[Techman]

The cleaner was put to use a couple of days ago blowing the dust and spiders out of its first vintage item. I don't know if I'm imagining it, but I declare that it has a bit more blowing power than my other one!

The other thing that I've since realised is that the model numbers around this time were sometimes in Roman Numerals as well as written in standard form as in the Z25 etc., so of course it's a 'Model 12'.

I've also seen somewhere that the number on the plate indicates both model and year, so 1232 on mine indicates it's a model 12 made in 1932. I don't know what the preceding 'L' stands for, but like the Roman Numeral thing it's probably staring me in the face!

It seems the '12' was made between 1930 - 34. The Z25 being made between 1935 - 45, mine being an early one. Also according to the information 'on-line', the oldest one that I remember my parents having was the ZA55, made between 1949 - 55. The green and white replacement for this latter one I've identified as the ZC90, made between 1965 - 68, which goes about right with what I can remember.

I never would have dreamed in a million years back then that I'd become an 'unintentional' collector of these things, otherwise I'd have made more of an attempt to at least save some of the attachments from them. I remember the 1950s one was always kept in its original cardboard box with all its attachments including the paint sprayer with its glass jar in the cupboard under the stairs. It seems that several of the attachments from the 60s one seem to have somehow survived and are now with me, particularly the narrow nozzle wand that I've been using for years on my 'bin' type cleaner/blower...unfortunately it's now got a split in it and been bodged with gaffer tape!