Kirby Logo History

[paul]

<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;">Hello, Kirby Fans,</span>


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; color: #ff0000;"> </span>


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;">I am curious to know if anyone has done (or knows of) the Kirby logo history?  Looking forward to your responses.</span>


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;"> </span>


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;">Thanks,</span>


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;"> </span>


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;">Paul</span>

 

[d-jones]

There's actually quite a bit of information on that very subject in the archives.

 

[paul]

<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;">Thanks for the tip, David.  </span>


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;"> </span>


<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;">Paul</span>

 

[caligula]

Hi Paul.

The Kirby logo is an exact match of James B. Kirby's signiture!

 

[paul]

Way cool. Alex...

<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;">Thanks for letting me know!</span>


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;"> </span>


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;">Paul</span>

 

[kc_kirby]

Paul, the Kirby logo actually changed over the years. The original logo was based on James Kirby's signature but later one's were not. I believe Charles Lester's Kirby site has information on the various changes.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

And Charles says that beginning with the model 509 the Kirby signature script was slightly updated, and then it got a totally new makeover (looking angular) for 1953 on the bag, nameplate, instruction book and boxes only (the change didn't reach the belt lifter until the model 516, from 1956).


 


~Ben

 

[caligula]

Charles Richard is probably correct.

He knows a lot of Kirby trivia that I was not able to learn. All I knew was that the early logo was Jim Kirby's signiture, from that point, I'm not 100% sure.

Charles took some of my material and researched it deeper than I ever could. I wrote the last of several Histories of Elextrolux for the V.C.C.C. newsletter in the winter of 1994. (Correct me if the year is not accurate Charles). While I had 8 pages taken from Electrolux publications, Charles (with full permission from me) turned that into his Electrolux site, which I find awesome, to say nothing of his Electrolux Extravaganza site.

When drafting the newsletter became the tail wagging the dog, I asked Charles to take over the publishing end of it. Because of him, our newsletters were professional. By 1995, I'd burned out on the managenent side of the V.C.C.C. and more or less retired to my new house in San Diego. It was also at this time that I tabled my reaearch. Charles took the ball and ran with it. I'm pleased and proud to call Charles Richard a trusted friend, and I'm glad he's here to provide vacuum cleaner history.

Bob Alex Taber

 

[vac_whisperer]

The logo stayed generally the same from the 500 series to the classic series. Ten when the Generations came out it got quite simplistic. (Oh the gripes I have about that logo.) I have to say, their '70's through '80s logo was by far the best.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

The Kirby logo used from the Classic 1CR through the Legend II was trademarked in August 1969, five months before the first model to bear that new logo was released.


 


The current Kirby logo dates to 1990; its first use was on the Generation 3 introduced that spring.


 


~Ben

 

[paul]

Alex, Sam, and Ben (and Charles),

<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;">I really appreciate all your info.--definitely more for which I bargained!  I wonder if anyone has a doc to scan which bears Mr. Kirby's signature?  It would be fun to compare it with that first logo.</span>


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;"> </span>


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;">Alex, I like how you and Charles worked together for the V.C.C.C.'s newsletter.  Teamwork always produces a greater level of success, and I'm sure the newsletter was no exception.</span>


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;"> </span>


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;">Sam, I tend to agree with you on the current logo.  If it's been in place since 1990 maybe Kirby is ready to update it again.  You'd think that they would want to go retro and update one of the early cursive ones.</span>


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;"> </span>


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;">Ben, I appreciate your awesome memory  concerning details like the August 1969 trademark of the new logo.  I always appreciate knowing the years along with the model details and changes.</span>


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;"> </span>


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;">Take care all and thanks for taking the time to respond.</span>


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;"> </span>


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; color: #993366;">Paul</span>


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;"> </span>


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;"> </span>

 

[caligula]

Hi Paul.

I think I do that.

In storage are pictures of James B. Kirby, George H. Scott and Carl S. Fetzer, I believe they are signed, if so I'll get them to you. I also have a small pamphlet called 'The Man Who Revolutionized The American Home by Lowell Thommas.' I think that also has Mr. Kirby's signature.

I leave a week tomorrow for Indiana, and will take a week at my mom's home. I won't have access to a computer but when I get back here, I'll have a wealth of paperwork, as well as patents by Mr. Kirby. Pictured here is the paperwork I have in boxes, the two men in business suits are Scott, and Fetzer, though I don't know who is which, so we'll all have to wait and see.

Alex Taber.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Alex,


 


I'm wondering if, among your wealth of Kirby literature, you have any exhaustive (older) service manuals containing parts breakdowns, such as those pertinent to the Classic III 2CB?


 


Thank you,


 


 


 


Ben Edge

 

[caligula]

Hi Ben.

Sorry no, I tried to look up the 2 Kirby dealerships I worked for, both are closed. Understandable, as I left one in 1984, I left the other in 1994. These were my only leads, I'll see what I can do.

Alex Taber.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Alex,


 


I suppose you'd left your so-called paperwork behind all those years ago, or...


 


~Ben

 

[caligula]

Hi Ben.

Not exactly! What happened was that my partner Charles H. Brookreson (pictured here running his new, to him, Electro Hygeine), passed away in July 2006, two weeks after joining me at the V.C.C.C. convention in St. Louis, Mo.. After he died, I dismantled the display room, and boxed my attachments, paperwork and so on. Everything I owned was transported from San Diego to my temporary home in Sacramento, here it went into storage. The job I thought I had fell through, and I accepted another in Chesterton, Indiana. My stuff however, would stay in Sacramento till May of 2010. At that time it was simply transported from one storage facility to another, this time in Chesterton. My non electric machines are at my mom's house, but everything else I own is 'still' in storage. My trip home next week is part one of a 2 part process. My attachments, hoses, and of course my paperwork will be shipped here next week, my furniture, vacuum cleaner collection and so on will be shipped here in a few months. I'm already drawing plans to buildf a storage building here at home that will become my next display room.

So after almost 7 years, my stuff is comming home.
Alex Taber.

 

[caligula]

Hi Ben, this is what the new display room will look like.

These attachments, and so on will be here in two weeks, as well as the parerwork. All the pictures on the walls in the old V.C.C.C. museum will be scanned, and shared with all of you.

Alex Taber.

 

[paul]

Alex,

<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;">Oh, that will be cool to see Mr. Kirby's autograph!  Thanks for checking on that in advance and safe travels to you.</span>


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;"> </span>


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;">Paul</span>

 

[caligula]

Thank you Paul.

My really old machines are at my mom's home. As she loves having them there I wont be bringing them home, however, I will take photos of each one, and post them when I get back.

I won't have internet access, but what a wealth of ads, stories and whatnot I'll have. No doubt there will be a lot of things with Jim Kirby's name in it. To say nothing of Electrolux data.

Alex Taber.