Washboard
date: label: date made
content: ca 1940
notes: label: Description
content: "ATLANTIC", No. 510, family-size washboard with a reversible or double-sided, clear glass rubbing panel having identical surfaces of chevron-patterned ribs alternating with flutes marked "NATIONAL". Soap shelf has a top groove that drains to the sides, and wooden brand board is printed in black and red on front and back. Frame sides are dovetailed to overhanging top, while shelf and bottom rail are tenoned to sides; all joints nailed on reverse.
label: Description
content: Donated by Mr. and Mrs. Carl W. Zimmerman of McLean, Virginia and used by Mrs. Zimmerman to wash her husband’s sailor uniform during World War II.
label: Description
content: "ATLANTIC" trademark registration no. 99,346, published June 23, 1914; filed on April 27, 1917, serial no. 77,802, National claimed use since February 1, 1912 (ee USPO Official Gazette, vol. 203 [June 1914]: 1247 and vol. 205 [August 1914]: 1319). Between 1914 and at least 1922, National also trademarked their 3-digit model numbers, but "510" not found among those located; needs further research.
label: Description
content: Maker is National Washboard Co. of Chicago, IL, Saginaw, MI and Memphis, TN. According to the brief history provided by the company in Bremseth, Washboards II (1981), National Washboard Co. started in 1885 as Wabash Novelty Woods, Wabash, IN; name changed to Wabash Screen Door Co. in 1889, then moved to Rhinelander, WI in 1898 and Chicago in 1900, opening factories at Memphis, TN, and Minneapolis, MN, 1901-1902. Exactly how and when it came be National Washboard Co. in the early 1900s and later added operations at Saginaw is not explained. The Memphis factory was profiled in Newsweek, Volume 68 (1966), p. 90, and continued to operate until at least 1970. Needs further research. (Trademark and company information are in Collector File [Hattie Bremseth].)
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Illinois, Chicago
label: place made
content: United States: Michigan, Saginaw
label: place made
content: United States: Tennessee, Memphis
topic: label: Subject
content: Household Tools and Equipment
label: Subject
content: Laundry
label: used with
content: Sailors
label: used with
content: Uniforms, Military
label: when used
content: World War II
label: related event
content: World War II
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Domestic Life
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Mr. and Mrs. Carl W. Zimmerman
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: DL.298097.0001
label: catalog number
content: 298097.0001
label: accession number
content: 298097
objectType: label: Object Name
content: washboard
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (frame material)
label: Physical Description
content: glass (rubbing surface material)
label: Physical Description
content: ink (brand board material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 24 in x 12 3/8 in x 2 1/4 in; 60.96 cm x 31.4325 cm x 5.715 cm
label: Measurements
content: rubbing surface: 11 3/4 in x 10 7/8 in; 29.845 cm x 27.6225 cm