"Laundry Main" Iron
date: label: date made
content: ca 1935
notes: label: Description
content: Gasoline-powered, double-point iron with globular fount or reservoir and screw-valve at back attached by metal brackets to the contoured, green-painted wooden handle. Body has ignition opening at back left and ventilation slots and holes below deflector and along bottom edge of both sides; red caution tag tied to handle instructs "Use only clean, colorless gasoline". Comes with rectangular asbestos mat, brass pump (to pressurize the reservoir), and a small paper envelope containing a miniature torch with cotton wick (for lighting the burner), double-ended wrench and small black gasket (purpose unknown). All in the original shipping box with address label from Sears, Roebuck & Co. in Philadelphia, PA to W.W. Betts of Williamsport, PA ("CAROL WORNOM" inscribed [in blue ink] above), "FRAGILE" sticker, and five 3-cent Washington stamps (Scott #720) postmarked Philadelphia on top; large concentric circular mark of box manufacturer printed in blue on one side. No marks on iron or its components. Used condition.
label: Description
content: This iron is identical to the "Laundry Maid" gas iron marketed by Sears, Roebuck & Co. and manufactured by National Stamping & Electric Works, Chicago, IL; marked examples have a manufacturer and model tag affixed to the base of the handle. Shipping carton made by Brunt & Company of Chicago, IL; exact dates in operation not known, but appears to have been founded in the early to mid 1930s.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place used
content: United States: Pennsylvania, Williamsport
label: place shipped
content: United States: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
label: place iron made; place box made
content: United States: Illinois, Chicago
label: used
content: United States: Pennsylvania, Williamsport
topic: label: Subject
content: Household Tools and Equipment
label: Subject
content: Laundry
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Domestic Life
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Carol W. Sorensen
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1989.0210.01
label: catalog number
content: 1989.0210.01
label: accession number
content: 1989.0210
objectType: label: Object Name
content: flatiron
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: chrome plate (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal, white (reservoir material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood (grip material)
label: Physical Description
content: paint (grip material)
label: Physical Description
content: plastic (screw-valve knob material)
label: Physical Description
content: asbestos (heat mat; padding between handle and deflector material)
label: Physical Description
content: brass (pump tube, torch tube material)
label: Physical Description
content: iron wire (pump handle, torch handle material)
label: Physical Description
content: cotton (torch wick material)
label: Physical Description
content: steel (wrench material)
label: Physical Description
content: rubber (gasket material)
label: Physical Description
content: paper (envelope, instructions material)
label: Physical Description
content: corrogated fiberboard (shipping box material)
label: Physical Description
content: ink (labels, stamps, marks material)
label: Measurements
content: overall, flatiron: 6 3/8 in x 9 3/8 in x 3 in; 16.1925 cm x 23.8125 cm x 7.62 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall, syringe: 1 in x 8 1/8 in x 1 7/8 in; 2.54 cm x 20.6375 cm x 4.7625 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall, flint: 1/4 in x 4 in x 3/4 in; .635 cm x 10.16 cm x 1.905 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall, wrench: 1/8 in x 3 1/2 in x 1 in; .3175 cm x 8.89 cm x 2.54 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall, box: 7 3/8 in x 10 7/8 in x 4 5/8 in; 18.7325 cm x 27.6225 cm x 11.7475 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall, washer: 1/8 in x 5/8 in; .3175 cm x 1.5875 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall, envelope: 1/2 in x 4 1/4 in x 2 3/8 in; 1.27 cm x 10.795 cm x 6.0325 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall, stand: 3/8 in x 6 1/2 in x 4 1/8 in; .9525 cm x 16.51 cm x 10.4775 cm