The whole project is fascinating, Robert, thank you, but I'm particularly interested in how early Blackstone got their machine on the market. They were years ahead with a top loading automatic, and the only automatic that didn't need bolting down.
Why they didn't take off more we can only speculate. I would guess their limited distribution was a handicap, and the very high prewar price of $179.50 and up would have put them out of the reach of most families. It was very common then for upper middle class families to send the washing out to a laundry or to employ a washerwoman, anyway. So a lot of folks would have found an automatic more of a luxury item than a necessity.
