9-Millionth Maytag Washer - 16mm Film

[cadman]

For the Maytag fans, I've just finished digitizing and uploading a short 16mm film that was shot by a local news station to commemorate the 9,000,000 MT Washer back in 1955.

It's a bit grainy, but I didn't want to get carried away over-correcting things. Anyway, neat stuff!

 

[qsd-dan]

Thanks for your effort digitizing this clip. Perfect music selection, too.

 

[DADoES]

 
9 million by 1955 ... does that refer to only automatics or does it include wringer machines?

I don't imagine the consumer public has a realization of the numbers of appliances that are produced over a range of time.

 

[repairguy]

Great job! What a great piece of appliance history.

 

[cadman]

I believe that was strictly automatics. What amazes me is that they hit 10M just one year later!

 

[swestoyz]

Wow, this clip turned out fantastic! Thank you for taking the time to discovering a way to take film and convert it to a digital format.

As for Maytag's claim of 9th millionth washer, this refers to their 9th millionth Newton-made washing machine, which includes everything starting from the Pastime, onward. Things got a bit muddy when they started making dryers - I'm not sure if the 9th million claim included dryers in 1955, but eventually the did include dryers in this tally.

Ben

 

[mrstickball]

Dang that's awesome. Would I be allowed to use a clip or two from that for an upcoming project I'm working on regarding the history of Maytag? Awesome work.

 

[combo52]

9 million Maytag washing machine built

Very cool Corey I love stuff like this, I always think the sad part about watching videos like this as you realize everybody in the videos is long gone wonder where the nine millionth Maytag is today did that end up in the museum in Newton?

I had a friend in Baltimore who passed away who collected anything related to whirlpool or KitchenAid and I’ve been having a ball going through a lot of old literature. I found about the history of the 1900 corporation.

Apparently the 1900 corporation now whirlpool started making washing machines and simultaneously sears started buying washing machines from them so the two companies grew together, which is why they grew as big the biggest washer maker quickly in the United States and in the world for a long time, fascinating stuff.

I’ll get together with Robert and share a lot of the cool brochures and all that he can add to the picture of the day.

Thanks, Cory,

 

[agiflow]

According to Whirlpool they began as Upton machine company in 1911 and then later merged with 1900 corp.

 

[cadman]

Hey thanks guys!

Ben, appreciate the correction. IIRC, 10M was still washers, but 12M included dryers. That's another film I've scanned, but will require quite a bit of processing before release.

Benny, on use of the clip, I'll shoot you an email at your profile address. -C

 

[qsd-dan]

"I always think the sad part about watching videos like this as you realize everybody in the videos is long gone"

I was thinking the exact same thing while viewing. I bet some of those older people have been dead for 60+ years and didn't even live long enough to see the '06 generation of washers and dryers released.

 

[Unimatic1140]

I bet some of those older people have been dead for 60+ years and didn't even live long enough to see the '06 generation of washers and dryers released.

That's very true however they more than likely all got to see their grandmothers use a Maytag Pastime Washer and would be nostalgic about those.

I absolutely love what you're doing Cory!

 

[launderess]

""I always think the sad part about watching videos like this as you realize everybody in the videos is long gone"

And they along with Frederick Louis Maytag I likely are spinning in their graves over Maytag being gobbled up my Whirlpool.

 

[gansky1]

 

Terrific job, Cory.   That would have been a fun day to be present for, wasn't this factory building fairly new in 1955?  What a time to live in Newton.

 

 

[qsd-dan]

"That's very true however they more than likely all got to see their grandmothers use a Maytag Pastime Washer and would be nostalgic about those."

No grandparents required. Folks in their 60's and 70's in this clip were 10-20 years old when the Pastime debuted in 1905

 

[maytag85]

It’s interesting to know those people were born in the 1880’s and 1890’s, literally saw the US go from a farm based economy to a industrial behemoth by the 1920’s and 1930’s, to the beginning of the space race in the 1950’s, the moon landing in 1969. Even witnessed inventions like the automobile (though wasn’t invented by a single person or entity), the light bulb and electrify, many other innovations over the years.

Those people are probably Gen X’s grandparents (could be the Baby Boomers grandparents as well), Gen Z’s great grandparents.

 

[qsd-dan]

I enjoyed hearing my great grandmothers stories about the ice man, outhouses, first automobile they saw, kerosene street lamps, and their first experience with electricity. My great grandmother on the other side of my family was in an extremely rural area and didn't get electricity and indoor plumbing until the early 1980's then ended up in a nursing home a year later. Probably used a gas wringer washer her entire life.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

I'm surprised at a millionth in the '50's myself, which meant Maytag surely had little to no competition...

 

The sign of Maytag being a one and original, until the other brands like Whirlpool, GE and the Whirlpool-made Sears came along, not to mention Westinghouses' front-loaders...

 

I also liked the music, too...

 

 

 

-- Dave

 

[launderess]

Maytag struck pay dirt with it's first gas engine powered washer. Their money and reputation was made with first "GyraFoam" washer that was an immediate hit.

Far as pre-WWII years when wringer washers dominated American domestic laundry market there was Maytag and everyone else. WP built Sears/Kenmore WWs had advantage of Sears catalog and nationwide retail locations which helped put them over.

https://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREADM.cgi?94257

https://www.gasenginemagazine.com/farm-life/a-brief-history-of-maytag/