Which were the first and last Henry Dreyfuss Hoovers?

[jimbeckwith]

Dreyfuss

I've always been under the impression that his first design for Hoover was the 541, but I don't know where I came by that information. Obviously, this was not a "from the ground up" design of his, but based on the way a 541 looks compared to the 105 and other Hoover models that preceeded it, the model 541 Hoover marks a BIG change in design. My guess is that his contribution was limited to the softening of the edges in the casting, the furniture guard with HOOVER moulded into the front, the rather sophisticated handle grip and the nice looking nameplate with IBAISAIC on it. From this machine onward, Hoovers only seemed to get better looking, and someone who knew what they were doing obviously had a hand in it.

 

[guardsman69]

in frank hoovers book the fabulous dust pan .....dryfuss entered the hoover scene and was hired by the hoover family after these units were created....by other engineers

 

[truckerx]

So far, there is no proof that my supposition holds water, but Dreyfuss did design stage sets in his early days. I guess what I am curious about is whether he may have provided Hoover with some art work, on a limited basis in the earlier years, before being recognized and hired as a product designer.
This could be an interesting research project or simply point to the fact that I have too much time on my hands.
Anyway, thanks for all the input and photos. I have learned some things as a result.
In closing, I'm wondering if anyone here has read "Designing for People" autobiography, 1955, Henry Dreyfuss ?

 

[portable]

<span style="font-family: verdana,geneva; font-size: medium;">Bernie -</span>


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<span style="font-family: verdana,geneva; font-size: medium;">The vacuum with the orange band you are referring to is the Model 725, which debuted in approximately 1929.</span>


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<span style="font-family: verdana,geneva; font-size: medium;">You may want to work "backwards" by taking the design patent numbers from the bottom of the earlier models you are curious about (they start with a D) and see if Dreyfuss' name is connected with any of them on the original patent.</span>


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<span style="font-family: verdana,geneva; font-size: medium;">I have a 1935 ad that clearly shows that the Model 825 was marked as a "Dreyfuss-designed Hoover". The ad is dated March 16, 1935. Interestingly, this model is nicknamed "Sentinel 35", denoting it as part of the Sentinel Series Hoovers. This is the first ad in which Henry Dreyfuss' name is mentioned that I could find. His name is not mentioned on the Model 300 ads, though that alone may not mean anything. As previously mentioned, the Model 150 had probably been on his drawing board for several years before its early 1936 debut.</span>


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<span style="font-family: verdana,geneva; font-size: medium;">Good luck.</span>


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<span style="font-family: verdana,geneva; font-size: medium;">John Lucia</span>

 

[gottahaveahoove]

When we were in North Canton in 2008,

"Bud" Hoover was talking about how on Saturday nights, Henry would be over for dinner. So casually speaking about this industrial giant sharing a meal with their family, like he was a neighbor. Our mouths were agape.

 

[truckerx]

"Designing for People"

The 2003 printing of the book features additional photos of his works.

 

[truckerx]

Thanks John

...for that information.

 

[jimbeckwith]

Henry Dreyfuss

A website called www.jitterbuzz.com ascribes the design of the Hoover model 541 to Dreyfuss, but the patent drawing by Dreyfuss which they use "for this model" is plainly the patent drawing for the Hoover 300! It is design patent D-101,858 filed 10/7/35, dated 11/10/36 entitled "Casing for a Suction Sweeper or Similar Article"
which is signed by Dreyfuss as inventor.

 

[truckerx]

Jim...

I believe as well that Dreyfuss designed for Hoover long before the introduction of the 825. I heard it, I read it somewhere but can't remember because it was several years ago. The artistic bag logos on the early models were obviously the works of some good artist - why not neighbor and Saturday night dinner guest, Dreyfuss? Based the patent drawing, the theory that the model 300 was a Dreyfuss design could be true. He designed the 150. The 300 was introduced in the same year as the 150 as its less-expensive companion.
Born in 1904, Dreyfuss would have been 19 years old when the Hoover model 541 was introduced in 1923.

 

[jimbeckwith]

Dreyfuss

If Dreyfuss was born in 1904, my guess is that he would have been too young to have had anything to do with the 541, unless Hoover was just letting a kid "take a crack at it" and liked what he came up with. That said, someone with an eye for detail definitely had a hand in its design, for more than any other Hoover machine before it, the 541 was "styled" with a level of sophistication that could not have happened by accident. I wonder what the design patent numbers for the casing/casting and handle designs were, and whose name appears on the drawings. Any ideas where one would look for this information?

 

[truckerx]

Jim...

...may have hit a temporary road-block. Dreyfuss' autobiography "Designing for People" Simon & Schuster, New York, 1955, may shed some light on the question.