Greg is actually Chad..
Hey Brian,
It's so nice to see another Eureka canister lover like myself. I like mainly canisters, but I have some great uprights too. The color on the Empress II was oficially called I believe Antique Gold, and Antique White for the trim. I may be wrong tho. Whatever color it is, it's sure bright and cheery for a vacuum cleaner.
Also....the hose doesn't swivel 360 on any powerhead Empress II or Canned Ham w/ powerhead. It swivels about 100 to 120 degrees or an arc of about one inch side to side from dead center., so the pigtail cord does not pull out of the socket.
However, this machine (My Empress II's) hose lock spring is kinda weak, and occasionally it wil pull up enough from the socket to swivel all the way around. Hence, this is a pretty pretty vac and gets used rarely. I'm too afraid it will break.
I just recieved from a long time customer, a never used Brandywine Series Canned Ham Canister just like the one above, just in a wonderful deep semi-metallic purplish, brandy wine color. The only thing it was missing was the box. I've got to get around to taking pics of it and posting them here. Just have been kinda busy.
The story on it was: All the kids all got together and bought "Mother" a new vacuum cleaner for Christmas in 1980. "Mother" liked her old Hoover canister better ( I gathered it was a Constellation that was green her son remembers), and so she continued to use it instead.
Mother, used it once while the kids were there, then shoved the whole Brandywine unit in a extra bedroom closet, and forgot about it for 28 years. Mother, passing away during the summer left estate to her son as executor. He being my longtime customer, brought it to me a few weeks before Christmas. Asking me If I could "Dispose of it!!!!!". As no one wanted it. I never thought to ask where the Hoover was???
Yeah It was put to me just like that. What a gift that was.
I'll get some pics up.
Good to see that your posting with us.
Chad