Oh. My. G-d.
Gary.
I have just picked myself off the floor after the fainting spell began. I am in awe. *drinks full glass of cold water*
Don't be surprised if you see me on your doorstep - I am putting on my snowshoes and making my way from Toronto to Astorville through blizzard and ice-storm to visit you!!!! (Can I come visit when the weather gets better? pweeeze?)
This is one of my favourite Eureka vacuum cleaners - I just love the design - so well balanced and symmetrical and low key and solid and confident. I first came across the Empress II in Home Furnishings Daily - a trade magazine which my father subscribed to because he owned an advertising agency and had lots of home entertainment product clients (Sanyo, for example). I used to sneak into the garbage when he finished reading them and cut out my favourite trade ads from vac-makers!!!
Eureka Williams had put an ad in HFD at some point (late 1960's, early 1970's) which trumpeted the debut of the new Empress II canisters. There were 3 models - the deluxe TOL model which you now own (Model 1880), Model 1860 which had only 3 suction control buttons and Model 1840 which had no suction control buttons (and maybe no Cordaway cord reel).
Eureka branded these canister vacs as the "Fast Vacs" - because the whole concept was to make vacuuming easier and faster. They described the "racing stripes" on the side of the unit, the large "mag wheels" and the "radio buttons" on the control panel which were similar to the station buttons you found in cars in the 1960's. The tv commercial at the time was wonderful (if someone could find this on the internet, I would be SOOOOO grateful). The tv spot had close-ups of someone racing around the house cleaning every surface with ease - close ups on the wheels of the vac, different tools being put back right onto the Tool Pak on-board, and the cord zipping back into the unit. The audio track had a sexy female voice whispering "Empress Two.....Empress Two.....Empress Two..." And the orgasmic finale of the commercial had the famous Eureka Williams conclusion: A rapid-fire parade of outlines of all the Eureka products on the market, with the authoritative voice-over saying something like "Eureka makes all kinds of vacuum cleaners. And more kinds of vacuum cleaners than anyone else in the world. Eureka. The very best in vacuum cleaners."
The attachment with the little fingers is indeed Eureka's legendary "Groom-a-Pet" tool which was meant to be used on cats and dogs. They loved the term "groom" in those days (Vibra-Groomer came out soon after this vac.)
I would date this vac to some time between 1968 and 1972. The colours are identical to the very first Eureka Vanguard Upright with Rugulator height adjustment. Gary - now you have to find a matching Vanguard upright for your little Empress!!!
I am surprised to see a woven hose with this 1880. Every Empress II I ever saw in person (including Canada's Eaton Viking rebranded version) always had a vinyl hose similar to the hose I gave you with the Eureka Dial-A-Nap upright. This must be the very first edition of the Fast Vac! You can always find a matching vinyl hose (Eureka, Viking, JCPenney, Wards - they all had an Empress II)on the market which can replace this woven one.
If I am not mistaken, this is the first Eureka canister with an audio bag check signal. Let us know how it sounds!!!!!
When Eureka Williams debuted its Roto Matic Power Team canisters in 1973 (Series 1200), the TOL high end deluxe unit was an Empress II Fastvac married to a Roto-Matic power nozzle. It was brown and beige in colour. Consumer Reports rated this Model 1280 as unacceptable because Eureka kept the 360 degree swivel on the hose at the main unit and this caused the pig-tail power nozzle wire to pull out of the socket they dug into the side of the Empress II.
I can not believe the pristine condition of this Eureka, Gary!!! Use it well and as we say in Yiddish - Mazel Tov!
