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Found in Middlesex this is a Hoover 541 from around 1923, only the second Hoover model to be sold in the UK and the first to use aluminium die-casting.. It has a utilitarian appearance with a black painted single speed motor, grey unpolished diecast aluminium body and a solid black wooden handle. Very similar to the first UK model sold the 105. The 541 pictured is as it has came to me.
As with all early Hoovers they were made in Hamilton Canada and imported to the UK and would have been very expensive, probably only found in upper class homes with servants |
In the early days of vacuums Hoover produced its models from its new factory in Hamilton, Canada. For the wealthy the Hoovers were exported to markets including the UK . Until the 1930s with the opening of the Perivale factory in London all Hoovers in the UK came from Hamilton.Hoover wanted a share of the new domestic appliance market, which had been created in part by the use of electricity in the home. As time went on, other products were produced here, including floor washers, washing machines, steam and dry irons and other electric housekeeping aids. During World War II, the workers at this plant adapted to the production of electric component equipment. The plant was closed soon after the company opened a new Burlington facility in 1966
From around 1929 this Hoover 725 was one of my earliest finds in a local antique centre. Built before the UK Perivale factory opened in the 1930s, this model like the 541 would have been made in Canada and imported to the UK. Extremely heavy and still in the same format as the early 1920s Hoover pictured above this bulky cleaner was one of the main Hoovers of the day and it wasnt until the mid 1930s that smaller more compact cleaners for UK homes became available with the introduction of the Junior range in 1935.
After quite a wait due to Covid travel restrictions we have finally acquired our Hoover 750 which has been been donated by a lovely lady in Lancashire. We understand the machine has been in a loft for many years and we are looking forward when we get some spare time to getting this grand old machine back to working order. May 22nd 2021 and the first job on the 750 has been done, checking if it works or not. A quick rewire and fired up like a new machine. Not bad for a ninety year old machine, Next comes the sympathetic restoration once time allows.
The Hoover 750 is one of the older vintage Hoovers, and represents the end of the period where the design of electrical domestic equipment started to move away from the overtly industrial look that characterized the early years of product design. Although similar to earlier models the 750 was aesthetically more pleasing to the consumer. 1932 saw Hoovers have flashes of orange paint more pleasing to the eye but other changes were largely cosmetic. This 750 is an early example dating to 1932 and still imported from Canada. This deluxe model would have cost £20 in the day, equivalent to over £1000 in todays money.
In 1932 it would still be another 3 years before Perivale opened offering UK made Hoovers for the first time including the iconic Junior, a model which would stay in production for over 53 years,
The Hoover 750 is one of the older vintage Hoovers, and represents the end of the period where the design of electrical domestic equipment started to move away from the overtly industrial look that characterized the early years of product design. Although similar to earlier models the 750 was aesthetically more pleasing to the consumer. 1932 saw Hoovers have flashes of orange paint more pleasing to the eye but other changes were largely cosmetic. This 750 is an early example dating to 1932 and still imported from Canada. This deluxe model would have cost £20 in the day, equivalent to over £1000 in todays money.
In 1932 it would still be another 3 years before Perivale opened offering UK made Hoovers for the first time including the iconic Junior, a model which would stay in production for over 53 years,
The economy Model 425 was Hoover's first all-new cleaner in over a decade. It was redesigned from the wheels upwards, with a new chassis, a new Agitator, and a new centrally-mounted one-speed 210w (later 240w) motor, covered by a separate metal hood. These modifications made it lighter than any previous Hoover model - at 7.7kg, it weighed nearly a kilogram less than its more deluxe brother the Hoover 750
For the first time, too, was Hoover's use of a flat drivebelt. This feature wouldn't be used again until the late 1960s. Late production 425s were fitted with round drivebelts, and many flat-belt 425s were converted later in their lives to make use of the more readily available round belts.. Our 425 has only just arrived, found quite unexpected on a local car boot sale and purchased for the princely sum of £3. It was in a real state but the main body soon came good with several washes and a few applications of metal polish. The motor cowling has been sympathetically restored as has the handle. .A simple rewiring of the 425 later and the motor fired up straight away. The sorry state of the bag that came with the 425 was split and came from a much later model. That has now been dumped and the machine is awaiting a new bag. As with our 262 this may take sometime but this Hoover will one day be complete once more.
For the first time, too, was Hoover's use of a flat drivebelt. This feature wouldn't be used again until the late 1960s. Late production 425s were fitted with round drivebelts, and many flat-belt 425s were converted later in their lives to make use of the more readily available round belts.. Our 425 has only just arrived, found quite unexpected on a local car boot sale and purchased for the princely sum of £3. It was in a real state but the main body soon came good with several washes and a few applications of metal polish. The motor cowling has been sympathetically restored as has the handle. .A simple rewiring of the 425 later and the motor fired up straight away. The sorry state of the bag that came with the 425 was split and came from a much later model. That has now been dumped and the machine is awaiting a new bag. As with our 262 this may take sometime but this Hoover will one day be complete once more.
In the mid to late 1930s Hoover became one of the first companies to use a professional designer for consumer products.. Henry Dreyfuss was the man who changed Hoovers designs,which had remained virtually unchanged since 1919. . Machines were made lighter as aluminium was replaced with magnesium alloy and bakelite plastic .and the fitting procedure for the hose and bakelite tools was greatly simplified.
Most noticeable however, was the comprehensive redesign of the motor head of the cleaner. The Hoover Cleaner of 1919 was strictly functional in design; Dreyfuss applied the principles of streamlining to this. Although the only change this made to the operation of the machine was the lack of nooks and crannies that could gather dust, it provided a striking visual contrast to the older products, and suggested modernity and efficiency. The 262 was one of a family of cleaners with a clean simplified teardrop design. However, in keeping with the principles of built-in obsolescence, this family of cleaners was quickly superceded by the launch of the model 60, introduced to the American market in 1940 (and belatedly to Europe as the model 612 in 1949), this cleaner abandoned the rounded teardrop shape of the 150 and its associated models in favour of a rather more squared up and aggressive style. Again, this machine was the work of Dreyfuss
Our 262 was donated from a lovely couple in north east Derbyshire. The machine arrived in a pitiful state but is now sympathetically restored to its former glory. A 262 cleaning kit has recently been acquired from a lovely gentleman in North Yorkshire. The kit used to belong to his great uncle but it appears the maid in this gentlemans home who used the 262 did not use the tool kit often as it is in an as new condition. This fascinating toolkit is pictured below.
In August 2016 a rather rough 262 was acquired from a gentleman in Lincolnshire. The main reason for purchasing this was because it had an original Hoover bag which was in good condition. The bag has been cleaned extensively and has been added to our own 262 soon. The pictures will be uploaded once this great machine is once more complete. The 262 being used as a donor machine is shown below shortly after arrival at our home mid August 2016 and shortly after having its bag removed for cleaning.
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Vactric Limited was established in London in 1924 to manufacture vacuum cleaners.
In 1929 the company moved to larger premises in Cricklewood, north London, and began the production of refrigerators. The business relocated to Motherwell in Scotland in 1946 and the manufacture of washing machines commenced in the 1950s.
By the end of the 1950s Vactric was in severe financial difficulty on its domestic appliance activities. However, two subsidiary companies, Vactric Precision Tools Ltd. and Vactric Control Equipment Ltd. (which made servo-motors and encoders used in control systems for ships and aircraft) were trading profitably.
In 1961 Vactric Ltd. went into liquidation and in 1972 Vactric Control Equipment Ltd. was acquired by Muirhead Aerospace.
This is my Vactric Junior . This small upright with its primrose stove enamel finish had a motor driven rotating brush. Tools would have plugged into the front via a snap off badge cover. The Vactric Junior was smaller and more basic than the Hoover Junior although it had a smoother design. Early models would have been made in Cricklewood and later model runs were moved to Motherwell in Scotland. As far as I am aware this particular Vactirc was made in the early 1940s
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An advert for the Newmaid deluxe by Burrage and Boyde. It is believed the machine in our collection is earluer than the one pictured in the ad.
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This is one of the stars of my collection. Burrage and Boyd was a company formed in 1932, which produced Non-Electric Vacuum Cleaners. The main components were of cast aluminium. The company was based on College Street in Northampton where they had an aluminium foundry. The Newmaid I own is a 1936 Deluxe Self Generating Upright which required no electricity. You simply built up friction by pushing back and forth building suction power as you went. On the back of the bag is a little pocket with a full guide of how to use the vacuum. Burrage and Boyde made several Newmaids from the 1930s until the early 1950s. I have seen Newmaids for sale from time to time but this particular model I have never seen another one of. It was dated to 1936 by a former employer of Burrages after an appeal on BBC Radio Northampton some years back.
Burrage and Boyde encouraged by good sales of their vacuums decided to expand their range and moved to manufacture a range of high-class tableware, starting with a 3-pint kettle made from one casting and fitted with wooden handles. After consulting metallurgists they found that by adding magnesium to the aluminium, a “silver like” look could be obtained after polishing. In 1939 all production was ceased at the factory and ammunition production took over throughout the war years. By 1945 with a return to production of goods the company launched their long awaited kettle and continued with mainly tablewares through to 1980 when due to bank intervention the company went into receivership.
Burrage and Boyde encouraged by good sales of their vacuums decided to expand their range and moved to manufacture a range of high-class tableware, starting with a 3-pint kettle made from one casting and fitted with wooden handles. After consulting metallurgists they found that by adding magnesium to the aluminium, a “silver like” look could be obtained after polishing. In 1939 all production was ceased at the factory and ammunition production took over throughout the war years. By 1945 with a return to production of goods the company launched their long awaited kettle and continued with mainly tablewares through to 1980 when due to bank intervention the company went into receivership.
This is another non electric vacuum cleaner which came out in the late 1930s. Complete with its original box this machine had to be assembled at home before use. Metal work is a lot thinner than the Newmaid and the whole device is a lot less sturdy but it is a magnificent machine nonetheless.
Back into the 1930s and 40s with this Goblin upright. Another competitor for the Hoover Junior. This particular Goblin upright was found in a local secondhand store. Until this point I had never seen another Goblin upright,as time goes by I guess they are getting increasingly rare
This a an extremely rare National Upright Vacuum Cleaner from the 1930s. Very similar in styling to the Hoover Junior of its day. Nothing much is known about the National Vacuum Company except it was based in Manchester.
This is a Hoover 612, originally released in the USA in 1940 it took 9 years for it to appear in the UK. This hefty 8.85kg vacuum cleaner was styled by the designer Henry Dreyfuss who abandoned the fragile looking teardrop design of the 262 for something way more substantial looking. Magnificent styling for its time and finished in the same gold hammered finish as the new Hoover Junior 119 of the time the 612 featured a dirtsearcher headlight which extended the full width of the stylish bakelite hood.The headlight was shielded by a wrap-around lens of clear perspex, echoing the ‘sun trap’ window design of contemporary buildings. Just below is a poster from the early fifties showing this particular vacuum cleaner along with a floor polisher of the day, soon to be added to this collection. The 612 was sold between 1949 and 1955 before the 638 superceded it. 
This is a Hoover 652 from the late 1950s. Introduced in 1959 and sold until 1962 rgus vacuum had classic Dreyfus styling The lovely 652 vacuum cleaner was to become a popular model for many years. This early version only had a 400w motor and the plastic s used were of inferior quality so many a hood was ruined from the heat from the light underneath. Nonetheless despite this the 652 remains a sought after machine. This particular one came with a batch of vacuums recently purchased in the North West of England.
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Back to the 50s for this Hoover Senior, The larger cousin of the Junior, this particular model is a 638 from the 1950s. Sold between 1955 and1959 . Another machine weighing in at a hefty 8.85kg This particular 638 was rescued from a trip to the dump in nearby Nottinghamshire This classic machine is currently undergoing sympathetic restoration work. Hoover Model 638 differs from preceding Model 612 in styling, and one other key innovation: it was the first Hoover model in the UK to introduce a disposable paper dust bag. All preceding Hoover vacuums had included a permanent cloth bag which needed to be emptied after each use.
The headlamp bulb socket was repositioned to allow for the new hood design. It also ushered in a new, more modern colour palette of blue and pale grey 
This is a Hoover 652A from circa 1965. Almost identical to the earlier 652 this model had two power settings so that extra wattage was applied when tools were attached.It did feature a number of minor changes to design and trim, simplifying the machine and reducing manufacturing costs.
The on/off switch now sat on top of the chassis where it was less likely to gouge furniture legs. Remarkable condition for its age this particular vacuum arrived with the 652 pictured opposite as a batch of machines from the North West of England. |
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