kirbyvertibles
Well-known member
this would be very early 70's ( before 72-3) and one of the last with the woven hose. There was a power nozzle model like this a few years later in both Eureka and Wards.
Eureka Empress II
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electrolux~137
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Boy oh boy, I'll be Hans Craig's mouth will be watering when he sees this!!
Beautiful machine and in beautiful condition!
Beautiful machine and in beautiful condition!
Klectrolux
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- Joined
- Nov 14, 2010
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- 170
Holy! Deluxe looking machine! What a neat find, and in such great condition, especially the tools.
Thanks guys. Did this model come in different colours? I sort of remembering seeing it in blue and brown? Or maybe that was the models with the power nozzle.
Gary
Gary
eurekaprince
Well-known member
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!
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!
Brian,
Thanks for the history of the Empress II! I'd like to find a vinyl hose as the cloth hose does have a lot of leakage.
Gary
Thanks for the history of the Empress II! I'd like to find a vinyl hose as the cloth hose does have a lot of leakage.
Gary
Really nice clean vacuum with all the goodies! A really good find.
eurekaprince
Well-known member
Hey Gary - you are so welcome....
The trick is going to be to find a hose that identically matches the colour of the tools you got.... not sure how one would do that because there may be many usable hoses out there that were made for Viking/JCpenney/Wards store brand versions.
Enjoy the toy.....!
b
The trick is going to be to find a hose that identically matches the colour of the tools you got.... not sure how one would do that because there may be many usable hoses out there that were made for Viking/JCpenney/Wards store brand versions.
Enjoy the toy.....!
b
Thanks Charlie and Brian! I'm going to be playing with my new toy this afternoon.
Gary
Gary
eurekastar
Well-known member
Very impressive! Are bags still being made for that vacuum?
Re: Reply 23
Brian,
I hope you have a glass of cold water handy! Here's a GOOD HOUSEKEEPING October 1970 ad for the Empress II (I found this on the enewspaper database at my library, so not sure you've seen it)! What model number is it?
All,
"The most Fascinating vacuum cleaner you've ever met. STYLING is the first thing you notice. 'Tear Drop' shape and two tones of Misty Gold. Deep fender wells provide for oversize 'shag tires.'" ... I included the 1965 Empress ad for comparison. Enjoy!
Brian,
I hope you have a glass of cold water handy! Here's a GOOD HOUSEKEEPING October 1970 ad for the Empress II (I found this on the enewspaper database at my library, so not sure you've seen it)! What model number is it?
All,
"The most Fascinating vacuum cleaner you've ever met. STYLING is the first thing you notice. 'Tear Drop' shape and two tones of Misty Gold. Deep fender wells provide for oversize 'shag tires.'" ... I included the 1965 Empress ad for comparison. Enjoy!
eurekaprince
Well-known member
Thanks for this Paul!!! Very “groovy” advertisement that screams “Woodstock”!!!!
I imagine adding on the Tool Pak would have made this cleaner very very heavy to carry up and down a flight of stairs. Would be interesting to compare the weights of every canister cleaner that offered on-board tools. There is always a challenge when a company offers onboard tools: you can make the tools lighter but that also degrades the quality of the attachments. I still think a separate matching tool caddy is best for all vacuums - really wish Miele and Sebo would offer a separate tool caddy as an optional purchase.
I imagine adding on the Tool Pak would have made this cleaner very very heavy to carry up and down a flight of stairs. Would be interesting to compare the weights of every canister cleaner that offered on-board tools. There is always a challenge when a company offers onboard tools: you can make the tools lighter but that also degrades the quality of the attachments. I still think a separate matching tool caddy is best for all vacuums - really wish Miele and Sebo would offer a separate tool caddy as an optional purchase.
Re: Reply #30
Yeah, Brian, Woodstock - for sure!
I agree about the OBT issue. I personally like the convenience of them but having used Electrolux uprights with and without shows that they indeed add a fair amount of weight, which can be hard on one's back. For tanks or canisters, I like the idea of Electrolux Corporation's Model XXX Companion or Eureka-Williams Corporation's Model 910 Super Roto-Matic Slip-On Tool Rack that can easily be removed and hung on the wall according to the user's preference or a task's needs. I'm not sure if any uprights have/had such a set-up.
Yeah, Brian, Woodstock - for sure!
I agree about the OBT issue. I personally like the convenience of them but having used Electrolux uprights with and without shows that they indeed add a fair amount of weight, which can be hard on one's back. For tanks or canisters, I like the idea of Electrolux Corporation's Model XXX Companion or Eureka-Williams Corporation's Model 910 Super Roto-Matic Slip-On Tool Rack that can easily be removed and hung on the wall according to the user's preference or a task's needs. I'm not sure if any uprights have/had such a set-up.
The Empress II is the heaviest vac that I have in my collection. It is heavier than a Filter Queen and the Rainbow D with water in the basin.
Gary
Gary
eurekaprince
Well-known member
Glad that Eureka provided the separate Carry All tool caddy with the Empress II - you could store all the tools there instead of onboard the canister itself…making it somewhat lighter.
