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| $125.00 |
When I spied this percolator I got excited. I was even more excited when I realized it had all the pieces!
Such a beautiful piece for entertaining guests. This company was known for their small electrics and useful things for the early 20th century housewife. The company was established in 1862. https://nbindustrial.org/collection/landers/
Be weary of dealers claiming percolators were made before 1900. Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877 and in 1879 a reliable light bulb.
In the 1880's some cities had electric base stations operating only a few city blocks.
Only the wealthy homes, I mean mansions would experience what many thought a terrible glare in their ballrooms. They went from candle light or gas lights and squinting their eyes, to as if looking directly at the sun!
I know the look of gas lights. How? Amish friends. It gives off dull light so you don't trip but, it is not a bright white light. When you see metal or mirrors behind old sconces it was to help project the light.
Samuel Insull is a name not commonly heard with electric. He actually made electric affordable for the middle class household. He expanded electricity to the masses and not just the wealthy. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/theymadeamerica/whomade/insull_hi.html
When I say wealthy it is on the scale of the Mellon, Morgan, Ford etc. These were players in modernizing America. Surgeons were not thought of then like they are now but, their wealth now would not be part of the select few.
So really early small appliances and some larger like a dishwasher were purchased likely by households for servants to use. I think sometimes we lose the context in which items were used. It is important to understand the time in which an item was utilized. Not only does it make collecting more interesting but, preserves history more accurately when chatting up buyers or fellow collectors.
Think about this, only half of U.S. homes had electric in 1925. You would have to be able to afford it and frankly an area where people or business could buy it and have their building wired. Many people in rural areas today can still remember family members with water pumps and without electricity. So when you discover early electric gadgets it has likely come from a wealthy kitchen or a prosperous family.
Good gravy! Be weary of stuff you read online. Just researching for this article I found so many engineering sites with "electric firsts," with incorrect information. They did not match the Smithsonian, museums or company's actual historical information they have put out. One article stated 90% of American homes had electric toasters in 1905! Remember, I told you half of America had electric in 1925!
Actually electric toasters did not really take off until after 1928 with the invention of commercial sliced bread.
** 1929 the stock market crashed and plunged many Americans into poverty or extreme rationing.
https://www.nps.gov/edis/learn/kidsyouth/the-electric-light-system-phonograph-motion-pictures.htm
See Universal and patent stamped on the bottom.
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