|
Other Vintage Household Electrical or Electromechanical Items For discussions about other vintage (over 25 years old) electrical and electromechanical household items. See the sticky thread for details. |
|
Thread Tools |
15th Apr 2018, 4:28 pm | #1 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Fakenham, Norfolk, UK.
Posts: 4,244
|
The Belling Electric Home
I'm relishing this 1926-7 booklet /catalogue so much that I'm tempted to make a PDF of all 72 pages sooner or later in order that the whole can be available for anyone to enjoy, but meanwhile here are a few highlights. First, the front cover showing dolly's feet being scorched by an electric fire: then, how to make toast without a toaster: third, the (very) electric bathroom; and, finally, a variety of electic radiator that I've not come across in the flesh. I'm not sure whether its quoted weight of 226 lbs. applies before or after it's filled with water.
"[T]he complete cost of running an ordinary middle class house on electricity in the average town is only between £30 and £40. On this basis, it is obviously quite feasible either to dispense with one servant or to do without one altogether, thus saving anything up to £150 per year. It means that there are no gas or coal bills, and the decorators will come round once in seven years instead of once in three years. It means that all the electric services - heat, light, air, cooking, ironing, hot water, etc.- can be obtained at an instant's notice, at any time, without trouble. It means, virtually, complete domestic emancipation." Paul |
15th Apr 2018, 5:30 pm | #2 |
Nonode
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Cambridge, Cambs. UK.
Posts: 2,196
|
Re: The Belling Electric Home
Just watch where you put that toasting fork , Madam.
Martin
__________________
BVWS Member |
15th Apr 2018, 8:20 pm | #3 |
Heptode
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Edinburgh, UK.
Posts: 805
|
Re: The Belling Electric Home
Please do scan!
|
15th Apr 2018, 8:33 pm | #4 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: West Cumbria (CA13), UK
Posts: 6,118
|
Re: The Belling Electric Home
I too await the completed PDF with interest.
__________________
Mending is better than Ending (cf Brave New World by Aldous Huxley) |
16th Apr 2018, 5:22 pm | #5 |
Heptode
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 998
|
Re: The Belling Electric Home
I feel cold just looking at that electric fire in the bathroom...
|
16th Apr 2018, 7:01 pm | #6 |
Nonode
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, UK.
Posts: 2,013
|
Re: The Belling Electric Home
Sales blokes locked in a meeting to come up with "advantages" generate this sort of thing.
Leaving the door of the fridge open is air conditioning - for a few feet at least. |
16th Apr 2018, 8:12 pm | #7 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: W.Butterwick, near Doncaster UK.
Posts: 8,923
|
Re: The Belling Electric Home
At least no "Elf and Safety" in the bathroom then?
Still,if it gets rid of one servant,I will go for it!
__________________
G8JET BVWS Archivist and Member V.M.A.R.S |
20th Apr 2018, 7:57 pm | #8 |
Hexode
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK.
Posts: 354
|
Re: The Belling Electric Home
I cannot wait to see the full booklet!
|
20th Apr 2018, 9:01 pm | #9 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Brentwood, Essex, UK.
Posts: 5,316
|
Re: The Belling Electric Home
Likewise!
|
30th May 2018, 10:27 am | #10 |
Heptode
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Wellington, New Zealand.
Posts: 653
|
Re: The Belling Electric Home
Reminds me of a tragic/funny story my Nan told me - her good neighbour was not there on one visit (back in the 50's) and I asked here where she was? Nan explained she was dead because 'her toaster was not very good at pushing the toast out so she often used to fish it out with a butter knife - this was all OK when she used her old bone handled knives but one day she decided to use the nice new stainless cutlery she'd just bought. Her son found her dead the next day 'still holding onto the knife'.
|
6th Jun 2018, 8:43 pm | #11 |
Heptode
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 899
|
Re: The Belling Electric Home
I may have mentioned this before but here goes. As a small boy I once poked my mums knitting needle into the belling convector. I am 61 now but that experience will stay with me till I die. But that's not all, once I had recovered my dad gave me a right pasting, not for almost killing myself but for buggering the heater up.
|
6th Jun 2018, 11:11 pm | #12 |
Nonode
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: West Midlands, UK.
Posts: 2,181
|
Re: The Belling Electric Home
Reminds me of an old cooker manual of my parents I found when clearing out dad's old place. I was at a loss for the temperature settings on recipes till someone mentioned that the temperatures could be in degree kelvin. As I don't remember the cooker, it could be circa 1946 .
|
7th Jun 2018, 11:52 am | #13 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Colchester, Essex, UK.
Posts: 4,081
|
Re: The Belling Electric Home
An electric radiator filled with water!
My other half has a faux newspaper purporting to be from the year 2000 which was actually printed as a gimic in about 1928 to publicise the ideal home exhibition. Wait till you see that, it will get scanned eventually. The 'aerocars' in use look like vickers vimy's, and the road going motor cars show no imagination whatsoever- the headlamps haven't even receded into the wings. It does have an article on using the channel tunnel for holidays though. Some very interesting hits and misses. Dave |
7th Jun 2018, 12:35 pm | #14 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Shropshire, UK.
Posts: 3,051
|
Re: The Belling Electric Home
Immersion heaters to fit ordinary radiators are still available - mainly for use with heated towel rails in the summer months.
I have a book from a slightly earlier period which makes similar predictions, not least that as motor-cars become more popular, and roads improve, 'every man will become his one engine driver, with a station just outside his front door'. |
7th Jun 2018, 3:39 pm | #15 |
Octode
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Dorridge, West Midlands, UK.
Posts: 1,474
|
Re: The Belling Electric Home
Seeing this post reminded me of a similar project near where I live where the whole idea was tried out.
http://www.historyworld.co.uk/housing.php?opt=1930s&h=7 It is known locally and was recently sympathetically restored. Chris |