Let me answer the second question first.

I believe the first locking mechanism for the rug/floor tool came with the model E when the attachments went through a complete makeover.  Here I defer to my friend Charles Richard Lester to answer that correctly.

 As for the white bristle wall and dusting brushes, these were introduced with the last years of the model XXX, and were designed for the delicate jobs like fine wallpaper, silk lampshades and other things. Yes, technically, they were gimmicks, as were countless other items used by both Electrolux and other companies, like Kirby's Handi-Butler for example. However, in the case of Electrolux, the buyer had the option to accept, or reject buying these. To give you a better idea, here's how the sale went. After the demo, the salesman said that the entire package, vacuum cleaner, cord winder, tool holder, power polisher, garment bag, spray gun, and so on including the chemicals like floor wax, polishes, and moth crystals were available for a price of---, and quoted the cost. Lets say the customer didn't want the power polisher, it was deducted. Some people bought it all, some bought only the vacuum cleaner hose, wands, and standard tools. This continued with the model LX/LXI.

If you have any further questions on the early models, please feel free to ask me.

Alex Taber

No problem, I love answering questions.

As far as I know the white bristle brushers were softer. I have a set of both and can't really tell, but DO used the dusting brush for lampshades, and the other dusting brush for the coffee table and so on. As for the white wall brush, the bristles are longer than those of the floor brush. As I have hardwood floors, it's great for that too.

Give me a few minutes to scan the instruction book and you can read what the Electrolux Corporation had to say on the matter.

Have a look at this.

Here was the complete package. The buyer had the option to deduct the items they did not want or need. The long, flat thing in front of the white bristle wall brush was the 'Tufter' designed for certain types of rugs.

3 more pages from the book.

Next page.

The cover of this book is very impressive.

You don't have to go to eBay, you can get it now. Simply go to the homepage of Vacuumland, click on 'Manuals and literature' click on Vacuum cleaners, go to Electrolux and there's the book, ready to download.

Have fun reading this one, I think it's the best of all the Electrolux manuals.

While I've had several copies of the model LX instruction book, they either fell apart or got packed away. Last September, I bought a box of tools, and hoses from Charles Richard. To my surprise, he included the instruction book which I've used here. And for those who don't know it, Charles was the person who talked me out of dissolving the V.C.C.C. in the early 1990's due to lack of member participation. Then around 93, I started to burn-out writing/publishing the newsletter and turned that operation over to Charles. His Electrolux issue of winter 94/95 was awesome! (To say nothing of his Hoover issue a few months before).

And let me end this by saying that Charles and I share a love of the Electrolux model LX. His site Electrolux model LX Extravaganza is awesome, have a look.

Alex Taber.

You are most welcome, enjoy the model LX instruction book. I have a few other surprises for you once I remember which box of paperwork they are in.

I don't know if this is page 2 or page three, but the other one follows.

3 of 3.

Other things to follow later today or tomorrow, once I find them.

Alex Taber.

The museum in the St. Louis area, is run by my friend Tom Gasko.

Tom and I go back to 1993, which was a major turning point for the V.C.C.C. and for me. After both John Lucia and I busted our buns my for many years trying to get the membership to contribute, I finally,  gave up, and aside from doing the newsletter, tabled the club. Charles Richard Lester contacted me during this period and asked me to please keep it alive. On his suggestion I did, and shortly after that I got a call from Tom who knew of several people into vacuum cleaners, and that was the shot in the arm we needed.

In May of 93, Tom and his friends drove to my house with a van loaded with vacuum cleaners, and that was the turning point. From there, we had people who helped write stories, researched material, and got us noticed. Please understand, this was before the internet. There were no chat rooms, no eBay, nothing but word of mouth. The only publication was the V.D.T.A. Vacuum Dealers Trade Assoc., so we were still barely cutting the mustard.

It wasn't till I retired from the club in 95, to live my own life, that the changes happened, and when I returned in 04, WOW! there were over 100 members, and Charles had his Cyber museum up and running. If I remember correctly, Charles also ran our website, but I'll leave the history of that to him.  As for Tom's museum, I've not been there, but plan to in the near future, from what I hear it's fantastic.

Here's a look the prototypes in the Electrolux museum circa 1954, and goes with the three page history of the canisters. The next few posts will be mind boggling.

Enjoy,

Alex Taber

Here's a look at the prototype machines. This does not fit the scanner so I had to scan and rotate, it's the best I could do.

More from the Electrolux Museum.

Here are a few tools, and special items you might like to look at.

Sorry that this is so lopsided, but it's the best I could do. However, here are a few of the patents on the ejection system. Unfortunately there's no way to know which they are.

Prototypes of the model LX we all know.

A few more special tools I thought you might like to see.

A few words from the Electrolux Corp. I thought you'd find interesting.

I've had these pages for years, and scanned them last October, but when I got my new computer, somehow they didn't make it to the flash drive. Rather than dig through boxes, I used the copy you sent my for my birthday. I had to fold a bit to get these pages to fit the scanner. (No, I would not cut them to size!), thus a few are very lopsided, but I don't think Kevin will mind!

Bob Alex Taber.

Here are two more posts from a page I just found.

And the last.

That is fantastic, thank you for making it a lot clearer. As I'm 63 years old, I'm not computer savvy, and scanning is a real chore for me. If you want to work your magic with the pictures of the prototype tools, you have my full permission. 

Alex Taber.  

The Kirby was only off by %6 against Electrolux!

As a historian, that was my biggest problem, getting vacuum cleaner companies to answer my questions. In response to my letter in 1979, Charlie McKee of Electrolux told me in a letter "we don't care about ore past!" So when Electrolux closed the factory, to them, these machines were nothing more than old bits of junk, thus food for a dumpster. It stinks, but that was the way it was back then. And most vacuum cleaner companies, and vacuum cleaner stores saw no value in the 'old stuff.'  

Since it's a gold and white box, I'd say Super J. I sold the 1205, and the packaging was the same color as the machine. That looks like the same gold as the J.

In the early days, the white dust brush and wall brush had the same metal as the standard tools. Except for the war years when it was dark blue plastic.

Alex Taber.