This Douglas-made futuristic 'torpedo' was also badged as The Monitor (Deluxe) with the Boots Boy logo Medallion  on one side. I have three of the Monitor model TAC-1's as well as the Firestone model 5-F-50 version. From these have almost the complete set of accessories.

The Douglas Manufacturing Division of the Kingston Products Corporation was based in Bronson Michigan south of Battle Creek, the factory situated on Hiway MI-12 - the Old Chicago Road.

An elegantly simple sculpture in cast aluminum & Hammertone, the sinuous handle is one cast polished piece running the length of the cleaner.

Some variations I have noted between the Kingston, Firestone and Monitor, and these may all relate to the specific year of manufacture:

Firestone's version seems to be the low end model, with painted side trims and a pale grey/blue allover hammertone finish.

The Kingston I have seen in both low end and high end versions in which the side trim is either dull stamped aluminum to match the gray paint or fully decked out with gleaming polished trims against a more vivid blue hammertone.

Kingston (Douglas) in the 1950s redesigned the machine end caps and simplified the handle. I believe Hans has one.

I need one, too.

Monitor was the company name of a very successful New York Appliance salesman agent for RCA Corp in the Streamline late 1930s  who named his own offshoot Corporation after the Monitor top refrigerator which begat his personal fortune. He built 5 glass & Monel metal office buildings w showrooms of various futuristic themes in Chicago World Fair radio styles that featured Streamline Moderne household appliances, including a portable wringer washer, decorative glass disk table clocks, electric irons, radios...and the Monitor cylinder vacuum cleaner, clearly sourced from the Douglas Corporation. This was pre-WW2.

The first Monitor Tac-1 had lightweight aluminum 'J' wands painted in vivid blue hammertone to match the cleaner, as were the cast aluminum tools. the painted aluminum end caps had the raised continuation of the polished handle polished out to extend the theme into spear tips.

The first models also came with a hinged exhaust grill lid. Later Monitors and Kingstons eliminated this exhaust grill as well as the cast hinge fitting on the motor cap.

The hose fitting is sized unlike any other manufacture's and I have found no other hose that will connect to the large port and large bore woven hose. However the tool is end standard as are the friction-fit wands which have single visual dimples to line them up in the 'S' configuration.

All Douglas machines had powerful motors with double fans. Mine pull +70" and the Firestone pulls almost 80".

The cord was extra long and supple as a wet noodle, like the early Electrolux plug-in cords. Unfortunately the cord was not removable and there were no cord wrap hooks so the cord had to be coiled and draped on the floor, as it was too large to be tucked into the handle loop, as you could on other machines of the time. And of course it had to be dragged across floors and carpets on it's streamline integrated runners.

A bevy of Douglas Monitors

The Monitor Corp BOOTS BOY logo medallion, which appeared plated, stamped or decaled on every Monitor Appliance.

The Boots Boy table clock

Monitor portable washer. The wringer handle removes and the rollers flip over into the stainless steel tub. A motor in the base drives the disc agitator via a belt drive.The drainboard is also a snap on lid, making for a very nice Streamline plant stand. :-)

This is the best picture of the slightly tapered 1 & 7/8" outside diameter coupler I have at the moment. It has two spring tab latches and inserts into the matched taper end cap bores.

I also have the matched blue rubber dusting brush.

The Douglas is a beautiful machine, all the more so for it's powerful quiet motor and strong suction - the equal of the much later, fabled Canadian Electrolux 80 series.

Oops again, my feebling mind. I was drawing on memory. Google to the rescue!

This is the Rex Cole info, the founder of Monitor. He began as a top salesman for General Electric, not RCA.

Three Monitor Hose Coupler ends.

first version braided hose is the center one with the molded rubber strain relief.

second version is on the left and the right hose has a vinyl nylon web reinforced replacement hose.

The original hose retains as much suction as the bojack vinyl. :-)

The outside taper, while subtle, is very real. I have tried to fit the hose to a vast number of cylinders in the collection and it's just 'no go'.

The barrel inserts rather deeply, snug to the black Bakelite ring & latch buttons.

Even the hose wand ends are unique.

dusting, upholstery & crevice tools fit inside the swiveling  barrel but only one J wand is tapered to fit inside. The lower J wand has a single peg; the floor nozzle and wall brush insert upside-down on the outside and swivel around while the aluminum upholstery nozzle is a friction fit only on the upper wand section and hose end. It cannot fit over or inside the lower J wand end.

And what's left of the hammertone on the lightweight aluminum J wands.

The later chromed steel wands are as heavy as they sound.