Thread Number: 28160  /  Tag: 50s/60s/70s Vacuum Cleaners
Electrolux - For Classroom and Home Economics Instruction
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Post# 314819   2/7/2015 at 03:36 (3,337 days old) by electrolux137 (Los Angeles)        

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Earlier this week I was chatting with Billy Lipman, another VCCC "Oldtimer" about his beautiful Electrolux E-Automatic. I mentioned that I had several nice specimens, including one I found on eBay back in 2004. It was in beautiful shape, appearing as though it had hardly been used. It had the original hose that looked to be in perfect condition. It came with all the standard attachments (including steel wands). There was also a polisher, sprayer and vaporizer.

I could see in the photos on the listing that it had a circular aluminum plate riveted to one side of the motor body but I couldn't make out what it said. So I contacted the seller and she replied that it said:

"For Classroom and Home Economics Instruction / Electrolux Cleaner and Air Purifier / For Free Service call Electrolux Corporation, Brooklyn NY, NE8-2356 / HE-5053 / Property of Electroux Corporation."

I got pretty excited about it -- this obviously was a very special Electrolux, one that had been donated to a high school Home Economics department. I had never seen another one like it and in fact had no idea that they had provided these machines. But it was a brilliant sales tactic when you think about it: How many young homemakers who were exposed to the Electrolux in school went on to buy them for their own homes when they got married!

I remember when I was in Junior High school in Virginia that there was an Electrolux E-A in one of the Home-Ec classrooms in the Senior High wing of the small school. I happened to see it when walking down the hall one day and the doors to the Home-Ec Department were opened. I saw the Electrolux sitting in a corner of the room. Of course I snuck inside the room to look at it! It did not have a cord winder, just a halo, so it was exactly like my Mom's -- which she still had at the time -- but it was in much nicer condition! I don't recall whether or not it had the silver medallion on the side but I doubt it did, because I most likely would have seen it.

Anyway, back to the one on eBay -- I also asked the seller about the hose, wondering if it was still flexible and airtight or absolutely petrified and leaking like a sieve! She said the hose is very flexible and not leaking, that the suction was very powerful at the handle end.

I kept my eyes on the listing, hoping I could get it for not a huge fortune! As it turned out I was the only bidder on it and the shipping cost was twice what I paid for the machine!

I wrote the seller and begged her to pleeeeeeeeeeeease pack it very, very carefully. I was particularly concerned about the wheels because they become very brittle over the years.

It arrived in a couple weeks. Thank God she packed it very well and it arrived in one piece. I couldn't believe the beautiful condition it was in! And imagine my sheer astonishment when I opened the front cover and saw that there was still an original 1956 disposable bag inside! That really made clear the fact that it had hardly ever been used.

I also discovered there was a filter in the rear end. Once the new multi-layer paper bags came out during the run of the E-A, Electrolux urged users of the LX, LXI, E and E-A to remove the filter and replace it with the cardboard gasket that came with the new packages of bags. (The original paper bags were only two layers -- an inner tissue-paper layer and the outer filter paper layer. The new ones had three layers of tissue paper.) So that was even more evidence that the machine had sat in some school classroom hardly ever used at all!

I don't think I have ever posted any photos of it so here's a bunch for y'all.

Some people in the former VCCC have seen it. The annual meeting in 2005 was here in Los Angeles. I set up a display of "American Electrolux - The First 50 Years" in my home. There were Electroluxes everywhere, much to the consternation and dismay of my partner Arlee. But when he saw how much fun people had touring the display he got over it and actually complimented me on it. Here's a link derived from the old vacuumland.org site with photos of my display. The "Classroom E-A" is the first E-A that appears in the series of photos.


CLICK HERE TO GO TO electrolux137's LINK


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Post# 314826 , Reply# 1   2/7/2015 at 08:29 (3,336 days old) by Kirbyduh (Kentucky )        
Charles

All of those Electroluxes are beautiful. And the model E-A.... Stunning! It looks like it was just taken out of the box. Electrolux's contributions to Home Ec departments probably had some to do with their massive popularity. You are right, that was a quite Snart business investment on their part.

Post# 314832 , Reply# 2   2/7/2015 at 09:44 (3,336 days old) by rugsucker (Elizabethton TN)        
Home Ec vacs

That is an amazing AE above!.Not just condition but the rare label.
I was told by an older Elux salesman,now dead,that they would sometimes deliver vacs to home ec depts in the 50s when they were near a particular school.Branches would work about a 50-75 mile area at that time.
I also have some copies of the monthly magazine for home ec teachers from the 50s & 60s.The teachers also had yearly conventions with displays from many vendors with kitchen,cooking/food,laundry & cleaning products.Hoover would donate new vacs every 2 years with much training/teaching material.I was also told by a home ec teacher that they could get a discount on their personal Hoover.Lewyt offered films,poster,etc in the 50s.Elux had more information introducing the power nozzle.Westinghouse(that was already promoting kitchen products)ran ads in the 60s for the ConVertoVac.



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