We are confident that will have no idea what this is.
Therefore, if you were not alive in the 1930s, there is a good probability that you have no idea what this is. If you do, well done! A little bit strange in appearance? Isn’t it? Are you able to make an educated estimate as to what this device might be?
Could you figure it out?
There is no shame in admitting that you are clueless regarding the nature of this device. However, we are going to bet that this is something you are genuinely curious about! This peculiar-looking gadget, which could be mistaken for a flask or some kind of carrier, was actually a vacuum cleaner manufactured in the 1930s and given the name Hercules! This vintage hoover is a far cry from the modern vacuums that are available nowadays. In point of fact, as I type this, I am presently enjoying the sight of my Roomba® vacuuming the floor. Can you even begin to fathom what it must have been like to live during those times? What a game-changing and forward-thinking piece of technology this was when it was first introduced. And yet, in this day and age, we all fail to appreciate the degree to which the development of technology and other aspects of society have simplified our lives.
Back in those days, the Hercules vacuum cleaner was a piece of equipment that exuded a sense of refined elegance. The one that is displayed up there was coated in crocodile leather, which caused the price to be pretty high for the item. The fact that it was sold during the Great Depression, a time when many families were not even able to make it from one paycheck to the next, let alone afford a Hercules, contributed to the item’s already high level of opulence. [1] If you were aware of what this item was, you could try showing it to your children and seeing if they can figure it out. They have no idea what you are talking about at all!
A Concise Overview of the Development of the Vacuum Cleaner
Did you know that the simple broom didn’t even reach its full potential until the year 1797? After seeing how difficult it was for his wife to sweep, a farmer from Massachusetts made the decision to develop a product that solved the problem. Soon after, his broom, which was marketed under the brand name broomcorn, became well-known. People’s laziness naturally increased with the passage of time. It wasn’t until the 1860s when Daniel Hess invented the first genuine vacuum cleaner. Prior to that, there had been a few new sweepers and brooms invented and discontinued. The essence of his innovation is described as “the nature of my invention consists in dragging fine dust and dirt through the machine by means of a draft of air,” which is taken from his patent.
Ives McGaffey of Chicago went it even further in 1869 and became the first person to do so. However, in practice, his invention was more difficult to use than a standard broom. His patent states that “the collection of dust and dirt in dwelling-houses is a source of severe discomfort to all excellent housekeepers… the purpose of my invention is to alleviate these difficulties.” Unfortunately, his invention did not catch on with the public.
There was a lot of design turnover. However, James Murray Spangler is credited as being the inventor of the modern vacuum cleaner. James, a 60-year-old janitor who lives in Canton, Ohio, toiled away at perfecting his design for hours upon hours. Even his physical health suffered as a result of it. His apparatus was superior to that of his competitors because, in addition to being upright, it could be moved easily. The rudimentary device performed admirably, successfully sucking in grime and discharging it through the rear into the linked pillowcase. After obtaining the patent in 1907, Spangler left his previous position to establish the Electric Suction Sweeper Company.
“To generate the air flow, it made use of the engine from a ceiling fan and paddle blades… He made use of a leather belt and attached it in a similar fashion to a revolving brush that he had removed from a carpet sweeper… Because they did not have a motor driven brush, no one was successful in getting the carpet to that level of cleanliness.
Then, when he got into financial problems and had to sell his company to his cousin Susan Hoover, The Hoover was born!