Hoover Upright Vacuum Cleaner
date: label: Date made
content: 1908
name: label: maker
content: Hoover Company
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: In 1907 Ohio janitor turned inventor James Murray Spangler developed a new type of electrical sweeper for cleaning carpets. Unable to finance large-scale manufacture of his invention, he turned to a local harness and leather goods maker, William H. Hoover, who established the Electric Suction Sweeper Company. In November 1908, Spangler filed for a US patent and almost a year later received patent number 935,558 that he assigned to Hoover’s new company. This 1908 Hoover vacuum cleaner shows the features seen in the patent: a fan to produce the vacuum and push air into a dust bag, rings on the bottom of the unit to keep the carpet from being pulled into the fan, and brushes driven by the same motor as the fan.
label: Description (Brief)
content: Several inventors developed mechanical carpet cleaners during the 19th century and Spangler’s design was not the first attempt to adapt electricity to this task. One of the major innovations that made Hoover successful lay in how he sold the machine. Hoover realized the value of free, in-home trials and live demonstrations by trained sales-people. Innovations in both technology and marketing combined to make the product successful.
label: Description (Brief)
content: Description: Tin housing, restored silver-colored bag and new wooden handle. "Hoover" lettered on front. Markings: "Trade Hoover mark (/) Suction Sweeper (/) Co. (/) New Berlin". Alternating current motor 110 volt 66 cycle. Reference: US Patent 935558, issued 28 September 1909 to James Murray Spangler, assigned to the Electric Suction Sweeper Co., of New Berlin, OH - later the Hoover Vacuum Co. of New Canton, OH.
topic: label: web subject
content: Household Tools and Equipment
label: web subject
content: appliances
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Electricity
label: Exhibition
content: Lighting a Revolution
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: from The Hoover Company, thru H. E. Buker
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: EM.330997
label: catalog number
content: 330997
label: accession number
content: 299449
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Vacuum Cleaner, Electric
label: Object Name
content: electric vacuum cleaner
label: Object Name
content: electric appliance
label: Object Name
content: vacuum cleaner
label: Other Terms
content: Vacuum Cleaner, Electric; Appliances
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 58 in x 13 in x 25 in; 147.32 cm x 33.02 cm x 63.5 cm