Attn. Australian members ... Hotpoint wringer washers

[bradross]

Hello to our Australian members!

Wondering if anybody has this wringer washer in their collection. The advert is from 1944.

 

[ea56]

That’s a great ad Brad. But I’m surprised that new washing machines were sold in Australia during WWII. In the USA the manufacture of both small and large appliances was suspended for the duration. Perhaps there wasn’t much if any manufacturing of munitions, artillery, ships, tanks and airplanes in Australia during WWII?

Appliances

Both large and small appliances were not manufactured during the war, so appliance stores shifted their business focus from sales to repairs. Often families or neighbors would share appliances. In July 1944, to encourage home canning but prevent botulism, 400,000 pressure cookers were released for sale, preferably for community use. In Antioch, California, the PTA purchased a pressure cooker to share within the community.

https://www.sarahsundin.com/make-it-do-metal-shortages-during-world-war-ii/

Eddie

 

[aussie-plugs]

Dating the advertisement

I agree with Eddie. It would be surprising to see such things manufactured during wartime. The date is really hard to read, so I'm wondering if there's any chance it's actually after 1945. For example, were full colour printed ads in Women's Weekly by 1945, or did they come later? Is the date perhap 1950-something ...

 

[ea56]

Re: #2

Nick, looking at the ad again the hairstyle of the women in the ad more closely resembles a hairstyle from 1954 than 1944 so this could be the explanation of the date discrepancy. Few women in 1944 wore their hair this short.

Eddie

 

[launderess]

When peace comes...

Though out WWII years especially towards end appliance manufacturers took out all sorts of adverts to remind consumers that once peace came what they could get.

Maytag, General Electric, et al all ran such adverts in publications marketed towards women/housewives for a start.

First advert reminds housewives that while war is still on (1944) soon as peace comes they will want a washing machine.

Second (1947) shows off Hotpoint's range of electric appliances on offer, but also reminds housewives that demand is great but production is just gearing up for peace time sales so they may have to wait.

Third advert is from 1953 and shows both round and square tub Hotpoint wringers an marks their "With an wink of an eye...." marketing campaign. Note not a mention of WWII.

 

[launderess]

1948 and 1950 respectively. Note no mention is made of wartime shortages or such.

 

[aussie-plugs]

Great images!

What a great variety of Aussie advertising you have there. Thanks for posting

 

[bradross]

Oops....1953 actually!

Sorry folks, I dated the pic wrong - just checked my album and it's definitely 1953.

 

[launderess]

@ R6

YW! Images are not mine per se; just did a quick internet search.

Seems so odd that across Europe and elsewhere wringers in square cabinets took off, but outside of Canada they were unknown in North America.

 

[jamiel]

Below is speculation....

I wonder if "square" wringer washers were womens' "second" wringer---they wore out one, then were in a market where automatics weren't quite feasible, so got a second, more deluxe in a square cabinet.

Also, given the higher volume of production in the US not sure that a round-forming production line (i.e. round wringer washers without outer cabinets) wasn't way more efficient than producing round tubbed units then putting a stamped steel cabinet around the "works"

Not sure the US ever had a "second" wringer market---I suspect with the earliest automatics (Bendix, Westinghouse) being pre-war, automatics came roaring into the market in the 1947-1949 period just when everyone's old wringer was about worn out. Plus, with Easy in the market for a spinner if milady was a die-hard non-automatic user there were two "deluxe" choices---a square cast-aluminum Maytag or an Easy.

 

[circlew]

Replacement market for wringer machines

The spring and summer of 1977 I worked at a hardware store that was a Maytag dealer. Part of my job was to assist with the delivery and installation of appliances. I remember several wringer machines being sold, and usually there was an old wringer washer being traded in. Most of the machines were sold to farm people, who had well water and septic tanks, and lived in old houses with less than desirable plumbing.

 

[anthony]

i have

one in cream like the one in the advert and a later one from possibly the late 50s early 60s. the cream one is very early .It has no pump just a tap inside the door. notice the difference in size