Vacuum of the day

[caligula]

Even though I'm an Electrolux and Kirby buff, I really like the older Hoover models like the 541, 543, 700 and of course the One Fifty shown in todays picture. But I have a question. If the woman holding it is going upstairs (or down) why is the bag inflated? An extra long cord is not in the list of features.

In all the times I've seen this ad I've never noticed this. However, I must say that the inflated bag makes it look better, which is what the folks at Hoover must have thought too.

Any ideas guys?

Alex Taber

 

[vintagehoover]

Notice no cord is visible in the picture at all!

I'm sure it's purely a visual thing - the cleaner looks more impressive with the light on, and the bag inflated.

 

[samotronic]

No answer, but...

I have no answer for you, but I have to comment that I also have seen this particular "photo of the day" many times. And for some reason, today was the first time I ever noticed the fully inflated bag and thought, oh wow, she's carrying that while it's on. I even looked to see if the headlight was illuminated and the headlight does appear hightlighted, I think more so to call attention to it.

I think this is simply an example of the fantasy land that existed in advertising back in the 30s and 40s. All for show and to highlight the product in it's best possible light, even if not remotely realistic.

I also remember 60s and 70s store catalogues that showed Hoover Convertibles with the bag inflated and light on, but no cord on the machine what so ever, or with it wrapped around the cord hooks in tact and certainly not plugged in to anything.

Chris

 

[crevicetool]

Good catch Alex!

I had to look at the picture again to see if I could help you figure it out. I don't see a cord at all, or am I missing it? The headlight appears to be lit too, so it is obviously still running.


or


Styrofoam peanuts. She just unpacked the machine and vacuumed up the packing peanuts. This makes perfect sense to me.


Rick

 

[frkirby511]

I had the same reaction today...honestly it's quite remarkable!

When I looked at the picture this moring I thought, "look that bag is inflated; never noticed that before even though I have seen this so many times; but she wouldn't be carrying the vacuum upstairs while it was running!" Then I thought.."they must have thought it looked better; or perhaps they wanted to show that it was light enough to carry the whole ensemble upstairs while the machine was running." Must have used a long extension cord!

I guess we had some "vacuum collector's telepathy" going on today!!!

Bruce

Bruce

 

[electrolux~137]

Advertisers do all sorts of tricks with products to make them more appealing. For instance, a platter of steaming vegetables has been sprayed with food colors, oil or shellac, and is sitting on a bed of dry ice - hence the "steam."

There's a whole subculture in the advertising agency for food, and there are specialists called Food Styists who make the products look yummy.

With the Hoover, it would have been a simple matter to airbrush the cord out - even with the relatively primitive printing and photographic technologies of the 1930s.

Some fussy account exec probably saw the cord in the original photo and thought it cluttered up the photo. I've sat in many a client/advertising-agency meeting. You'd laugh yourself silly over some of the things that are said in total seriousness.

Looking at a presentation of proposed print ads, once ad exec for a major HMO said about one of them, "Hmmmmmmmm...." Very Long Pause. "I don't know. It just doesn't 'grab' me." Then looking at another one: "Wellllll, it's just not ... PURPLE enough." It was a black and white ad.

And at another meeting, "I can see the underwear-lines on the [female] model. It's unattractive and vulgar. Can you remove them?" The ad campaign was for ladies panties. All she was wearing was ... panties.

 

[vintagehoover]

Rick..

...that makes perfect sense to me too: and clearly, the static electricity generated by the styrofoam peanuts is providing the motor with power - perhaps just long enough for the photographer to take the pic!

 

[crevicetool]

OK......

What's up? I just looked at this thread again, and it's now called Vacuum collector's telepathy......

 

[crevicetool]

I've changed my position on this subject.

It's a demon Hoover 150. It's alive!

 

[caligula]

Take a good look!

I have studied this picture and there apears to be no cord! From the angle that she's holding that 150, it looks like the motor is running, so the cord should be dangling down to the stairs, but it's not. Then I looked to see if the cord was wrapped around the cord hooks, but check out the upper cord hook, no cord there either, in fact I see no evedince of a cord at all! So why is that bag inflated? This makes no sense to me! However, it's still a great ad and a wonderful view of the Hoover one Fifty!

A very stumped Alex Taber

 

[frkirby511]

There is no evidence of a cord. I can see how it would have made the shot look messy. I suspect Charles is right. It must have been airbrushed out of the picture.

 

[vintagehoover]

Airbrushing...

...was nothing new for Hoover!

Here are the manual covers for the 1923 Hoover Model 541, and the 1927 Model 543. As you can see, they've used exactly the same image for the 543's cover, but simply drawn in the new 'Ronac' bag! They've also worked over the lines of the original photo, emphasising and emboldening the image.

 

[vintagehoover]

Here's a detail from the UK Model 825 manual. They've drawn the Royal Crest onto the 'waterfall' badge, and airbrushed out the 'Aromador' control knob from the US-sourced image.

The image itself is a composite; the cleaner, the chair and the carpet have all been photographed separately, and assembled later for the final print.

 

[caligula]

I checked again.

So my mind was, NOT, playing tricks! At first glance I thought the headlight was on, but dismissed that because of the missing cord problem.

Crevicetool is right, it's a demon Hoover.

Alex Taber

 

[caligula]

I question the idea of styrofoam

Hi Rick: I thought of that too, then I remembered that styrofoam peanuts were not used back then. That's too modern! What they would have used was a cotton batting stuff called 'kapock!' But why would Hoover airbrush out the cord? Did Hoover see the cord as ugly? Then why talk about the new plug? As I said this is all too freaky!

We could be seeing a whole knew movie here. "On A Clear Day You Can See--" 'A Hoover?!'

Alex Taber

 

[vintagehoover]

Now the title's back to 'Vacuum of the day'...what's going on here?!

 

[joe22]

it is hoover *magic*

 

[air-waycharlie]

Hey.......

Whenever I carry my Hoover 150 up or down the stairs, the headlight comes on, the cord disappears and bag inflates.

I've never thought a thing about it. I thought that was the way Hoover built it to run.

Sure, the noise is a nuisance and the inflated bag hits the railing, but, if that is the way Hoover intended it be.........so be it!

The ad just depicts what happens in real life.

Charlie W.

 

[crevicetool]

At least you DO carry your Hoover Upstairs....

Uh, uh....too much work for me! I only go DOWNstairs. That would be too much like doing cardio. For me it's elevator up. I will walk down though if I have to. When I do have to go upstairs under my own power, I have to take all my clothes off. The extra weight wears me out!

Hats off to you Charlie!

Rick