My Singer Upright Before/After pics!!

[charles~richard]

Then there was the low-profile "S" series. This type was made for quite a few years and in several diffenent two-tone color schemes including two-tone gray, tan and pink.

 

[charles~richard]

 

[charles~richard]

The first upright Singers were straight-suction machines. There were two of them, A1 and A2. Here is a brochure for one or the other of them (can't remember the differences between them).

 

[charles~richard]

And here's a fun photo from a 1920s Singer trade show exhibit. The bag lettering states "Singer Two-Speed" so one would assume this is the A2. Note the hand vac and attachments in a little pile there.

 

[charles~richard]

And, last but not least...

 

[vintagehoover]

Beautiful!

I remember seeing that on eBay, and feeling very tempted to bid, but I think it was on at the same time as the all-original Hoover Baby 103 I was after. I couldn't have afforded both machines, and both the shipping fees, so I didn't bid. As it happens, I didn't end up with either of them, so I'm glad to see that the Singer's gone to such a good home!

The restoration you've done on it is superb! I'd love to see a video of it in action, if you had the facilities?

 

[charles~richard]

Hi, which machine are you referring to? The only one that I now have is the R1, which I have had for many years. It was a surprise Christmas gift one year from Stan Kann. I do have an A1 or A2 in unrestored condition, but don't have any other R models and none of the S models. I would love to have the two-tone pink S model as it's really pretty. But they're hard to find anymore.

 

[vintagehoover]

Do you mean me, CRL?

I was referring to James' new addition, but your machines are beautiful as well, of course! I'm sure Stan Kann must have the complete early Singer line-up - I've seen quite a few of the models you've mentioned in pictures of his collection.

I'd love one of the R models, it's on my dream machine list along with the Kenmore 'bugeye' Imperial, and several other machines from that era.

Did I read that the Singer S models the work of Raymond Loewy?

 

[kirbymodel2c]

Hi Jack

Hi Jack, Sorry I don't have the facilities to make a video.
Have thought about making video of my collections before but don't have the facilities or time at the mo.

May be at some point you might get to see it in person.

Oh Charlie does the R series Singers Have attachment sets for them??

JB

 

[charles~richard]

Oh sorry, heheh, your message came right after I posted mine so I thot you were talking to me. Stan has all the Singer models up thru the R4 but none after that. He did not like the painted R5 and the Later S versions were too modern for him.

And yes, Loewy did design the S series. I have a feeling he, or some other noted designer, Dreyfuss perhaps, also did the R series -- they are just too beautiful not to have conceptualized by a high-end industrial designer. In-house artists just don't come up with stuff like that!

 

[kirbymodel2c]

Hi Charlie.

Did you see my last question about were the tools for the R series Singers??

JB

 

[charles~richard]

No, the Singer uprights did not have dusting tools. They came with a second electric vacuum, a "hand vac" for dusting. The earliest versions of these hand vacs did not have hose & tools but later ones did. There was a very fancy model of the hand vac that even had a heavy-gauge wire stand to mount the motor unit onto for use as a drag-along tank machine!

 

[normvac]

Charles, thank you so much for the picture of your Red bagged
r singer. That's the one I had without the handle grip. It's
like an old friend to see. Although I will say as a kid, I was
a bit more intimadated by the old singer in the basement then
Mothers old Hoover. It really was scary as much as it was
beautiful.
Norm

 

[luxg]

Charles, thanks so much for sharing those neat pictures. So fun and they brought back some good memories.

 

[charles~richard]

Norm, I'll be happy to take some more photos of my Singer R1 for you - but you may have to remind me to do it. Kinda busy today and tomorrow, so if a couple days go by and it slips through the cracks don't be shy about reminding me!

I can see how this huge shiny blob could be scary to a little kid. Remember, I was absolutely terrrrrified of my Aunt Dabney's Kirby!

Something I have never seen is ANY instruction booklets for ANY of the Singer uprights! I would love to find an R1 instruction manual.

 

[camelotshadow]

Holy Smoke Vac Man

WOW

In the begining pics I was think
not my cup of tea...LOL

But you lovingly took away all of the years to bring it back to life

Absolutely STUNNING!!!!

 

[hoover_elite_20]

James,

Excellent job restoring it! I always like a good polished vac. Could you post pictures of it running?

 

[kirbymodel2c]

Singer running.

Hi I'm away from home for over a week now so I will try to take pics of it working once I get back.

JB