Santa Brings an Early Christmas Present to Casa Electrolux!

Last week I got a call from a friend of mine who owns a vac shop here in Los Angeles. He told me that a 97-year-old lady had come in to buy a new vacuum cleaner. She said she still has the same vacuum cleaner that she bought in 1947 from a salesman who was going door-to-door in her neighborhood. She said she liked the machine quite a lot and used it up until this very year! But as she's gotten older, she's found that it's become too heavy and cumbersome for her to manage so she came in looking for something lighter in weight.

He sold her a new vacuum cleaner and gave her something on her old one (which most vacuum cleaner salesmen will do, regardless of the condition of the old machine -- it's sort of a goodwill gesture and paying a compliment to the customer -- that she had made a good choice with her original machine and that it still has some value. Of course, that's a lot of hooey, just some flattery to help close a sale!

Anyway, he told me he has her old machine and I can come in and get it if I want it. He said it's not one he's ever seen before -- a dark-blue tank model called the "Sanitaire."

Before I went over there, I was having a hard time imagining what sort of thing it could be. I was thinking of the Eureka Sanitaire line and as far as I knew, there had never been any tank or canister models, just the uprights.

Well, I picked it up today and here it is -- it's actually a re-branded Royal 901 from, yes, the mid-1940s! I also have its candy-apple-red twin, a Royal 901 which I consider to be among the more over-the-top rocket-ship-inspired vacuum cleaner designs.

As you can see from the photos, it's in really excellent condition -- a few "dings and dangs" in the tank but nothing too severe. The dusting brush and crevice tool are missing but everything else is there, including the attachment caddy and what I assume is the original woven hose which is completely airtight and supple.

All I had to do was give the set a very light sprucing up with some spray cleaner and wax. (The cloth dust bag inside was spotless!)

After I went over it in my workshop, I carried it up to the living room for a test run. The motor runs as smooth as silk -- no rumbling or bearing noise at all. I had forgotten how quiet these older Royals are -- nearly as quite as a Lux XXX. It purred along just as sweetly as you please!

Can you imagine that this vacuum cleaner has been put to good and regular use for 66 years?!

Now, this faithful old senior sweeper statesman has found a new and happy home here at the Home for Wayward Vacuum Cleaners.


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Post# 259761 12/16/2013 at 20:19 (3,775 days old) by Electrolux137 (Los Angeles)
Checkrate/Likes Last week I got a call from a friend of mine who owns a vac shop here in Los Angeles. He told me that a 97-year-old lady had come in to buy a new vacuum cleaner. She said she still has the same vacuum cleaner that she bought in 1947 from a salesman who was going door-to-door in her neighborhood. She said she liked the machine quite a lot and used it up until this very year! But as she's gotten older, she's found that it's become too heavy and cumbersome for her to manage so she came in looking for something lighter in weight. He sold her a new vacuum cleaner and gave her something on her old one (which most vacuum cleaner salesmen will do, regardless of the condition of the old machine -- it's sort of a goodwill gesture and paying a compliment to the customer -- that she had made a good choice with her original machine and that it still has some value. Of course, that's a lot of hooey, just some flattery to help close a sale! Anyway, he told me he has her old machine and I can come in and get it if I want it. He said it's not one he's ever seen before -- a dark-blue tank model called the "Sanitaire." Before I went over there, I was having a hard time imagining what sort of thing it could be. I was thinking of the Eureka Sanitaire line and as far as I knew, there had never been any tank or canister models, just the uprights. Well, I picked it up today and here it is -- it's actually a re-branded Royal 901 from, yes, the mid-1940s! I also have its candy-apple-red twin, a Royal 901 which I consider to be among the more over-the-top rocket-ship-inspired vacuum cleaner designs. As you can see from the photos, it's in really excellent condition -- a few "dings and dangs" in the tank but nothing too severe. The dusting brush and crevice tool are missing but everything else is there, including the attachment caddy and what I assume is the original woven hose which is completely airtight and supple. All I had to do was give the set a very light sprucing up with some spray cleaner and wax. (The cloth dust bag inside was spotless!) After I went over it in my workshop, I carried it up to the living room for a test run. The motor runs as smooth as silk -- no rumbling or bearing noise at all. I had forgotten how quiet these older Royals are -- nearly as quite as a Lux XXX. It purred along just as sweetly as you please! Can you imagine that this vacuum cleaner has been put to good and regular use for 66 years?! Now, this faithful old senior sweeper statesman has found a new and happy home here at the Home for Wayward Vacuum Cleaners.

Post# 259768 , Reply# 1 12/16/2013 at 21:06 (3,775 days old) by Collector2 (Moose Jaw, Sk)
Checkrate/Likes Hey Charlie: Great find!! Just a suggestion. If he still has the ladies name and address write her a short letter explaining that you now have the machine and it will occupy a proud place in your collection and, if she ever comes across the missing parts or the instructions, could she let you know. Then give it to your friend in a stamped envelope and ask him to address it to her (I'm assuming he probably wouldn't want to give out the customers information). A lot of older people are very tickled that an item that they have taken care of for so long will be appreciated by someone else and, chances are, you may end up with the rest of it. Doug

Post# 259774 , Reply# 2 12/16/2013 at 21:43 (3,775 days old) by suckolux (Yuba City, CA)
Checkrate/Likes Nice find! Ready for lift off!

Post# 259976 , Reply# 3 12/18/2013 at 06:54 (3,774 days old) by Bee-Vac (Pomona, Calif)
Checkrate/Likes I love to hear stories like this. Just imagine if this machine could talk!

Post# 260229 , Reply# 4 12/20/2013 at 08:40 (3,772 days old) by portable (Corvallis, OR)
Checkrate/Likes Charles - I found an old reference list in one of our ancient VCCC newsletters, which I have been meaning to publish here. The list is called "Who Made It?" As soon as I have had a chance to experiment with my new Brother Printer/Scanner, etc., I will publish the list here. I looked up the name "Sanitaire" (it was the only listing by that name on the list). Not quite the same wording as on yours. It says that Sanitaire was made by Progress Vacuum Cleaner Corporation, 1814 East 40th St., Cleveland, Ohio. I'm not sure if this is the same company that might've been acquired by Eureka later, and have no idea if it was connected with Electric Vacuum Cleaner Co. Inc. of Cleveland, later known as Premier Vacuum Cleaner Division of G.E. It sure does look like a dead ringer for a Royal, though. What a beauty.

Post# 260247 , Reply# 5 12/20/2013 at 12:47 (3,772 days old) by Electrolux137 (Los Angeles)
Checkrate/Likes Hey John, thanks for the info. This machine is a Royal -- the nameplate reads "P.A.Geier" -- see photos below.

Post# 260248 , Reply# 6 12/20/2013 at 12:48 (3,772 days old) by Electrolux137 (Los Angeles)
Checkrate/Likes .

Post# 260300 , Reply# 7 12/21/2013 at 05:50 (3,771 days old) by portable (Corvallis, OR)
Checkrate/Likes Interesting - so, at one point, there was ALSO a company known as Sanitaire. It must've been way before Royal used this model name.

Post# 260359 , Reply# 8 12/21/2013 at 22:09 (3,770 days old) by stricklybojack (Southern California)
Checkrate/Likes *Royalaire on Craigs in Brea* Looks like it would fit right in... CLICK HERE TO GO TO stricklybojack's LINK on Orange County, CA Craigslist

Post# 260360 , Reply# 9 12/21/2013 at 22:51 (3,770 days old) by Electrolux137 (Los Angeles)
Checkrate/Likes The Royalaire above is a later model, mid 1950s to late 1960s I believe. I have its near-twin sister, the "Electro-Hygiene Deluxe." The front of the E-HD is different - rather than the rounded-off "atomic warhead" front-end of the Royal, it's flattened off and has a compartment for moth crystals (or, as one lady used to do as I recall), a few drops of some liquid room refresher on a cotton ball and placed it in the moth crystal compartment). I think this model is stunningly sleek and beautiful! (Note the Belden automatic cordwinder on the rear, � la Electrolux.)

Post# 260548 , Reply# 11 12/23/2013 at 19:50 (3,769 days old) by stricklybojack (Southern California)
Checkrate/Likes *Another weird mysterious "bullet" vac on Craigs* Never saw one like this before...can anybody identify it? CLICK HERE TO GO TO stricklybojack's LINK on Los Angeles Craigslist

Post# 260555 , Reply# 12 12/23/2013 at 20:20 (3,768 days old) by electrolux137 (Los Angeles)
Checkrate/Likes That's a Hamilton Beach "Deep Clean" Model 26 from the early 1950s. The handle is not original; it's a handyman-hubby special. The original hose was black cloth with silver striped tracing. I had one once upon a while but was so underwhelmed by it that I only used it once or twice and then took it back to the thrift shop where I found it and donated it back to them! Scans of the instruction booklet are availble on automaticwasher.org. CLICK HERE TO GO TO electrolux137's LINK

Post# 260361 , Reply# 10 12/21/2013 at 22:52 (3,770 days old) by Electrolux137 (Los Angeles)
Checkrate/Likes .