Ormond hair dryer

[Cobaltblue]

Ormond was a household name in domestic appliances and in wireless in the earliest days.
https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Ormond_Engineering_Co

This one is in working condition although the motor is a bit noisy it looks as if the lubrication has dried out.

Bought at a boot sale in the 1980's when they were pennies.

No sign of asbestos.

A nice touch is the switched MK Plug.

Another nice feature is you get to the element by removing just one screw.

Nicely built consumer item probably from the 1950's

Cheers

Mike T

[Paul_RK]

Good one, I think we have a cream example hiding somewhere. I've always imagined these to date from the mid to late '30s: a more vintage air about them than my favourite model of dryer, the HMV HD1, which is definitely from 1946-7.

Paul

[Cobaltblue]

Hi Paul yes I thought Pre-war but the advert on the link is dated 1957 perhaps they just built the same model for 3 decades.

Cheers

Mike T

[Paul_RK]

Originally Posted by Cobaltblue

...perhaps they just built the same model for 3 decades...

Does seem likely - the Science Museum has an Ormond hairdryer (no image) which they date to 1945, whereas this museum site opts for the '30s

https://www.culturenlmuseums.co.uk/SIModes/Detail/13094

I think both the hairdryer and the toaster in the Grace's Guide ad would have looked rather dated by 1957, so perhaps the Ormond domestic appliances division dwindled to nothing through a lack of design investment. Having said that, the hairdryer is from memory much less heavy than the 1946 HMV, giving it a distinct advantage for some users at least.

Paul

[Lloyd 1985]

I’ve got one of these too, and it came in it’s own Bakelite box with a mirror in the lid it works too, but part of the former for the element has lost a corner so it’s a bit loose.

Regards
Lloyd

[Cobaltblue]

Yes the box with the mirror is illustrated in Pauls link curious what the metal piece is though in the box, diffuser maybe?

Cheers

Mike T

[Lloyd 1985]

I think the metal thing is just a clip, either to hold the hair dryer in place or the cable, can’t remember which! I’ll have a look when I get home. I’m sure it’s fixed to the box.

Regards
Lloyd

That has brought back some memories, Granny had one, I loved the switches.

[ajgriff]

This ivory version of an Ormond hair dryer was sold to me by a house clearance market trader who took great delight in describing it as BNIB! Unfortunately there are no date clues. I actually use the drier on a regular basis and considered it to be very good value at £4.

Alan

And spares available, delightful.

[McMurdo]

It's in a 1937 catalogue too:

[Cobaltblue]

Thanks for that Kevin

So it seems they were being sold for more than 20 years that's a pretty successful design.

Cheers

Mike T

[Paul_RK]

And sold all ready to be connected to the lighting circuit, not recommended with today's 1500W hairdryers! The "dual plug" looks like one I have somewhere, a standard 5A two pin plug with a BC adaptor. Just need a single-to-double BC adaptor too and the hairdryer and bulb can be powered from the one ceiling rose, which was the only power point many bedrooms had.

Paul

[ajgriff]

This is the lampholder plug which came in the box with my Ormond drier (post #9). Looks identical to the one shown in the 1937 advert although it's not pictured or mentioned in the later 1957 version.

Alan

[MurphyNut]

They're very nice items, I collect Bakelite hairdryers and have the Ormond models in cream and brown in their own matching Bakelite boxes.

[Cobaltblue]

Those are really nice examples.

Curious that the badge on the brown one is upside down compared to the others.

It looks as if there is no way to date these at all...

Unless someone knows differently

Cheers

Mike T

[ajgriff]

I wonder when production of the E1022 actually ceased? A bit of research suggests that there may have been a later plastic version with caskets available in different colours. Overall there must have been a large number of Ormond hair dryers sold judging by the number of survivors, most of which are advertised as working as well. I guess this support's the company's original claim that they were 'better built'. Apparently Ormond Engineering was placed in the hands of a liquidator in June 1984. A sad end.

Out of interest does anyone who has a casket also have the comb which clipped to the inside of the lid?

Alan

[winston_1]

I have the brown one which was bought by my late parents some time in the 50s. I also have a cream one that I picked up recently at a boot sale for not much money. Both still work well.

[MurphyNut]

Originally Posted by ajgriff

I wonder when production of the E1022 actually ceased? A bit of research suggests that there may have been a later plastic version with caskets available in different colours. Overall there must have been a large number of Ormond hair dryers sold judging by the number of survivors, most of which are advertised as working as well. I guess this support's the company's original claim that they were 'better built'. Apparently Ormond Engineering was placed in the hands of a liquidator in June 1984. A sad end.

Out of interest does anyone who has a casket also have the comb which clipped to the inside of the lid?

Alan

I think the E1022 must of ceased well before the 1960's it would have looked very old fashioned by then. I found an image of a 1950s Ormond hairdryer (E1500) maybe it's replacement.
I've never seen the comb either, I wonder if it was made of Bakelite!

[ajgriff]

Found an image of a comb in its clips. Looks like plastic but hard to say whether or not it's the original comb.

Alan