Hoover Vault
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most were sold. Some were given away. TTI kept some of them.
I have 2 of them, they are tresaured. At the convention, I stood in the vauilt... a huge room with windows.Also called "models and samples"
I have 2 of them, they are tresaured. At the convention, I stood in the vauilt... a huge room with windows.Also called "models and samples"
From what I understand, the vault contents were downsized. TTI kept all the pre-1960's Hoovers (and other brands), and anything after that was either auctioned off or discarded of. I recall Tom Gasko reported seeing a Hoover Constellation with an electric power nozzle, and another one made out of lucite. Also, an early Ohio Tuec. I'd love to know what happened to those. I'm guessing TTI has plans of moving the remaining vault contents elsewhere?
rugmaster37
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I stood in the vauilt... a huge room with windows.Also calle
Hi,
Along with John, I too had the ability to stand in the "Models and Samples" room post-clean out, and have to say that the room was HUGE and had enough space to hold hundreds if not thousands of machines if properly stored.
No one was allowed for some stupid reason ( aparantly becasue the building was already being sold, and that they diddn't want "the bad people" knowing what the inside looked like), to take pictures, so we can only recant from memory.
Thankfully mine (memory) is really good, and if need be, could draw it out, but that's nothing. Just to be able to stand in what was once a heavily guarded secret to the industry, and was probably widely reguarded just the same. To see all those empty floor to ceiling racks and smelling that mustiness, just sent shivers thru me, and possibly to others as well.
Our gentleman who worked for Hoover and was our guide thru the parts of the plant we were "allowed" reffered to the room as "the Morgue". He claimed it was called that , becasue the machines that went in there were never to be released machines, and therefore were sent there to die.
I believe if you asked 50 former employees what the "vault" was, you'd get 50 similar, yet different answers.
Thankfully many of the post-1957 machines were saved thanks to the efforts of Tom Anderson, Hoover collector extrodinaire in absentia. He showed many of them to us on former threads before the convention last fall, and showed many of us who attended the convention the real deals. Poor Tom becasue of it was runnin kinda low on space.
Many rare machines were saved due his connection with those involved with the cleanout f the plant, and vault. And we can, or should be thankful for his efforts. Of course there are some who weren't pleased with the outcome, and that's okay, we're all allowed our opinions; but when it came time to sell em', or dump em'...It was tom who had the space, the want, and the wherewithal to make it happen. Period.
Some that did not become part of Tom's permanant collection, were sold to a gentleman in Ohio who was selling them on the internet (Flea-Bay), and many were just sold to individuals who cared enought to buy it. And of course many ended up at Morrisons "The Sweeper Place", and were being sold to the person who wanted one. Course' you had to pay to become a vault machines owner too.
Tis, true that TTI for whatever reason, kept all machines pre-1957 as part of their collection so to speak. My thinking IMHO is that TTI, like any other company does benefit from those oldies, as to what has been done, and what could still be done that was thought of long before.
In a long story, that is the basis of what happened to the vault machines.
I can remember seeing one lone cloth bag in the vault. It was laying on a shelf. It took great strength not to nab it.
Wonder if anyone else who was in there saw it too?
Chad
Ann Arbor Michigan
Hi,
Along with John, I too had the ability to stand in the "Models and Samples" room post-clean out, and have to say that the room was HUGE and had enough space to hold hundreds if not thousands of machines if properly stored.
No one was allowed for some stupid reason ( aparantly becasue the building was already being sold, and that they diddn't want "the bad people" knowing what the inside looked like), to take pictures, so we can only recant from memory.
Thankfully mine (memory) is really good, and if need be, could draw it out, but that's nothing. Just to be able to stand in what was once a heavily guarded secret to the industry, and was probably widely reguarded just the same. To see all those empty floor to ceiling racks and smelling that mustiness, just sent shivers thru me, and possibly to others as well.
Our gentleman who worked for Hoover and was our guide thru the parts of the plant we were "allowed" reffered to the room as "the Morgue". He claimed it was called that , becasue the machines that went in there were never to be released machines, and therefore were sent there to die.
I believe if you asked 50 former employees what the "vault" was, you'd get 50 similar, yet different answers.
Thankfully many of the post-1957 machines were saved thanks to the efforts of Tom Anderson, Hoover collector extrodinaire in absentia. He showed many of them to us on former threads before the convention last fall, and showed many of us who attended the convention the real deals. Poor Tom becasue of it was runnin kinda low on space.
Many rare machines were saved due his connection with those involved with the cleanout f the plant, and vault. And we can, or should be thankful for his efforts. Of course there are some who weren't pleased with the outcome, and that's okay, we're all allowed our opinions; but when it came time to sell em', or dump em'...It was tom who had the space, the want, and the wherewithal to make it happen. Period.
Some that did not become part of Tom's permanant collection, were sold to a gentleman in Ohio who was selling them on the internet (Flea-Bay), and many were just sold to individuals who cared enought to buy it. And of course many ended up at Morrisons "The Sweeper Place", and were being sold to the person who wanted one. Course' you had to pay to become a vault machines owner too.
Tis, true that TTI for whatever reason, kept all machines pre-1957 as part of their collection so to speak. My thinking IMHO is that TTI, like any other company does benefit from those oldies, as to what has been done, and what could still be done that was thought of long before.
In a long story, that is the basis of what happened to the vault machines.
I can remember seeing one lone cloth bag in the vault. It was laying on a shelf. It took great strength not to nab it.
Wonder if anyone else who was in there saw it too?
Chad
Ann Arbor Michigan
rugmaster37
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did you see any of the cleaners that TTI was holding onto (t
Karl,
Unfortunatly they were all LONG gone. The room was an empty cavernous portion of the factory. All that was left was some numbering on the shelves, and lots an LOTS of dust..LOL
All that I saw to ever give the hint that vacuums were ever in there was a lone cloth bag that was sitting on one of the shelves, that I left in state.
I wish I could havwe seen all those vacuum cleaners in there. It would have been a hoot for sure.
Chad
Ann Arbor Michigan
Karl,
Unfortunatly they were all LONG gone. The room was an empty cavernous portion of the factory. All that was left was some numbering on the shelves, and lots an LOTS of dust..LOL
All that I saw to ever give the hint that vacuums were ever in there was a lone cloth bag that was sitting on one of the shelves, that I left in state.
I wish I could havwe seen all those vacuum cleaners in there. It would have been a hoot for sure.
Chad
Ann Arbor Michigan
vintagehoover
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'All that was left was some numbering on the shelves, an
So after 100 years...the dust may have won this battle...but it hasn't won the war!
It was certainly a magical experience to be in the factory, let alone in that room. It felt a bit like being able to explore the wreck of Titanic! I feel very privilaged to have managed to tour both the US and UK Hoover Factories within 4 months of each other!
So after 100 years...the dust may have won this battle...but it hasn't won the war!
It was certainly a magical experience to be in the factory, let alone in that room. It felt a bit like being able to explore the wreck of Titanic! I feel very privilaged to have managed to tour both the US and UK Hoover Factories within 4 months of each other!
Wasn't it a piece of HEAVEN??
HOW DID I MISS THAT BAG?????????? I miss nothing. If I close my eyes, I can "return" there, even now. I remember where I sat in Kindergarten....
HOW DID I MISS THAT BAG?????????? I miss nothing. If I close my eyes, I can "return" there, even now. I remember where I sat in Kindergarten....
rugmaster37
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HOW DID I MISS THAT BAG??????????
Hey John,
Well.....
I'm not sure how long you stayed in the products and samples room,or how far you strayed... but I strayed away a bit from my group to see the whole place.
After walking in thru the double doors and just taking in the main part of the room, looking over the floor to ceiling shelves I immediatly walked along the passageway to my right, and went into another part of the room, which was part of the vault. In that room along the far wall was a bank of shelves. On one of the shelves about three tiers up was a lonely black cloth bag. Looked to be from a old horizontal motor upright.
There was NO lettering on it, and just had the fan horn ferrule, the bag, and a large black Upper slide clamp. If i was to guess it may had been to a Royal type cleaner.
In fact, the only ones who saw it in my group were Kyle K, Even Strittmatter, and one other person. Becasue of their freaking out, and my inner sense of what was right...we left it there , after my uttering the words..."May it stay here forever as a reminded of what used to be"...
Our guide poked his head in that part just then to say..."come on guys....we can't get off schedule".
Why did we all follow the rules and not try to snap a pic or two.
I still have no idea what would have been wrong with us having those photo's for our future rememberance of what once was.
Anyway
Chad
Hey John,
Well.....
I'm not sure how long you stayed in the products and samples room,or how far you strayed... but I strayed away a bit from my group to see the whole place.
After walking in thru the double doors and just taking in the main part of the room, looking over the floor to ceiling shelves I immediatly walked along the passageway to my right, and went into another part of the room, which was part of the vault. In that room along the far wall was a bank of shelves. On one of the shelves about three tiers up was a lonely black cloth bag. Looked to be from a old horizontal motor upright.
There was NO lettering on it, and just had the fan horn ferrule, the bag, and a large black Upper slide clamp. If i was to guess it may had been to a Royal type cleaner.
In fact, the only ones who saw it in my group were Kyle K, Even Strittmatter, and one other person. Becasue of their freaking out, and my inner sense of what was right...we left it there , after my uttering the words..."May it stay here forever as a reminded of what used to be"...
Our guide poked his head in that part just then to say..."come on guys....we can't get off schedule".
Why did we all follow the rules and not try to snap a pic or two.
I still have no idea what would have been wrong with us having those photo's for our future rememberance of what once was.
Anyway
Chad
hygiene903
Well-known member
Vault Vacs
Besides the prototypes that never made it into production, there also four units of each production model that went into the vault. They were the first and last off the line, one that spent time on display in the lobby at Hoover, and one that was used for testing. I have a model 35 Convertible from the vault that was made in 1966 and was apparently the test model. Although it runs like new, you can see signs of use on it, including scars on the hood and paint worn off the handle. Other than that, it is in new condition.
Jeff
Besides the prototypes that never made it into production, there also four units of each production model that went into the vault. They were the first and last off the line, one that spent time on display in the lobby at Hoover, and one that was used for testing. I have a model 35 Convertible from the vault that was made in 1966 and was apparently the test model. Although it runs like new, you can see signs of use on it, including scars on the hood and paint worn off the handle. Other than that, it is in new condition.
Jeff
rugmaster37
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So after some searching........
Here are three shots of the Hoover Vault. One was an outer shot, in the main hall that led westerly down the corridor.
If you were to follow the hallway down, on your right hand side about five doors, you would come to the great heavy double swinging doors of the vault.
CAVEAT: These were aparantly taken by someone before the plant was shut down for good. I know specifically the second photo is it (the vault) becasue if you were to turn about 25 degrees to your right, up on the middle shelf, you would have seen that vacuum bag I was speaking of. This was on the far right side of the product and samples room....
Here are three shots of the Hoover Vault. One was an outer shot, in the main hall that led westerly down the corridor.
If you were to follow the hallway down, on your right hand side about five doors, you would come to the great heavy double swinging doors of the vault.
CAVEAT: These were aparantly taken by someone before the plant was shut down for good. I know specifically the second photo is it (the vault) becasue if you were to turn about 25 degrees to your right, up on the middle shelf, you would have seen that vacuum bag I was speaking of. This was on the far right side of the product and samples room....
rugmaster37
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And here is the main room....
It's dimly lit. But unless someone says otherwise it's definitly the vault. You can see the tags on the shelves, that literally went to the ceiling.
It's dimly lit. But unless someone says otherwise it's definitly the vault. You can see the tags on the shelves, that literally went to the ceiling.
rugmaster37
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And heres the last shot of the vault....
I remember seeing this wall and what looked like possibly a window may have once been there.
This would have been the east side of the huge two room area.
Just out of sight, to my immediate right was where the bag was....
I remember seeing this wall and what looked like possibly a window may have once been there.
This would have been the east side of the huge two room area.
Just out of sight, to my immediate right was where the bag was....
rugmaster37
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I got skills....
Also I found several inside shots of the factory as well that I will post in another thread soon. Possibly tomorrow.
Chad
Also I found several inside shots of the factory as well that I will post in another thread soon. Possibly tomorrow.
Chad
hoovercelebrity
New member
Chad -
I don't believe that second picture to be of the Vault. The ceiling isn't correct. The vault was in the old part of the building, and wouldn't have had those metal trusses.
Cool pics though! I do believe I found your source.
I don't believe that second picture to be of the Vault. The ceiling isn't correct. The vault was in the old part of the building, and wouldn't have had those metal trusses.
Cool pics though! I do believe I found your source.
chestermikeuk
Well-known member
Hhmmmm!!!!!
I thought that as well, I remember the "Vault" being the room with the wooden floor and the door was in then centre, with shelving & racking left, right & central...I could be wrong...where`s Jack when you need him!!!
I thought that as well, I remember the "Vault" being the room with the wooden floor and the door was in then centre, with shelving & racking left, right & central...I could be wrong...where`s Jack when you need him!!!
The floor is indeed, wood, and the doors are in the center.
"Restricted area". very James Bond
"Restricted area". very James Bond
rugmaster37
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:-( I guess I got overexcited or whatnot...
Huh. Guess my memory is crap after all. I could have sworn that these were of the vault. That last pic tho. I'm so sure it is....
You are correct on the floors being wood. Seems like many places in the plant had wood flooring. All looking like 2 by 12's placed side by side, and bolted together.
I'm glad you found them. They've been on there for awhile. I figured someone would have noticed them by now.
Pretty neat stuff reguardless. All of them should be posted anyway so everyone can have a glimpse inside "The Hoover"
Chad
Huh. Guess my memory is crap after all. I could have sworn that these were of the vault. That last pic tho. I'm so sure it is....
You are correct on the floors being wood. Seems like many places in the plant had wood flooring. All looking like 2 by 12's placed side by side, and bolted together.
I'm glad you found them. They've been on there for awhile. I figured someone would have noticed them by now.
Pretty neat stuff reguardless. All of them should be posted anyway so everyone can have a glimpse inside "The Hoover"
Chad
we also were in the "box room"
remember? it had corrugated air ducts. Perhaps THAT'S the pic.
remember? it had corrugated air ducts. Perhaps THAT'S the pic.
