H
ow would you like a collectible under $100, with modernist styling ranging from Deco to Space Age? How would you like it to be by a well-known industrial designer? And how would you like to be able to use it every day, without fear? All those virtues, and more, can be found in collectible canister vacuum cleaners. Unlike most of today's collecting, even the best designs and machines can still be found lurking in thrift shops, for next to nothing, needing only a few small parts and some elbow grease to restore them to their former glory. The story of modernist canister vacuum design begins in 1924, with a Scandinavian start-up company.
There were vacuum cleaners before 1924, but few of them were anything you'd want to use today. Virtually all of them were upright, noisy, and heavy, with no ability to clean anything above the floor- they were for rugs and nothing else. All that changed when a Swedish company introduced something called an Electro-Lux Model V, a machine that still influences today's designs.
Unlike bulky uprights or the few inconvenient canister vacuums then available, the V was a light, maneuverable machine that slid on sleigh-like runners. Its long metal-covered rubber hose and attachments allowed the owner to clean anything within reach, and if you liked, it converted to upright use on carpet - the forerunner of today's "stick-vac" designs. The spare, nearly Bauhaus styling set it apart, too; not a single frill or flourish detracted from its purposeful look. The backers of the Electro-Lux had agreed to fund production for only one year; if it did not sell, the backers would not continue to support the company. It did, they did, and Electrolux is still with us today, although the American offshoot of the company has recently changed hands, and has been re-named Aerus.
The V sold well, virtually unchanged, for three years, although Electrolux did make the sleigh runners detachable on later examples. In 1927, the V was superseded by the all-new XI, another Bauhausian delight that still looks amazingly fresh today. While early XI's had the same, somewhat problematic metal hose as the V, the XI ended its run with a woven-fabric-encased rubber hose that Electrolux was still using into the 1950's. In 1930, the company introduced the XII, whose styling contained early hints of streamlining. By 1933, Electrolux's sales efforts were so successful that an American manufacturing facility had to be built; Sweden couldn't keep up with the demand, strong in spite of the Depression.
In 1937, Electrolux decided that conditions were right for an all-new model, one that was fully streamlined and had a more glamorous appeal to consumers. Industrial designer Lurelle Guild was commissioned to create the new machine, dubbed the XXX. Guild kept the trademark Electrolux runners and the leatherette-covered housing seen on earlier models, but her final design also had heavy rounded front and rear ends in metal, with molded-in "speedlines" that carried over to metal elements on the sides of the machine. A sales sensation from its introduction, the XXX was solid and luxurious as a Buick, and aimed at much the same consumer. So heavy was the demand, the machine was officially produced through 1954, with some design refinements by Raymond Loewy beginning in 1939. Unofficially, it was still available new for another ten years if you knew to ask for it, and was still being offered through Electrolux's in-house remanufacturing program into the 1980's.
Other, lesser companies struggled to compete with Electrolux before World War II, but a real sales race for vacuum cleaners began after hostilities ceased. Staggering amounts of materials were available as no-longer-needed surplus, and American bank accounts bulged with cash that had been unspendable with wartime rationing in force. A small company called Interstate had begun limited production of a machine it called the Compact in 1940, but war's end made it possible for the Compact to hit the big time. The distinctive design was called sleek by some, pig-shaped by others, but no one argued with the quality. Its aluminum-magnesium shell was virtually indestructible, and its wands and tools impeccably designed and crafted. Unusually for the era, the Compact had built-in wheels; most canisters of the time had Electrolux-style runners or nothing at all. The Compact gained so many aficionados that it is still made today as the TriStar, with only a few features upgraded to keep it competitive. TriStar recently redesigned the machine completely for a sleeker look, but consumer demand has also kept the older design in production.
Another company riding the postwar boom was Lewyt, whose round canister could have been used as a prop spaceship in an Ed Wood movie. The machine was extremely well-made, but not as convenient as the competition, since it was a model with no wheels or runners. Lewyt tried to put positive advertising "spin" on the situation by telling consumers it was intended to be placed in the center of the room while Milady waltzed around vacuuming, but customer demand resulted in the introduction of an optional wheeled base, complete with caddy compartments for the tools. Another Lewyt problem was the name; almost no one reading it could figure out how to pronounce it correctly, stymieing efforts to get customers to ask for the machine in stores. Finally, some unsung advertising genius came up with the slogan that solved everything - "Do It With Lewyt". It says a lot for the innocence of the era that the ad line raised sales, not snickers.
In the Fifties, consumers began to demand more convenience, and Electrolux introduced the "killer app" feature everyone rushed to copy on its LX model- the disposable paper dust bag. Called a "dust wrapper" at first, the bag not only did not have to be emptied, it was automatically ejected by the machine when full. The complex ejection mechanism was troublesome, though, and it was soon abandoned in favor of a canister lid that merely popped open, to the undoubted relief of customers who'd wet their pants when their LX's had lobbed a dust bag six or seven feet across the room, without warning. The company refined the design further with the LXI, which rang out the old, and rang in the new - it was the last leatherette-covered Electrolux, and the first with a caster system, although the caster supplemented the runners instead of replacing them entirely. In 1954, Electrolux made its first wheels-only machine, the E, which quickly evolved into the AE, the company's first design with a hose covering woven of vinyl instead of cloth.
Other manufacturers were not to be outdone; Norway's Wilfa introduced its "W" series of streamlined cleaners, and for once, a European consumer product of the 1950's can be said to be better styled than its American counterparts. Part Electrolux, part streamlined train, Wilfas were the ultimate in sleek, sophisticated styling. Fortunately for North American collectors who like their treasures usable, Wilfas were sold in Canada, so 110-volt versions are available. Hoover, long famous for uprights, fielded a radical departure from industry-standard Electrolux-style designs with 1956's Henry Dreyfuss-designed Constellation canister, a sci-fi sphere that had no runners or wheels (Dreyfuss had designed Hoover uprights as early as 1936's Model 150). Exhaust air was directed into a skirted base, making the machine "float" on a cushion of air, transforming a mundane household cleaner into a tiny Hovercraft. The idea worked better on hard floors than on carpet, and it didn't work on stairs at all, but an astonishing number of people bought into the Constellation's futuristic gimmick.
Airway's Model 88 Mark II was an early answer to allergy concerns; the machine's filtration system was very carefully designed to prevent dust leakage back into the room from the exhaust. It was so good, the design continues to be produced today with few changes, and is still considered a very desirable machine by allergy sufferers. The Mark II's distinctive design allowed it to be conveniently wheeled around in an vertical position, then dropped to a low horizontal position for actual vacuuming, so that it trailed easily in use. Airway also made more use of high-quality plastics sooner than other makes; the Mark II's cheerful turquoise-and-white color scheme was years ahead of its time.
Electrolux had concentrated mainly on styling and feature changes for most of the 1950's, but it took back its lead in innovation with the 1959 introduction of its PN-1 power nozzle. Canisters had long been famous for having better suction than uprights, but they had never been able to beat and sweep carpets like the roller brush in uprights could. The PN-1's motorized roller brush leveled the playing field, and the device was so successful that most canisters today have a power nozzle, differing from the 1959 original only in small convenience features.
It would seem to be beyond the scope of this article, because it was an upright, but the biggest innovation of the Sixties was the Hoover Convertible, originally introduced in 1957 as the Citation. The lackluster name didn't convey the idea behind the cleaner - finally, here was an upright that had an attachment plate that diverted airflow from the carpet to an attachment port, just like canisters. Above-the-floor cleaning was now a breeze with an upright- the same idea as Electrolux's PN-1, in reverse. A canister could do what an upright could, and now, vice versa. The Sixties name change to Convertible was a stroke of marketing genius - not only did it tell consumers exactly what the cleaner did, the sexy, sporty automotive connotation of the word carried over into a field that could use the glamour.
Today, in spite of seventy years of canister innovation, uprights are still sales leaders. Consumers who want ease of use prefer their one-piece configuration, disregarding the fact that a convertible upright with attachments has just as many pieces as a canister, and sometimes more. But canisters are the beauty part of the vacuum business; the sleekest upright can't match them for sheer looks, to say nothing of their superior suction. A search through thrift stores, estate sales, and unclaimed repair sales at vacuum-cleaner repair shops can turn up amazing rarities. While vacuum collecting is a bit more expensive today than it was ten years ago, a budding vac maven with $100 can have a first-rate machine in superb condition, say an Electrolux XXX or a Wilfa, and $50 can buy a very decent machine with looks to spare. Certain "blue-chip" collectibles like the Electrolux V and the Compact can go for much more, but even here, there are lucky breaks. One of the best-known vacuum collectors, Charlie Lester (who generously contributed many pictures to this article), says that his V was bought so cheaply that the postage was more than the purchase price. Amazingly, it was found in an online auction, where V's generally bring serious money.
You have to have one anyway - why not have a vacuum cleaner that represents Deco, Machine Age, or Space Age styling at its best? There's one out there for you - ready to become the perfect complement to your Mid-Century collection.
As we've mentioned, thrift shops are a prime source for old vacuums. Even
here in my hometown of Atlanta, where the thrifting is tres lousy, I've
seen three thrift-shop collectibles in the past month, including the
Lurelle Guild-designed Electrolux XXX. Thrift-store prices are usually
rock-bottom, though the merchandise tends to need work. My own Electrolux
Diamond Jubilee was only $2.02, but needed $70 worth of repairs and tools
to put it back in prime condition. Still, where would you find a
top-of-the-line new vacuum for that?
Auctions are another possibility, but it's imperative to know what is
original and what's not before you bid. Auction sites have many sellers of
"rebuilt" machines; the refurbishment work varies widely in quality. These
rebuilders often mix compatible parts from one machine to another with no
regard for originality; a blue machine that should have a blue handle and
wheels may get tan ones from another model, just because they're handy and
they fit. Paint may be new, but in non-original colors, and may not be the
baked enamel common on Mid-Century machines. Such machines are usually
quite usable, but are called "bojack" rebuilds by collectors, who disdain
their non-original parts and colors.
Estate sales are prime hunting grounds; Grandma's "old vacuum" may be up
for sale in pristine shape, with all tools and paperwork intact. More and
more people are aware that old vacuums are sought-after, so "steals" are
rarer than they once were, but estate sale machines are often in time-warp
condition.
Checking out an old vacuum is fairly simple. Plug it in, and turn it on.
There should be no sparks or strange "hot" or "electrical" smells. Dust
should not be pouring out of the exhaust. Suction should be felt through
the hose (or through the hose connection if the hose is missing). There
should not be a piercing squeal from the motor, nor any rattling sounds as
it comes to a stop after being turned off- both are signs of a bad motor.
Good paint is a plus, and good leatherette is a necessity, since matching
material for restoration is almost impossible to find. Small parts on the
housing, such as emblems, handles, and wheels, should be intact; finding
these can be difficult. If a machine's styling depends on two-tone paint
(Wilfa), or a decorative decal (Compact), it's best to hold out for a
really nice example; restoring these details correctly is expensive. The
same goes for wrinkle-finish paint and hammertone finishes; there's a big
difference in what Mid-Century manufacturers used and what comes in today's
spray cans. Dull polished aluminum is not a problem; it can be brought back
up to snuff with some metal polish and a coat of car wax. If you find a
plastic machine, inspect it carefully for cracked or broken parts,
including latches. Replacement parts may be difficult or impossible to
find, especially in the right pink or turquoise for your model. A very few
machines, such as some older Westinghouse models, no longer have their
paper dust bags available, so such machines are pretty much for display
only.
Should you use an old vacuum? Probably. Here are some ways to put your new
beauty to work:
The Website of Charlie Lester, www.137.com
COPYRIGHT / TRADEMARK NOTICES
All vacuum cleaner brands and model names and designations mentioned in this article are the property of their respective trademark owners.
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