PLEASE NOTE: This review of the AW Club beginnings is intended for public, as well as for members’, information. Therefore, it must be noted that each member chooses a unique user name, or “handle”, included herein as AW “handle”. Members are invited to add their recollections and details about development of the AW Club as a response to this thread. However, comments that do not contain historical information should be offered in a new thread. (See FOOTNOTES AND DETAILS below.)
PREHISTORY:
A majority of the Automatic Washer Club (“AW”) members report an early childhood fascination with major home appliances, washers and laundry. Later, thinking of themselves as “the only one”, some developed an interest in saving machines from destruction, some in rebuilding and restoring, some in collecting and using, but all committed.
FIRST CONTACT:
Several of these lone washerkind saw the March 6, 1989 issue of PEOPLE MAGAZINE featuring Chuck Diehl [later, AW “Laundromat”] whose own childhood had produced the “Charles William Diehl, Jr. Museum of Appliances” in his Baltimore apartment. The national exposure of this publication, and a November 1989 WASHINGTON POST article about the collections of John Lefever [later, AW “Combo 52"] and Tom Stiyer [AW “turbomatic”], commenced a network of ‘phone contacts (in those pre-internet days) with a growing awareness of other collectors. More recently, first contact for most members has been the discovery of the AW site on-line –the “aha moment” of coming out: “there you all are; I am not the only one.”
BIG PICTURE:
In the Fall of 1993, Chuck, John and Tom furnished 10 machines for the SMITHSONIAN’S New York City Cooper-Hewitt Museum of Design show, “Mechanical Brides, Women and Machines from Home to Office”. This six-month exhibition postulated that modern time-saving automatic technologies enabled the housewife to enter the workforce following the impetus of “Rosie the Riveter” in WWII --thus irrevocably altering gender relationships. This authoritative recognition of the automatic washer as a icon of cultural change established its worth for preservation and study -–not only in its response to broad societal needs, but also in its designs for mechanical interface with human users as well as in its development of home laundry technology--- that is, “collectable”. (The machines were: two bolt down c.1948 Bendix Home Laundry, a standard and a deluxe, a pair of 1956 white slant front Westinghouses, a pair of white 1960 Frigidaires, a pair of 1964 turquoise Lady Kenmores, and a pair of 1964 white Lady Kenmores, the latter pair not displayed.)
COLLECTION AND FIRST WASH-IN:
Hence, through the early 1990's, a group of kindred minds and social dispositions developed to save, exchange, rebuild, use and collect automatic washers. This seminal activity culminated in August 1996 as the first “wash-in” held at the Chatham, MA, house of Jon Charles [AW “Jetcone”]. Attended by Chuck Diehl, John Lefever, Robert Seger [AW “Unimatic1140"], Gary Weibel [AW “Launderall”], Don Hagerty [now inactive], and their respective significant others [now, “the washer widows”], the group adopted a name, “The Society for the Restoration of Vintage Automatic Appliances (SRVAA)”.
ABERDEEN FARM:
In October 1997, eight members of SRVAA driving a rented box truck visited a farm outside Aberdeen, South Dakota, where years of classic appliances had been retired –set out in orderly rows (but neither dumped nor organized) over a ten acre wrecking yard intended for parts. Two days of excited and thoughtful archeology amidst weeds and rust yielded about two dozen washers and dryers which were brought back to Minneapolis, Maryland, and Boston for preservation. Most of these machines have been restored, or have contributed parts, and survive in collections today. (The rescuers were Jon Charles, John Lefever, Robert Seger, Gary Weibel, John Eichenger [AW “Gyromatic”], Robert Stokes [AW “Syndets2000"], and Don Hagerty.)
WEBSITES FACILITATE FORMATION OF THE AW CLUB:
[email protected] (then known as a “group”) was initiated in September 1999, by Jeff Lefever [AW “Jeff_adelphi”] to expedite SRVAA communications through an internet presence. This site first attracted Louis [AW “foralysious”] in Amsterdam, followed on the same day by Peter [AW “peteski50"] in NYC, and so on across the country and around the world. (The Yahoo site continues today, seemingly inhabited mostly by Frigidaire Flair range folks.)
ClassicAppliances.com was created in May 2001, by software website professional Robert Seger [AW “Unimatic1140"] to better handle the burgeoning postings, and to serve the subject more effectively and in greater depth than the Yahoo site. After some experience in the growing needs of the nick named “Applianceville”, the site was superceded by Automaticwasher.org with Robert as Webmaster, author of the in-house code, and (now) tireless scanner for “Automatic Ephemera” services. This site has evolved into the current format that hosts the members of AW who, including owners of new washing machines and others interested in related appliance technology, number well over 2600 today (September 2015).
A W FORMATIVE ACTIVITIES:
In August 2001, Robert hosted the first “national/international wash-in convention” for on-line participants among his exceptional collection of 30 working automatic washers in Minneapolis. This gathering attracted over 30 members and associates from the east coast, south and midwest for a diverse two-and-half day program of laundry play, estate sale scavenging, meals, and personal introductions.
In August 2002, a second “national/international convention” as the AW was held in the major home appliance warehouse and fledgling appliance museum of AW “Combo52" in the Washington, DC suburb of Beltsville, MD. This attracted around 60 members for a three day program which included wash-ins at the collections of “Jeff_adelphi” and Bob Wirth [now inactive]. Jason LeBeouf [AW“jasonl”] produced a DVD of the event which is now in the possession of many of those present.
In June 2005, a third AW “national/international convention” was hosted by Greg Nunn [AW “Gansky1"] assisted by AW “Jetcone” and Terry Lattz [AW “tlee618", now deceased] in Omaha. This gathering attracted 60 - 75 members and associates for three well-programmed days of laundry in Greg’s extensive collection along with estate sale scavenging, catered food, and emerging friendships brought together by a common interest in appliances, related technology, and the AW site.
In October 2010, the first known wash-in in the Pacific Northwest was hosted by Greg Bushman [AW “luxflairguy”] in Belleview, WA, attended by Kelly Beard [AW “mixfinder”], Delmar [AW “whitekingD”], Jon [AW “jons1077"], Brian [AW “northwesty”] and Patrick Foley [AW “p-dub5"]. That same weekend, unknown to either group, a “national convention dry run” was held in Beltsville for 50 familiar and invited new members to consider and test the logistics for an anticipated club-wide gathering which, it was thought, could attract well over 100 members. (A “national/international convention” has not been held as of the end of 2015.)
In April 2012, however, an intended “wash-in” evolved into a multi-day “national wash-in” hosted by Kevin Benz [AW “revvinkevin”] in Long Beach, CA. Over 50 AW members from across the country and western Canada participated in two days of rebuilding fellowship, an evening wash-in among his approximately 30 machines, and seemingly perpetual food professionally prepared by Kelly [AW “mixfinder”, now deceased]. This was a significant event during which several of Kevin’s machines were rehabilitated in a clinic, and many active members on the west coast and southwest first met with others from all across the country.
April 2012, also saw a 30-minute national broadcast by THE LEARNING CHANNEL in their mini series, “My Crazy Obsession”, that profiled Robert and Fred’s Minneapolis collections of washers and vacuum cleaners. The program informed viewers about the many facets of appliance collecting: childhood fixation, the hunt for rare and/or desired machines, repair and restoration of the artifact, the joy of the wash cycle, and the pleasure of sharing among others of similar interests.
In September 2015, the national broadcast of the popular program, CBS Sunday Morning, included a segment hosted by Bill Geist of a small regional wash-in at the Melrose, MA, laundry room of AW “Jetcone”. The program, recorded in June with 13 members present, focused on the “enthusiasm” of collecting vintage machines and of laundry in the 22 working machines in his collection highlighting a 1939 Utility Bendix as well as a pair of 1957 charcoal control tower Frigidares misidentified as “Blackstone B250's”. An excellent New England lunch prepared by restauranteur Eddie Woelfle [AW “toploader55”] was followed by a discussion of appliance collecting among the members, and an afternoon of enthusiastic laundry and photography.
CLUB STRUCTURE : “WASH - INS” AND THE WEBSITE:
From the first gathering of the SRVAA (as the future AW) in 1996 on through today in 2015, without any formal organization many individual members have spontaneously held invited local and regional gatherings of at least a half-dozen members and associates for automatic washer camaraderie. These events, known as “wash-ins”, usually include laundry play in the host’s automatic washers, exchange of information, parts and/or machines, sometimes thrift store or estate sale salvaging –and all affirmed by good companionship, food and drink. As the wash-ins have evolved in varying venues across the country, as well as in England, Australia, and Italy, they are a ”face-time cycle” that has spawned the lasting friendships which underpin the primary bond of the AW website, Automaticwasher.org.
FOOTNOTES AND DETAILS:
Members are invited to fill out this broad outline “thread” in a response with personal recollections and details, as well as questions, as these relate to the development of the AW club. Also, responses should be added as significant activities occur. Please make sure of accurate facts and dates as this thread is intended to serve as the AW history archive. Local wash-ins with photographs should be reported as news in a new thread. Further, please offer any comments that do not contain historical information in a new thread.
Below is a link to a PDF file that can be downloaded and/or printed.
PREHISTORY:
A majority of the Automatic Washer Club (“AW”) members report an early childhood fascination with major home appliances, washers and laundry. Later, thinking of themselves as “the only one”, some developed an interest in saving machines from destruction, some in rebuilding and restoring, some in collecting and using, but all committed.
FIRST CONTACT:
Several of these lone washerkind saw the March 6, 1989 issue of PEOPLE MAGAZINE featuring Chuck Diehl [later, AW “Laundromat”] whose own childhood had produced the “Charles William Diehl, Jr. Museum of Appliances” in his Baltimore apartment. The national exposure of this publication, and a November 1989 WASHINGTON POST article about the collections of John Lefever [later, AW “Combo 52"] and Tom Stiyer [AW “turbomatic”], commenced a network of ‘phone contacts (in those pre-internet days) with a growing awareness of other collectors. More recently, first contact for most members has been the discovery of the AW site on-line –the “aha moment” of coming out: “there you all are; I am not the only one.”
BIG PICTURE:
In the Fall of 1993, Chuck, John and Tom furnished 10 machines for the SMITHSONIAN’S New York City Cooper-Hewitt Museum of Design show, “Mechanical Brides, Women and Machines from Home to Office”. This six-month exhibition postulated that modern time-saving automatic technologies enabled the housewife to enter the workforce following the impetus of “Rosie the Riveter” in WWII --thus irrevocably altering gender relationships. This authoritative recognition of the automatic washer as a icon of cultural change established its worth for preservation and study -–not only in its response to broad societal needs, but also in its designs for mechanical interface with human users as well as in its development of home laundry technology--- that is, “collectable”. (The machines were: two bolt down c.1948 Bendix Home Laundry, a standard and a deluxe, a pair of 1956 white slant front Westinghouses, a pair of white 1960 Frigidaires, a pair of 1964 turquoise Lady Kenmores, and a pair of 1964 white Lady Kenmores, the latter pair not displayed.)
COLLECTION AND FIRST WASH-IN:
Hence, through the early 1990's, a group of kindred minds and social dispositions developed to save, exchange, rebuild, use and collect automatic washers. This seminal activity culminated in August 1996 as the first “wash-in” held at the Chatham, MA, house of Jon Charles [AW “Jetcone”]. Attended by Chuck Diehl, John Lefever, Robert Seger [AW “Unimatic1140"], Gary Weibel [AW “Launderall”], Don Hagerty [now inactive], and their respective significant others [now, “the washer widows”], the group adopted a name, “The Society for the Restoration of Vintage Automatic Appliances (SRVAA)”.
ABERDEEN FARM:
In October 1997, eight members of SRVAA driving a rented box truck visited a farm outside Aberdeen, South Dakota, where years of classic appliances had been retired –set out in orderly rows (but neither dumped nor organized) over a ten acre wrecking yard intended for parts. Two days of excited and thoughtful archeology amidst weeds and rust yielded about two dozen washers and dryers which were brought back to Minneapolis, Maryland, and Boston for preservation. Most of these machines have been restored, or have contributed parts, and survive in collections today. (The rescuers were Jon Charles, John Lefever, Robert Seger, Gary Weibel, John Eichenger [AW “Gyromatic”], Robert Stokes [AW “Syndets2000"], and Don Hagerty.)
WEBSITES FACILITATE FORMATION OF THE AW CLUB:
[email protected] (then known as a “group”) was initiated in September 1999, by Jeff Lefever [AW “Jeff_adelphi”] to expedite SRVAA communications through an internet presence. This site first attracted Louis [AW “foralysious”] in Amsterdam, followed on the same day by Peter [AW “peteski50"] in NYC, and so on across the country and around the world. (The Yahoo site continues today, seemingly inhabited mostly by Frigidaire Flair range folks.)
ClassicAppliances.com was created in May 2001, by software website professional Robert Seger [AW “Unimatic1140"] to better handle the burgeoning postings, and to serve the subject more effectively and in greater depth than the Yahoo site. After some experience in the growing needs of the nick named “Applianceville”, the site was superceded by Automaticwasher.org with Robert as Webmaster, author of the in-house code, and (now) tireless scanner for “Automatic Ephemera” services. This site has evolved into the current format that hosts the members of AW who, including owners of new washing machines and others interested in related appliance technology, number well over 2600 today (September 2015).
A W FORMATIVE ACTIVITIES:
In August 2001, Robert hosted the first “national/international wash-in convention” for on-line participants among his exceptional collection of 30 working automatic washers in Minneapolis. This gathering attracted over 30 members and associates from the east coast, south and midwest for a diverse two-and-half day program of laundry play, estate sale scavenging, meals, and personal introductions.
In August 2002, a second “national/international convention” as the AW was held in the major home appliance warehouse and fledgling appliance museum of AW “Combo52" in the Washington, DC suburb of Beltsville, MD. This attracted around 60 members for a three day program which included wash-ins at the collections of “Jeff_adelphi” and Bob Wirth [now inactive]. Jason LeBeouf [AW“jasonl”] produced a DVD of the event which is now in the possession of many of those present.
In June 2005, a third AW “national/international convention” was hosted by Greg Nunn [AW “Gansky1"] assisted by AW “Jetcone” and Terry Lattz [AW “tlee618", now deceased] in Omaha. This gathering attracted 60 - 75 members and associates for three well-programmed days of laundry in Greg’s extensive collection along with estate sale scavenging, catered food, and emerging friendships brought together by a common interest in appliances, related technology, and the AW site.
In October 2010, the first known wash-in in the Pacific Northwest was hosted by Greg Bushman [AW “luxflairguy”] in Belleview, WA, attended by Kelly Beard [AW “mixfinder”], Delmar [AW “whitekingD”], Jon [AW “jons1077"], Brian [AW “northwesty”] and Patrick Foley [AW “p-dub5"]. That same weekend, unknown to either group, a “national convention dry run” was held in Beltsville for 50 familiar and invited new members to consider and test the logistics for an anticipated club-wide gathering which, it was thought, could attract well over 100 members. (A “national/international convention” has not been held as of the end of 2015.)
In April 2012, however, an intended “wash-in” evolved into a multi-day “national wash-in” hosted by Kevin Benz [AW “revvinkevin”] in Long Beach, CA. Over 50 AW members from across the country and western Canada participated in two days of rebuilding fellowship, an evening wash-in among his approximately 30 machines, and seemingly perpetual food professionally prepared by Kelly [AW “mixfinder”, now deceased]. This was a significant event during which several of Kevin’s machines were rehabilitated in a clinic, and many active members on the west coast and southwest first met with others from all across the country.
April 2012, also saw a 30-minute national broadcast by THE LEARNING CHANNEL in their mini series, “My Crazy Obsession”, that profiled Robert and Fred’s Minneapolis collections of washers and vacuum cleaners. The program informed viewers about the many facets of appliance collecting: childhood fixation, the hunt for rare and/or desired machines, repair and restoration of the artifact, the joy of the wash cycle, and the pleasure of sharing among others of similar interests.
In September 2015, the national broadcast of the popular program, CBS Sunday Morning, included a segment hosted by Bill Geist of a small regional wash-in at the Melrose, MA, laundry room of AW “Jetcone”. The program, recorded in June with 13 members present, focused on the “enthusiasm” of collecting vintage machines and of laundry in the 22 working machines in his collection highlighting a 1939 Utility Bendix as well as a pair of 1957 charcoal control tower Frigidares misidentified as “Blackstone B250's”. An excellent New England lunch prepared by restauranteur Eddie Woelfle [AW “toploader55”] was followed by a discussion of appliance collecting among the members, and an afternoon of enthusiastic laundry and photography.
CLUB STRUCTURE : “WASH - INS” AND THE WEBSITE:
From the first gathering of the SRVAA (as the future AW) in 1996 on through today in 2015, without any formal organization many individual members have spontaneously held invited local and regional gatherings of at least a half-dozen members and associates for automatic washer camaraderie. These events, known as “wash-ins”, usually include laundry play in the host’s automatic washers, exchange of information, parts and/or machines, sometimes thrift store or estate sale salvaging –and all affirmed by good companionship, food and drink. As the wash-ins have evolved in varying venues across the country, as well as in England, Australia, and Italy, they are a ”face-time cycle” that has spawned the lasting friendships which underpin the primary bond of the AW website, Automaticwasher.org.
FOOTNOTES AND DETAILS:
Members are invited to fill out this broad outline “thread” in a response with personal recollections and details, as well as questions, as these relate to the development of the AW club. Also, responses should be added as significant activities occur. Please make sure of accurate facts and dates as this thread is intended to serve as the AW history archive. Local wash-ins with photographs should be reported as news in a new thread. Further, please offer any comments that do not contain historical information in a new thread.
Below is a link to a PDF file that can be downloaded and/or printed.
AWC history final
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