Vintage Electric Irons

Harrods Travel Iron

noreply@blogger.com (A.C.B.) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 18:12:00 +0000

I take a few things for granted. For one, that a plug for a electric appliance is not made of wood. There's an incongruity there. "Electric? Wood? Does not make sense." But, in the earliest days of electric irons– before 1900 and before there was a standardized wall outlet–American Electric Heating (of Boston, Massachusetts and later to be known as Simplex), made their plugs of wood. See this post from 2007 for one such iron. The electricity is conducted through two copper plates attached to the sides of the plug.

Recently acquired is a second example of an iron with a wooden plug, this one made in England. I do not yet know who made the iron–it carries the label of Harrods, the famous department store–but in the meantime I'm showing it off as a rare curiosity that defies my basic assumptions about life, or at least my basic assumptions about something so vague I cannot define it. This plug carries the electricity through two brass pins, which terminate on the end of the plug. The tiny brass pins sticking out the side of the plug are there to secure the plug, once it is inserted into the receptacle.

Harrods Travel Iron (3/4 view)

Harrods Travel Iron (with cord and plug)

Harrods Travel Iron (identification plate)

American Beauty 6-1/2B and two Relatives

noreply@blogger.com (A.C.B.) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:17:00 +0000

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Circa 1894 the American Electrical Heater Company of Detroit was founded by Ben Scranton, in Detroit, Michigan. In the late 1890s Frank Kuhn started the United Electric Heating Company, also in Detroit. Both were making electric irons, among the earliest in the U.S. Just after 1900 the two small companies merged, continuing on as American Electrical Heating (AEH-D).

In May 1908 Frank Kuhn was awarded mechanical patent #887,947 which, in part, was for a heating element "...formed of a plurality of units, each consisting of laminated metallic conductors and alternate insulators...". (See image of patent below.) In 1912, perhaps a year earlier, this iron appeared on the market as model 6-1/2B and was an immediate sales success even though it sold for $6, more than any competing iron of its size. It was considered the standard of excellence until discontinued in 1928, in favor of a model with a thermostat. Robert Kuhn, the son of the founder, was quoted as saying that four million model 6-1/2B irons were sold.

Sometime during production of the 6-1/2B, AEH-D began production of a 3 lb. version (3B) and a 5-1/2 lb. version (5-1/2B). Oddly, the 5-1/2B is longer and wider than its heavier 6-1/2B brother. This was in step with the times, as electric irons were becoming lighter and longer than their predecessors.

AEH-D also produced commercial versions, the 56-AB and 61-AB, at 5-1/2 lbs. and 6-1/2 lbs. respectively. These were in production long after the 6-1/2B, appearing in a 1947 AEH-D catalog.

6-1/2B (top) 5-1/2B (lower)

6-1/2B (left) 5-1/2B (center) 61-AB (right)

6–1/2B (identification)

5-1/2B (identification)

Patent No. 897,947

1912 Advertisement for 6-1/2B

1947 catalog

Therm-O-Lectric Cordless

noreply@blogger.com (A.C.B.) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:56:00 +0000

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A quick (but not necessarily definitive) search of Google Patents reveals that the first patent for a cordless electric iron was filed in October of 1924 by one Herman Gansert, Jr. of Syracuse, New York. The search also reveals that a bunch of patents for a similar device were awarded in the 1930s.

In March of 1935 a mechanical patent–#1,994,877–for a cordless iron was awarded to Francis H. Shoop, Winfield S. Grant, and Thomas J. McCormick, all of Detroit, Michigan. (They applied for the patent in March of 1931). A key feature of their iron is "... the provision of a very simple and efficient safety lock-out means for automatically cutting off the electric circuit of the heater..." The knob standing up on one side of the iron is the visible portion of this safety lock-out.

Therm-O-Lectric (profile)

Therm-O-Lectric (separated)

Therm-O-Lectric (3/4 front)

Therm-O-Lectric (identification)

Therm-O-Lectric (patent)

Temple Bros. "Cord-A-Way"

noreply@blogger.com (A.C.B.) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:43:00 +0000

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Something heretofore unseen: the Temple Brothers Electric "Cord-A-Way".

It features two spring-loaded retractable cords, together in a domed housing behind the iron. One cord goes from a wall receptacle to the housing and the second cord from the housing to the iron.

This came from a home on the north side of Chicago not far from where it was made, when Temple Brothers were at 3909 W. Berenice Ave. The label on the iron says "Patent Pending." Since the patent –#1,872,528–was applied for in March 1929 and granted to Paul D. Temple (of Chicago) in August 1932, it was likely made between those two dates.

Though labeled "Temple Bros. Elec. Co." the iron was manufactured by the White Beauty Electric Co., also of Chicago. The iron seen in the patent for the Cord-A-Way is clearly a White Beauty (bottom photo). White Beauty patented its iron in 1925–#1,527,164–and the patent states, in part, that the iron will have "... a smooth exterior and covered with baked enamel, preferably white."

Temple Brothers Electric "Cord-A-Way"

"Cord-A-Way" with cord extended

"Cord-A-Way" Identification Plate

"Cord-A-Way" Patent #1,872,528

White Beauty

White Beauty Identification Plate

Irons of Marion, Indiana

noreply@blogger.com (A.C.B.) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 18:53:00 +0000

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These three irons were made in Marion, Indiana.

The top most iron is labeled "Rutenber" model 53 and appears in mechanical patent–#1,091,767–granted on March 31, 1914. The center iron is an "Ev'ryday" model 36 and likely made between 1915-1925. The bottom most iron is a "Marion" model 111. Unlike the other two irons plated with nickel, the model 111 is plated with chrome which dates it after 1925, and (since it does not have a temperature control) probably before 1930 or so. All three of these are very rarely seen.

A bit of history about Rutenber Electric, extracted from Willam F. George's wonderful history of early electric appliances "Antique Electric Waffle Irons: 1900-1960":

Edwin Rutenber formed Western Motor Company in 1902 to manufacture car and truck engines and then Rutenber Electric Company in 1912. Rutenber Electric’s first product was an iron.

In 1916 Rutenber Electric moved from Logansport, Indiana to Marion, a town about 75 miles northeast of Indianapolis, and changed its brand name to “Marion.” By this time it was making electric table stoves, ranges, hot plates, space heaters, toasters and coin-operated popcorn machines. The popcorn machines were intended for arcades.

In the 1920s Rutenber prospered and attempted to become a national brand, but failed for lack of capital. During World War II it made metal footlockers for the Navy, when all appliance manufacturing was halted for the war effort.

By the mid-1950s Rutenber was failing and in 1958 it was bought out.

Rutenber 53

Patent 1,091,767

Ev'ryday 36

Ev'ryday 36: The band of diagonal marks that sweeps around the handle is unique to this iron.

Ev'ryday 36

Marion 111

Streamlined Irons

noreply@blogger.com (A.C.B.) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 16:45:00 +0000

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In October 2011 I gave a Powerpoint presentation on "Streamlined Irons" at the Newton Public Library (Massachusetts) in conjunction with a display of streamlined irons at the library. I wrote a short summary explaining the period in which the irons were made:

"The hard times of the Great Depression were, ironically, when some of the most extravagant consumer goods were produced. In response to declining sales manufacturers and marketers turned, for the first time, to the appearance of the product to promote sales. Sales of the Model T car declined for the first time and so Ford Motor Company immediately replaced it with the Model A, designed to catch the eye of the public. Other industries took notice and applied this same tactic to their products: circa 1934 the small appliance industry began to streamline its wares. Until then irons were sold like a commodity, on the basis of price, though safety and frugality were also promoted. Clothes irons lent themselves easily to the new profile: square bodies and cylindrical wood handles gave way to sleek chromed bodies with windswept handles made of a new material, Bakelite, and similar plastics.

Streamlining, which was borrowed from hydrodynamics by the budding airplane industry, was not just about decreasing drag, real or imagined, but also about optimism. Any object or process that was streamlined was simply a better thing, a better process. Faster was better. The optimism of the thirties gave way to the horrors of World War II. After the war, though consumer demand jumped (as did prices), and streamlining continued for a while, the sober realities of the postwar world made the streamlined object look out of place. Technology had also advanced, so that a reliable steam iron could now be produced. A steam iron needs a reservoir of water, and so the body of the iron grew bigger to accommodate the reservoir and the streamlined profile could linger no longer. By the early 1950s it was passé."

American Beauty 77-AB and 79-AB

noreply@blogger.com (A.C.B.) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:07:00 +0000

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In 1939 the American Electrical Heater (Detroit, Michigan) began to produce a streamlined version of its "American Beauty" iron. (The original American Beauty appeared in 1911.) The streamlined version remained in production until 1958. The handles of these irons featured a transparent colored section of Lucite in the center in either red or orange, though the orange sometimes appears more as yellow.

Recent examination of two American Beauties reveal that there were two–and probably three– model designations for the red-handled version, 77-AB and 79-AB. I have one of each, unused, in their original packaging. The printing on the box of the 77 shows that "75-AB" is printed on the box, the 75 is crossed out and 77 stamped just above, suggesting that there was a model 75-AB as well. This 77 came with its 1942 sales slip, dated Mar. 17. Because of the war, production of appliances had already ceased by this date so this iron was leftover stock when it was sold.

Examination of the 77 and 79 reveal these differences:

1. The red on the 77 is much darker and less transparent.
2. The temperature control knobs are different.
3. The ID plate on the underside of the 77 is held in place by two screws and has only two design patents numbers on it, while the ID plate on the 79 is held in place by friction and there are four mechanical patent numbers on the plate. The most recent of these mechanical patents is 2,328,152. That patent was filed in June of 1941 and issued in August of 1943 so clearly this 79 dates to after the war.

77-AB

79-AB

77-AB Control Knob

79-AB Control Knob

77-AB

79-AB

Dover "A-Best-O"

noreply@blogger.com (A.C.B.) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 03:22:00 +0000

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Electric irons did not have a means to control temperature–safely and reliably–until circa 1926. (See this earlier post). Long before this the Dover Mfg Co., of Canal Dover, Ohio put their electric "A-Best-O" iron on the market claiming that it accomplished temperature control. See the 1912 notice from p. 62 of Vol. 59 No. 1 in Electrical World, below, which states in part "... the important feature of which is the automatic cut-out to prevent the unit from becoming overheated. The energy consumed is regulated by the thumbscrew shown at the right, which can be set for any temperature from 200 deg. Fahr. to 600 deg. Fahr." Reports are that their claim was overstated: the control of temperature proved to be unreliable.

In May of 2011 I attended a regional meeting of iron collectors and during that meeting visited a collection that was begun in 1945. (By coincidence, the iron that began that collection was made by Dover Mfg. Co.) In that collection I found an example of the electric A-Best-O that is different from every other I've seen (see top photo): the body of the iron is partially rough cast. All others are completely smooth cast (see second photo). Also, the handle of the unique version is different from the handle on the common version: its style is an earlier style.

This unique example carries patent dates of January 20, 1908 and February 23, 1910. It is serial number 2872. The common example carries patent dates of November 23, 1909 and November 1, 1910 and is serial number 39580. A bit of research on Google Patents reveals that the patent of February 23, 1910 was the filing date of the patent awarded on November 1, 1910 and so I conclude that the earlier iron was made between those two dates in 1910. This is surprising, since prior to this research I thought that this iron was not produced until 1912. More patent research uncovered another patent granted on May 11, 1915 (#1,138,841) which has a drawing of an iron just like the A-Best-O and states that it "... relates to improvements in that class of thermo regulating devices for which ..." Mr. William A. Braun (of Canal Dover, Ohio) was granted the patent of November 1, 1910. This 1915 patent was filed in October 1912.

So, this iron was sold as early as 1910 and as late as 1912, perhaps even later. There is more research to be done.

Tilley Paraffin Iron, pt. 2

noreply@blogger.com (A.C.B.) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:58:00 +0000

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In this earlier post I provided a bit of the history of the Tilley Paraffin iron. That post is one of the most visited pages on this site. Below are higher res photos than in the earlier posting.

The cream bodied D.N. 250 is a fairly common iron. The D.N. 250A is rare, and the version with a red tank is rarer than the cream tank.

RMF

noreply@blogger.com (A.C.B.) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 01:08:00 +0000

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This is an RMF iron, made in San Francisco. I know of one other, identical to this one, but no other models from this company. Several aspects point to it being produced for the laundry trade: it was made to be practical not pretty; the ironing surface is textured for use as a polishing iron; the handle is wrapped in cork, something still seen on the irons in today's commercial cleaning establishments; and the cord comes straight out the back end of the iron making it easy-to-use from either side. Since the aesthetics of commercial products do not need to change in order to sell to the intended market, they don't change. This iron could have been made anytime from the 1920s to the 1950s, though I'm guessing it was earlier in that range rather than later.

Pittsburgh Electric Specialties

noreply@blogger.com (A.C.B.) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 22:57:00 +0000

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In May of 1914 Andrew Feyes of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania applied for a mechanical patent on his idea for "... illuminating a zone or area in proximity to the point of the sad iron, so that the goods or material being ironed may be closely observed. The means of illumination also serves as a signal to indicate whether or not the current of electricity is flowing through the heating element of the iron." He was granted a patent–# 1,195,193– in August of 1916. The drawings incorporated with the patent do not match the iron (below) just recently acquired. However in a notice in a 1915 edition of Electrical Review and Western Electrician (also below) there is an image of the iron that does match, though the real thing does not have the attached light.

Knapp-Monarch Cat. No. 465

noreply@blogger.com (A.C.B.) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 03:31:00 +0000

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Though I have been collecting irons since the early 1980s I am still finding irons that I've not seen before. This iron, made by The Knapp-Monarch company, was recently acquired from a fellow collector in Iowa. It is of interest because it has the aesthetics of an iron made just before the era of streamlining but has a hint of what is to come. The silhouette of the temperature control knob is this iron's hint and turns out to be a clue to the year(s) it was made. On p. 50 of my book Streamlined Irons is an iron produced by Thomas A. Edison. The Edison iron and this Knapp-Monarch share the very same temperature control knob. My research for that book indicated that Russell I. Huffman designed the Edison iron and that by 1937 Mr. Huffman designed (and possibly worked for) Knapp-Monarch. The Edison was made in 1934 and so it can be assumed that the Knapp-Monarch 465 was made at about the same time.

The two-color styling of the handle of this iron was a fashion and also appeared on irons made by Universal, Seneca and other companies.

Below is history of The Knapp-Monarch company, quoted from p. 87 of William F. George's excellent history of appliance companies, "Antique Electric Waffle Irons: 1900-1960."

"Andrew Knapp founded A.S. Knapp and Company in the early 1920s to sell the "Knapp Cap," a device used to train a kid's hair to hold a pompadour shape. Founded as a sales organization in Saint Louis, the company soon acquired a Kansas City luggage manufacturer and marketed an inexpensive line of suitcases through chain and department stores and mail order houses. In 1926, Earnest Johnson, president of the Monarch Company of Webster City, Iowa, approached Knapp in the hope of using Knapp's sales organization to sell Monarch home appliances. An agreement was reached that turned out to be quite lucrative for both parties. In January, 1929 Knapp and Johnson merged their companies to form The Knapp-Monarch Company. Knapp became president and Johnson vice president of the new organization. With the merger, the company's headquarters was located in Saint Louis, with luggage manufacturing in Kansas City, Missouri, and appliances manufacturing in Webster City, Iowa. In January, 1931 all manufacturing was consolidated at a new plant in Belleville, Illinois.

Although Johnson died barely two years after the 1929 merger, Andrew Knapp ran the company until his death in 1961. In 1969 Knapp-Monarch became a division of the Hoover Company and Andrew's son Robert S. Knapp supervised operations of the Knapp-Monarch division for Hoover."

The ID plate on the iron says it was made in Belleville and, as we have learned from this history, it means that the iron could not have been made prior to 1931.

Menominee Electric Manufacturing Company

noreply@blogger.com (A.C.B.) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 20:45:00 +0000

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This iron was made circa 1914. See the last paragraph in the notice from "Electrical Review" (below) from that year. In the early days of electricity there was an urge to think of and produce products that would perform a variety of functions. A number of iron manufacturers marketed a travel iron that could also heat water or food (by turning the iron upside down) and heat a curling iron (by inserting it into a hole in the back end of the iron). Hotpoint made such an iron, which is still easily found today. This iron by Menominee Electric Mfg. Co. of Menominee, Michigan is one of just two that I know of and this one is virtually complete. (Not pictured is its small leather case. There was probably literature but that did not survive with the iron.) This iron uses only 100 watts, the same as a 100 watt incandescent light bulb. That's not a lot of heat for ironing or cooking.

The following bit of history of Henry Tideman and his company, Menominee, was provided by Stefan Osdene:

"Henry Tideman founded Menominee Electric around 1892 or 1893 in Menominee, Michigan. Tideman previously worked for the Detroit Electric Motor Company before moving to Michigan's upper peninsula. Menominee's main products in the 1890s and early 1900s included fan motors, utility motors, and telegraphy equipment. Tideman worked closely with distributors such as the Electric Appliance Company of Chicago and Vance Electric of New York to market his fans. Many of these products (especially fans) had no identifying manufacturer's markings so that they could easily be sold by a distributor. Menominee's plant burned down around 1905 and there was almost a four year lag time between then and the rebuilding of the plant. During this time Tideman made a number of connections with other electrical distributors including Wesco Supply of St. Louis, Farr Telephone of Chicago, Bunting-Stone Hardware Company of Kansas City, Munderloh of Montreal, and Sears-Roebuck. After the company's factory was rebuilt, they produced large quantities of 8" stationary and oscillating desk fans which were marketed through all of the above companies as well as Menominee itself. Menominee also made a number of unusual vertical axis desk fans known incorrectly among collectors as "banker's" fans. Tideman moved to Cairo, Illinois around 1918 to begin producing Menominee/Ideal fans and motors under the name TEMCO (Tideman Electric Manufacturing Company). The old Menominee factory in Michigan was re-organized as the Signal Electric Company around 1924 for the manufacture of telegraphs, fans, motors, and power tools. Signal's fan production lasted into the 1960s and they continued making motors/power tools into the 1990s under the ownership of Emerson Electric."

Ideal Heat

noreply@blogger.com (A.C.B.) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 19:07:00 +0000

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These two irons were made by the Rock Island Mfg. Co. of Rock Island, Illinois. The smaller iron is a travel iron, the larger is a typical household iron of the day. Both carry a patent date of September 15, 1914 and that patent–#1,110,805–was granted to Emil C. Loetscher of Dubuque, Iowa. The patent declares that it "... has for its leading object to provide safe and efficient means whereby the heat will, not only be distributed all over the ironing surface, but largely increased along the edges and at the point end of the iron." Mr. Loetscher was a principal in the electrical specialties manufacturer Loetscher-Ryan, also of Dubuque. In 1918 Rock Island Mfg. Co. absorbed Loetscher-Ryan and began to produce electric irons under its own name.

Energex

noreply@blogger.com (A.C.B.) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 16:46:00 +0000

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Some rare irons get attention, some do not. This one does not. I don't recall seeing one of these before but I must have seen something about it, as the brand name is familiar. The iron does not say who made it but it may have been American Electrical Heater of Detroit, as it bears a resemblance to their popular "American Beauty." However I have no evidence that they, unlike other major manufacturers, made house brand irons for other vendors, such as department stores. The ad (found only about a year ago) says this iron dates from 1924 and that this model was priced at $3.18, which would have made it one of the lower-priced irons. An American Beauty would have have cost much more: $6.00.

Magnet Hatter's Iron

noreply@blogger.com (A.C.B.) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 18:39:00 +0000

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This is an iron made in England by the General Electric Company (G.E.C), not related to General Electric in the United States. The catalogue page on which this iron appears (in the lower left corner) is dated 1919 though catalogues dating back to 1899 show similar–but different in design–hatter's irons. "Magnet" was a brand name used by G.E.C., a company first formed in 1886. G.E.C is known to have displayed electric irons at the 1891 Crystal Palace Exhibition (London).

Frequently Answered Questions

noreply@blogger.com (A.C.B.) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 13:15:00 +0000

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Some questions about value or condition arrive quite often at VEI, so here are the answers...

Travel Irons: There are no travel irons made since 1930 worth more than a few dollars. Demand for them by collectors is next to nil and the supply is vast. My thinking is that travel irons were stored away, rarely used, and thus have survived in large numbers. If you have an old travel iron its only value may be sentimental, otherwise it's headed for the scrap pile. There are some travel irons made before 1930 that have some value: the earlier the better.

Irons made by General Electric (GE) or Sunbeam: These companies were the General Motors and Ford of the small appliance industry. They made millions of irons and many thousands of them have survived to the present day. This is true even for those that date back to the 1910s and 20s. The only irons made by these companies of any meaningful monetary value are those that have never been used, with their original (and in excellent condition) box.

"New" Old Irons: An iron that has never been used will have an ironing surface that is unblemished: it may be as shiny and reflective as a mirror or have the satin finish of brushed aluminum, but won't have any of the light scratching, or starch residue, or discoloration or wear that comes from ironing.

Do I buy vintage irons? YES! For a list of those that I am seeking go to this page.

Now that you've read this, click here to return to the latest entry...

Streamlined Irons, the book, now only $45

noreply@blogger.com (A.C.B.) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 13:50:00 +0000

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Streamlined Irons, published in 2008 and selling for $70 is now only $45, with FREE shipping to anywhere in the United States when you order from Streamlinedirons.com.

(You can also buy it at Amazon and eBay, but there you will have to pay for shipping in the U.S.)

There is no book like it: a visual treat for those who are passionate about design. Eye-popping photography of the best irons of the streamlined era and a special chapter on the earliest electric irons.

Few books elicit more surprise and praise for design than this one. Now on sale for $45.

Here is just one sample page: more can be seen at Streamlinedirons.com.

Sperti and Steemette

noreply@blogger.com (A.C.B.) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 15:41:00 +0000

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In my previous post I mentioned the Sperti AX-10 and Steemco "Steemette."

Sperti: The swiveling cord attachments on the Sperti and the Dormeyer are nearly identical and so, without any hard information to go on, I'm guessing this iron dates to the late 1950s. Sperti began operating in 1933 and remains in business in Crescent Springs, Kentucky making lamps for tanning and supplementing daylight.

Steemette: (quoting from the book) Streamlined Irons
"The odds were against the Steemette: its boxy body appeared in the mid-1950s, after streamlining was over. And yet it has every quality of speed and lightness, plus the minimalist feel of postwar modernism due to the gentle curve of its leading edge, continuing up and across the handle–with the feel of a wing–and the slight upward slope of the deck."

Sperti

Steemette

1960-61 Dormeyer

noreply@blogger.com (A.C.B.) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 21:31:00 +0000

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After nearly 30 years of looking at vintage electric irons I still see things I've never seen before. This is one. I happened to find a page from a catalogue showing this iron and its "spray-steam" mate, but have not yet found any history of Dormeyer, which also produced hair dryers, electric can openers, coffeemakers, electric skillets, deep-fryers and electric griddles.

There were very few irons made with a handle suspended from the front. I can only think of two: the Sperti AX-10 (made in Hoboken, NJ or perhaps Adrian, MI) and the Steemco "Steemette" (made in St. Louis), both from the 1950s.

Elektra Bregenz

noreply@blogger.com (A.C.B.) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 19:46:00 +0000

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In the lower left corner of p.228 of Lifshey's The Housewares Story, is a photo of an unidentified early electric iron. It looks remarkably similar to an iron recently acquired, which carries the name Elektra Bregenz.

The differences between the iron in the book and the iron recently acquired are small: the manner in which the body is split into upper and lower halves, and very minor differences in the configuration of the handle and its support.

The company Elektra Bregenz is a German concern, dating at least as far back as 1893 when, according to information on its web site, "Founder Frederick William Schindler received a gold medal at the exhibition in Chicago for the first fully electrified kitchen in the world."

A German friend who collects electric irons provided this information:

"Friedrich Wilhelm Schindler, the founder of Elektra Bregenz, was an Austrian who lived in the area of Bregenz. He was a pioneer in the early days of electricity. (The oldest electric irons in the depot of the Deutsches Museum in München are Schindler irons.) He was very successful, and because Bregenz is really at the end of Austria he also had a company in Germany in Lindau, which is 10 km from Bregenz and in Switzerland, Wädenswil, which is in the Zürich area, as well as in France, in St Louis, close to Mulhouse and not far from the Swiss border.

The post and handle of their irons remained the design for a very long time, over several decades. The older irons have screws on the back so that one can easily change the burned wire unit. I would guess that your iron is not from the earliest time, but probably after 1920, or maybe between 1910 and 1920. The design of the body with soleplate, asbestos and handle assembly was very common: Grossag, Siemens and AEG, just to name a few, all used a similar principle."

WESCO and St. Louis Electric Supply, Co.

noreply@blogger.com (A.C.B.) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 15:24:00 +0000

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Two of these irons are labeled "St. Louis Electric Supply Co.," the third "The WESCO Supply Co."

Overlapping physical similarities suggest that they were made by the same company, e.g. the handle support, the ceramic block around the prongs, and the embossed lettering on the top.

The irons labeled "St. Louis Electric" can be dated 1910-11 from ads and notices of the day. The dates of the WESCO remain to be determined, but is assumed to be from the same period.

Iron #1

Iron #2

Iron #3 (top)

Iron #3

Ad for St. Louis Electric "Peacemaker" irons from the February 1910 issue of Hardware Dealer's Magazine (p.325). Iron #1 appears at left, upside down, being used as an electric hot plate.

The First Electric Iron

noreply@blogger.com (A.C.B.) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 12:47:00 +0000

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[excerpted from the book Streamlined Irons]

"The first United States patent for an electric iron—No. 259,054—was awarded to Henry W. Seely of New York City on June 6, 1882. Due to its exotic technology and the virtual absence of electrical power stations, it is all but certain that Seely’s iron remained a laboratory curiosity. If any irons were produced, none are known to remain.

What is certain, however, is that Charles E. Carpenter formed Carpenter-Nevens Electro Heating Co. in Minneapolis, a company which did produce electric irons as early as 1890, and perhaps the year before. After all, on November 26, 1889, Carpenter was awarded his first patent, No. 415,856, for an “electric heating apparatus.” Though the patent makes reference to its intended use in electric irons, the patent’s primary claim is for the use of metallic wires instead of carbon to conduct electricity and produce heat. This stands in contrast to Seely’s 1882 patent for an electric iron, which used carbon sticks to produce electricity and heat.

A newspaper article about Carpenter’s life, published in 1940 when Carpenter was 76 years old, discussed his early patent and his electric flatiron invention. “While a student at the University of Minnesota, [he] invented the first electric flatiron put into service,” the newspaper stated. “That was in 1889, when he was 25.”

The earliest known reference to Carpenter’s electric irons is found in the August 30, 1890 issue of Scientific American. This early science magazine reported that Carpenter’s firm had installed electric irons in the clothing factory of F. P. Seavey and Co., also of Minneapolis. The article’s illustration shows several of Carpenter’s tailors irons which were two to four times larger and heavier than a standard household. The Scientific American article also illuminates the benefits of using electricity instead of natural gas or manufactured gas to heat the irons, arguing that far less energy is wasted in the process of ironing.

Carpenter eventually received 12 patents for electrical heating technology. One of them, No. 447,023, was challenged in the courts by Thomas E. Morford of Minneapolis. Morford’s challenge was successful, and an appeals court decision reassigned the patent to him on June 23, 1892. The appeals court found that Carpenter had filed his patent soon after Morford showed Carpenter his idea for encasing the resistance wire in enamel. Morford claimed, and the court found credible, that Morford’s five-month delay in filing for a patent was due to the hardship of being a young, married man whose travels for his meager-paying job left him no time to file his claim. The patent was a significant one; encasing the wire in enamel was an important technological advance. In fact, other early manufacturers of electrical heating equipment soon adopted the technique.

It’s interesting to note that at Carpenter-Nevens Electro Heating, Carpenter had a business partner named Frank W. Nevens. Nevens was also a partner in a clothing business with Frank P. Seavey, the same F. P. Seavey named in Scientific American as the clothier who used Carpenter’s tailors irons. The Carpenter-Nevens Electro Heating Co. was dissolved by 1892, the last year one of Carpenter’s patents was assigned to that company name.

The end of Carpenter-Nevens Electro Heating Co. and the beginning of its successor, Carpenter Electric Heating, occurred about the same time as the reversal of Carpenter’s patent award. It is reasonable to postulate that the patent decision led to the transition from one business concern to the next and, perhaps indirectly, to Carpenter’s decision to exit Minnesota. Though Carpenter continued to maintain Carpenter Electric Heating in Minnesota, in 1892 he moved to the East Coast and settled in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He successfully filed two patent applications from Bridgeport, assigning the rights to yet a third business called the Carpenter Enamel Rheostat Company.

Each of the three Carpenter irons known [to the author] with their original nameplate, is stamped “Carpenter Electric Heating Mfg. Co.” of “St. Paul, Minnesota.” (The 1891–92 St. Paul phone directory lists the business as located at 497 St. Peter St.) And, according to the Second Volume, Obsolete American Securities and Corporations (1911), Carpenter Electric Heating Co. was dissolved in 1894.

Since the ones with nameplates are marked “Carpenter Electric Heating” and with the patent date February 24, 1891, they must have been produced after that date but before 1894, when that company was dissolved. Since no pre-1891 earlier versions have appeared as yet, the greatest number of Carpenter irons probably were produced during this later period.

All five known Carpenter irons are like those that appear [below] and each are one of three types: laundry, tailor's or polishing."

Tailor's Iron (9 1/8" long)

Laundry Iron (6 1/2" long)

Polishing Iron (5 1/2" long)

Helion

noreply@blogger.com (A.C.B.) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 16:15:00 +0000

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At the auction preceding the 2011 annual meeting of PITCA there were numerous early and rare electric irons. Here's one, with more to come.

The Helion electric iron, made by the Helion Electric Co. of Newark, New Jersey. Mechanical patent #1,039,882 awarded to Raymond W. Baker (of Newark) on October 1, 1912. The control knob on the iron has "low" and "high" positions.

One unique feature of this iron is the porcelain top. I don't recall seeing this on any American iron: European manufacturers used porcelain quite a bit, sometimes for the entire body of the iron.

Annual Gathering of Iron Collectors and an Auction of Antique Irons (Electric and Not)

noreply@blogger.com (A.C.B.) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 14:51:00 +0000

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The only club in the U.S. for iron collectors is the Pressing Iron and Trivet Collectors of America or PITCA. It publishes a newsletter four times a year. PITCA is for iron collectors who have small or large collections and anywhere in between.

PITCA has an annual convention, which will be VERY SOON, on August 4-5 in Evansville, Indiana. It's not too late to attend. Write to the club secretary: info@PressingIronAndTrivetCollectors.org. You could just show up and you'd be welcome.

There will be an auctions of 900 irons on August 2nd and on August 3rd. Might as well come to that, too!