of episode 1, and you do not see the whole of the cleaner, just the handgrip and the top of the bag. The mixer comes later, although it is never made clear who actually authorised the purchase of the mixer - well not so far anyway.

Despite the Earl appearing to be something of a stick in the mud, it appears that they are quite forward thinking regarding domestic appliances with a toaster and now mixer and vacuum appearing for use by the servants but I suppose that would be due to his having an American wife.

It is almost certain that the running sound of both the cleaner and the mixer were added after the event and would not have been the actual sounds of the machines due to safety regulations noted above

Al

 

[vintagerepairer]

Morphy Richards

Whilst Morphy Richards didn't begin production until 1936, I doubt the program makers would have paid that much attention to detail, certainly if Heartbeat was anything to compare with. However, this did get me thinking, I am not at all sure Morphy Richards entered the floorcare market until the 1950's, if not later still. I should know the answer to this as my father worked for M R for almost all of his working life, alas the answer escapes me.

 

[vacbear58]

MR

Benny

The only MR upright that I know of is from the 1950s, but the bag is on the side. They had versions of the GE Swivel top from at least 1959 (maybe earlier) into around 1963 or so as well as a more conventional canister, possibly made by Goblin.

Al