Revisiting an extraordinary Vacuum Cleaner Museum

[akabent]

<span style="font-size: 14pt;">I had forgotten what a wonderful Vacuum Cleaner Museum this is!!  Enjoy their virtual tour.</span> 


<span style="font-size: 14pt;">R</span>



http://www.oregonlive.com/multimedi...rks_vacuum_museum_gives_a_g.html#incart_river

 

[charleskirby66]

Vacuum museum other than "the only" in Missouri?!

I have read many posts from someone claiming the only vacuum museum is in Missouri.  So, umm... what?!

 

[gottahaveahoove]

Thanks, Rick!

Yes, it is true fact: there are AT LEAST 3 (three) vac museums in the United States of America.There's one in Ohio, one in Oregon, and one in Missouri. I KNOW for a fact that the one in Ohio has docents, and a curator who has a colllege degree in Museum Studies. That museum is part of Walsh University, where one can earn a Bachelor's AND a Master's degree. I've personally met the director, AND some of the students earning degrees in Museum Studies.
Great link, Rick. We all have very fond memories of touring Stark's during our convention. They were so gracious to The VCCC.
John.

 

[pinkge]

Starks...

Thank you,Rick,for resharing that link on Starks in Portland.The day the club visited it was fun.Many wonderful old vacuums were discovered by the members.One,was the Westinghouse Covert-o-vac.Morgan and I had fun putting the attachments on and then some vacuuming dusty shelves and vac's.
I was greatly impressed with the Stark employee's with there customer service.They meet the client at the door and went to the car and carried the vac in for the person.And inreturn when the person left the shop.All knew the vacuums extremely well.Even,when a lady needed a belt change on her upright.And it was not purchased there.They go beyond there service.No wonder they are number 1 there.
Also,didn't someone we all know sit on the childrens picnic table and someone got up and it fell over with them (John).Still makes me chuckle.Thank you,the memory and slide show of Starks.
Michael

 

[gottahaveahoove]

Michael, mat I call you Michael?

I don't remember any such event taking place. Did Sean Curry stand up while still stuck in the children's table? No, Did he fall over with his feet up in the air? No. Did numerous people bend in half laughing uncontrolably? No. I don't remember that at all. That must have been a lapse.....for you. hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
John

 

[dysonman1]

The vacuums are just sitting on the floor with no rhyme or reason behind their placement. Like a flea market. A REAL Museum would have a curator with vast knowledge of the ENTIRE spectrum of vacuum cleaners (not just one brand), be able to show literature and owners manuals to go along with the displays, as well as have restoration equipment to restore donated machines.

 

[akabent]

Various Museums

<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Or not...   Multiple Museums, multiple/various approaches.  One could make the argument that machines should be displayed by chronology; others by brand or even type (Upright, canister, TANK.)   Maybe even by color, Fred! lol </span>


<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Each approach has merit.  That's why touring the various vacuum museums can be fun. Or not!</span>


 


<span style="font-size: 14pt;">RB</span>


<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span>

 

[vinvac]

Rick,

Thanks for sharing this. Portland was one of the Best Conventions ever. Dave did a wonderful job planning.

Starks is truly an impressive vacuum store and museum.

The Westinghouse Convert-O-Vac was fun. I am quite sure it had not been run in sometime.

What I appreciated was seeing the vacs in the condition in which they were traded. I think we only saw a small portion of the vacuums they have.

They were preparing for a huge remodel of the building when we were there...wonder what changes have been made.

Looking forward to going back sometime and hopefully back to the Hoover Historical Center as well. I have not made it to the Tacony plant yet.

Morgan

 

[rugsucker]

Museums--all great,all different

I can add at least one more in Idaho and will try to give a brief description of each.(I have met Don Aslett,know Tom Gasko and have visited the Hoover museum.)
In Idaho,Don Asletts Museum of Clean--Mr Aslett has operated some of the largest and most successful cleaning companies in the US cleaning 1000s of bathrooms,miles of glass and acres of floors and carpets.He has renovated a historic building to show all aspects of cleaning history including vacs.The building can be rented for events and even has a kids space.You may remember D Aslett promoting Eureka at one time.He also sells cleaning & janitorial supplies.
In Ohio,Hoover Historical Center--Located in the original Hoover home(moved to a new location)it shows very early cleaning machines and vacs.After the introduction of the Model O they only show Hoover vacs.They also do an exellent job showing history of the Hoover home,local area,vintage clothing,furniture and more.
In Oregon,Starks vacuum store & Museum--As above Starks is THE place for vacs in their region with a room to the side having a variety of rare and historic vacs and great people willing to show them to any with an interest.
In Missouri,Tacony Vacuum Museum--A modern factory building housing all brands from all periods in the museum that can be used to show best features from the past that can be used in vacs of the future from the factory.The vacs are very well arranged by decades and while they have furniture,rugs and many other household items from each period it is all about the vacuums and related supplies and literature.Visitors will find vacs in good original or restored condition that can be used and demonstrated.
Other can add to this as there are some amazing museums in Europe as well as other US museums with at least a few vacs.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

Well, there you are!

Now, we can list FOUR.  That's great news.  Thanks fot that clear and concise contribution.

 

[dysonman1]

Don's "Museum of Clean" isn't really a vacuum cleaner Museum per se. They don't have electric vacuums (the kind collectors are really interested in). It's a museum of mops and brooms and other cleaning items.

Starks is nice, but, if you call and ask them a question about a vintage machine you found in Aunt Tilly's basement, it's unlikely the salesman answering the phone will know the answer.

Hoover was fun - I was there twice. As they have nothing but hoovers, and you cannot plug them in and turn them on, it's a "look only" type of thing. It's a 'high society' type of museum. You do learn a lot about the beginnings of Hoover, but they turn their noses up to any other brands.

The Vacuum Cleaner Museum in St. James is interactive. The file cabinets full of vintage owners manuals and paperwork is available for the public to see. The displays of vacuums all run, and the public can interact with them (turn them on and clean with them). Nothing is 'hands off'. The displays change all the time - there are three store rooms full of vacs (705 in total). The Vacuum Cleaner Museum has a huge stock of 'old stock' parts and bags, which they are willing to share with fellow collectors.

 

[rugsucker]

Museum of Clean

Good information from Tom,BUT the last time I had a few extra minutes to Google D Asletts museum I saw a large room of electric vacs including Invincible.And while the Museum of Clean might want the first broom used to sweep out a cave they also have a Booth vacuum wagon of about 1905-10 from England.
Again,all different all great.But if you can only visit one and want to see(and touch and use)all vacs from all periods you need to be in MO.

 

[kirbysthebest]

The nice thing about museums

Not just vacuum museums, but any museum; you get to see different things from the perspective of the curator or other visionary that designed the format.

One can go into the Guggenheim and see a different perspective than if you visited the Museum of Modern Art. Both could be displaying the exact same painting and you would see it differently.

None of the museums are arrogant enough to claim to be the only one, or the only one with the correct perspective; they are allowing the visitor/viewer to make those determinations for themselves. A museum operates like a teacher on display, it is living and changing. Some are interactive, some are roped off, some are historically accurate, some operate on revisionist history; all serve their purpose in the process of educating and preserving.

I know that there are also some virtual museums as well that serves vacuum cleaners and their history. Maybe some members can post those links as well. As collectors and aficionados it is nice to have a wide variety of information available to digest and allow us to be more informed.

A museum that displays art with the intent of selling that art or other pieces is actually called a gallery, one can see a conflict of interest if they display a Rembrandt, but their sole purpose is to sell Monet.

 

[akabent]

Museum VS Gallery

<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Phillip, nobody could have addressed this any better or more accurately, zeroing in the reality of differing approaches as well as identifying thinly veiled insinuations!  Thanks for sharing this additional point of view.</span>


<span style="font-size: 14pt;">RB</span>

 

[vac-o-matic]

Uh...

Rick, that was Harley's post. He's in Ks. as well as Phillip, and the latter's username starts with Kirby as well (Kirbyvertibles). Another great post Harley, you and I have been on the same page before!

 

[akabent]

Oops! Correction in order...

<span style="font-size: 14pt;">My apologies, Harley,  you nailed it, bringing into focus several salient points including parallels that had not occurred to me.    Rick A, thanks for catching this!</span>


 


<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Another avid and fastidious collector pointed out that one probably would not find a Chevy at the Henry Ford Museum, but that does not diminish the value or integrity of that museum or its collection.  I have to agree.</span>


 


<span style="font-size: 14pt;">RB</span>

 

[cb123]

Well, some " So Called " folks pretend ostensibly to be impartial, but, of course, we know otherwise don't we? It seems that everyone has motives, whether for good or bad, and we can all connect the dots together...can't we?

 

[kirbylux77]

Tom

I agree with everything you said above. However, I can't help but admire Starks for at least having the display to begin with. Yes, the vacuums may not be categorized or properly organized like your museum, or have a curator to answer all of a visitor's questions. But in this day & age when there are so many vac shops with greasy, sleazy salesman who have no interest in repairing your 20 yr old Electrolux & only want you to buy their latest piece of Chinese junk & spend $500 or more, I find it refreshing that Starks at least has the old cleaners on display to preserve some history for people to see.

Rob

 

[dysonman1]

Rob

Starks is a nice store, and they carry privately labeled Tacony vacuums as well. It's wonderful that they preserved the old trade in vacs in a way that would be interesting to their customers to look at. I'm sure it helps sales. Any company that preserves the vintage cleaners deserves a pat on the back.