GREEN GODDESS!

[electrolux137]

No, I'm not talking about salad dressing!!

Here's a pretty rare, funky but lovely old vacuum cleaner. It's an Air-Way "Green Goddess" straight-suction upright machine from the early 1930s. (I'm not sure of the exact date of manufacture.)

I first saw a Green Goddess in the Hollywood home of my friend Stan Kann (R.I.P.) back in 1991 when we first met.

The color scheme is very unusual! The handle is painted with metallic Dun Green, with a flakes of gold-leaf spatter-painted into the green, and then sprayed with a coat of clear lacquer. I have three of the handles and am going to use one of them to do some paint tests and see how closely I can come to replicating that color and appearance.

I found three incomplete Green Goddess machines a few years ago at a vac shop that was closing. Putting all three machines together has been a project I've wanted to do for a very long time. Now that I once again have a functional workshop I was finally able to start on the machine.

I first just wanted to make sure she runs, so I put her together and gave her a test run, gradually increasing voltage with a Variac until I got her up to 110 volts. She runs like a champ! The motor sounds great with no bearing noise whatsoever.

The next phase will be to take her apart and really give her a first-class deluxe spa treatment.

Meanwhile, here are some photos of the Glorious Green Goddess, and then a short video to see her on her first test-run at Casa Electrolux!

(P.S.: Stan Kann showed me the best way to store all the early Air-Way uprights. You don't want to leave them resting on their wheels because the wheels, made of vulcanized rubber, will develop a flat spot especially if stored for long periods of time. He said you should tip the machine up and store it on the front edge of the rug nozzle so that the wheels aren't touching the floor.)

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[kenkart]

I bought one of these..

In Staunton Virginia about a year ago.

 

[electrolux137]

 


 


Hey Hans! I'd love to see photos of your Green Goddess!!

 

[oreck_xl]

That is one of the nicest examples I've seen of a Green Goddess! I have one as well but it has a couple of issues. It is missing the coupler that connects the bag to the exhaust outlet, the transparent celluloid dial is cracked and alot of the beautiful green and gold paint has flaked off. I would love to know if you are able to successfully recreate that paint finish. Have there been any attempts over the years to remanufacture the celluloid dial?

- Hershel

 

[electrolux137]

A question about the Air-Way uprights if I may...

After I sent 'round photos of my resurrected Green Goddess, a collector emailed to say that I had the rear wheels on backwards (upside-down). Not knowing any differently, I switched the axle around. Now, to me, it looks odd and off-balance (see photo) and, indeed, the machine tends to tip backward especially when the cord is stored on the handle. What say y'all?!

 

[dysonman1]

This is the...

Proper Wheel Position

 

[dysonman1]

By the way Charles...

In the photo of the nameplate of your machine, did you notice the wrench to remove the nut that holds the handle on, so the hose can be attached there when using the 'lifter grip'? It's the curved thing held on by the two clips. Most of them are missing - like the Eureka 'key' to adjust the brush height.

 

[electrolux137]

Hi Tom,

Thanks for the info on the rear axle. I =thought= I had had it right but wasn't sure. I did see the little thing clipped onto the motor but had no idea what it was for. Thanks for the explanation!

 

[tolivac]

That AirWay Green Goddess is truely one of the most beautiful vacuum cleaners I have seen-really nice.Can you see the dirt and debris go past the transparent cover-suction selector?That would be neat if you can.And do like how the machine can be used as an upright or "canister" vacuum!-And you can convert it without having to remove nozzles or belts.And with the handle suction mode-great for grabbing cobwebs from room and ceiling corners!

 

[dysonman1]

Air-Way was 50 years ahead of its time. The big "first" was the 14 layer cellulose Sanitary Disposable Dust Container. Filtered almost to HEPA level, in 1920. The Air-Way was the first vacuum that wasn't a filthy mess to empty - and maintained its suction FAR longer than cloth bag vacuums. You CAN see the dirt pass under the celluloid 'window' of the Indicator. You know when it's time to move to the next spot when you see no more dirt flowing in. In other words, it was the first "dirt finder". The hollow handle opened up a lot great possibilities, but the Controls (Moth, Roach, Insect, etc.) were amazing for their time. Love how the Air-Way dispensed those chemicals. With the addition of the Power Nozzle (in 1934), the Air-Way continued to be 50 years ahead of its time.

 

[caligula]

Hi Tom, Happy 4th of July.

Tom's right, it was with the introduction of the Air-Way Sanitation System of 1920 that the first disposible vacuum cleaner bag was used. The idea was that of, Dr. Daniel B. Replogle. He was convinced that the dust and dirt inside the bag of a vacuum cleaner was a real problem. He joined forces with Clarance, and Pratt Tracy who had just started the Air-Way Electrical Appliance company in Toledo, Ohio. Dr. Replogle had designed an upright vacuum cleaner in 1916, and when he told his ideas to the Tracy brothers, they decided to market his machine.

I can't say for sure but it very well might have been Air-Way that designed the first cordwinder. Somewhere in my book of Air-Way patents is a cleaning closet holding a 1920's Air-Way, and there is a cordwinder. If it was patented at this time or not, I can't say, but if it was, then it was years ahead of Electrolux which introduced the cordwinder with the post-war model XXX. When I find that patent, I'll post it.

Alex Taber.