Vacuum Manufacturer Histories

[wyaple]

I would love to read stories of the creation and eventual demise (or transition) of various vacuum cleaner manufacturers. After reading the histories of Hoover, Electrolux, Kirby and most recently Filter Queen, I'm interested in the ones that have faded away.

Bill

 

[dysonman1]

The story of Lewyt is filled with lies, greed, deception, and even a few deaths.

Some, like Universal, Kingston, Hamilton Beach, GE, Premier, Sunbeam - their stories are simply that tastes changed, and the profit margin in vacuums fell so short that many companies just stopped making them (we can thank discount stores like K-Mart for that). Everyone was advertising the lowest price on vacuums, until there was no where left to cheapen the machines.

The ones that stayed on the market cheapened the motor (think Eureka Bravo and Hoover Elite), cheapened the plastic (Regina Housekeeper), and shortened the life expectancy to almost nothing. Then, when you thought they couldn't get any worse, they moved production to China and got WORSE.

 

[sebo_fan]

This is a good starting point, if not U.S led.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

That is

FANTASTIC. Great artwork, for ALL brands. See? I can be kind to others.
It all started with a broom...then a fan, then a pillow...........and Maple Street, U.S.A. Some might call it a "Fabulous Dustpan". Oh, I HAD to!! And the rest is history.

 

[kenkart]

I know one story...

Saniway...1960 - 1976. Started by a Airway distributor. sold door to door the machine was a Kingston made in Bronson Michigan. when I have time I will go into detail.

 

[eurekaprince]

Wish I knew the names of the industrial designers who designed Eureka vacs throughout its history - especially in the 1960's and 1970's. The guys who conceived and drew and drafted details for the first Mobile-Aires and Princesses and Vanguards and Empresses.

 

[wyaple]

Thanks for the repsonses and imminent stories to follow

I wasn't sure what kind of responses I would get but I'm glad there is still some interest. I looked into purchasing that book, but was shocked at its $45 paperback price.

Bill

 

[electrolux137]

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The Vacuum Cleaner - a History is a very fine book. It was well researched; it benefited from the input of  vacuum  cleaner collectors and historians including Ann Haines of the Hoover Company, Tom Gasko, Fred Stachnik and others.


 


I received a copy a couple of years ago from Santa Claus!


 


Interestingly, a search of eBay revealed there are (at least) two different covers -- one that has a Hoover Dial-A-Matic in the lower center as shown above, and one with a modern, silver-colored hard-body upright in place of the Dial-A-Matic. I don't know what brand it is. See link below.


 


A half-dozen or so other books on the history of vacuum cleaners have appeared over the years, by and large abysmal -- containing incorrect or inaccurate text, mismatched photos, poor production quality, etc. One of them has a certain collector's favorite phrase as the title -- SUCK, DON'T BLOW! - The Gripping Story of the Vacuum Cleaner and Other Labour Saving Machines Around the House (by Jane Furnival, © 1998, Michael O'Mara Books Ltd., London).



http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw="the+vacuum+cleaner"+gantz&_sop=15

 

[sebo_fan]

Its a fine book from an American perspective, yes.

 

[vacerator]

Please excuse me for this;

"suck, don't blow"??????????

 

[jimjimmunster]

Bissel

Bissel started there business manufacturing non electric carpet sweepers in the 1900s and had a plant in the grand rapds of Michigan. They started manufacturing vacs in the 90s. There still around manufacturing cheap Chinese plastic garbage vacs.

 

[myles_v]

That silver hard-bodied upright in the link seems to be a Simplicity or Riccar, something from Tacony.

 

[wyaple]

Picked up the Kindle Version for less than $15

for Carroll Gantz's book. So far, it's an incredible read! I'm about 130 pages in and what a wild ride vacuums have had from birth to present day. By WWII many fledging companies either were absorbed or went completely under and I was shocked as to what present-day pricing would be on, for example, a 1930's Hoover. I'm now understanding why some people still pay $2000-$4000 for a new, in-house demo'ed machine.

Bill