Did you know Hoover made....

[myhooverco]

I was working at the Hoover Historical Center today. No one came for a tour (I can't imagine why?) so I went thumbing through some old negatives and came across this one. I copied it then scanned my copy so pardon me for the poor picture quality. It is a Hoover badged popcorn popper...I am not sure who made it for Hoover but it is not a true Hoover product. By the late 60's, Hoover was in full swing in the housewares department and had a very full product line.

 

[westytoploader]

That is very neat Tom, thanks for posting! Do you have one of these in your collection?

 

[myhooverco]

No...but I am on the look out for one now that I know it actually exists!

--Tom

 

[eluxomarty]

Tom

Thanks for the pictures. I noticed you have the cordless Electric knife. I have one in the box that i found in a thrift store. I love the gold flecks on the cover. I will be on the lookout for a corn popper. Do you have any hand mixers?

Marty

 

[maytagbear]

Looks like a

Mirro popper.

Thanks for sharing this interesting bit of history!

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[myhooverco]

Hoover hand mixer

Yes, I have three Hoover handmixers. The first one circa 1955 has its original box and wall mount with screws. The newer mixers have one difference between them. One has the Hoover logo in red and the other only has the logo outlined in red. Why...who knows??? I do have the original box and instructions for one of them. Enjoy the pic.

--Tom

 

[maytagbear]

That 1955 one

bears a strong resemblance to the Hamilton Beach Mixette, though I may be mistaken. All three look good, anyway.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[eluxomarty]

And the newer ones...

look like Sunbeams. I have two of the newer ones and was going to offer one to you but I see that you've got it covered! LOL!! You've got a great Hoover Collection!!!

 

[gansky1]

Obviously Hoover was into the small appliance line long before I thought. I guess I was under the impression that all the smalls came about in the 60's. When did Hoover branch out from just cleaning appliances?

 

[launderess]

Don't know the exact year, but my Hoover TT owner's manual shows a full range of small appliances. Will look more closely for a copyright date or something.

L.

 

[eluxomarty]

Hoover smalls

I think Hoover stared makind irons in the 40's and then perculators and mixers in the early 50's. But that's a guess. Hoover had been making washing machines in the UK much earlier.

 

[mixfinder]

Hand Mixers

The two newer mixers are made by Sunbeam
Kelly

 

[petek]

Here's a pic

Of Hoover products featured in the back of my blender booklet. 1970.

 

[eluxomarty]

isn't it a trip ...

about those full sized washers and dryers. Did Hoover sell alot of these? I have never seen one live and in person, just in the back of various Hoover manuals.

 

[gansky1]

I brought a pair of the Hoover full-sized machines home from the Iowa store in '03, they are now in the collection of John and Tom in D.C. Link is to my Yahoo album, you have to click "download" for the larger picture and there are more after this one of the washer.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/gansky1/detail?.dir=b008&.dnm=4600.jpg&.src=ph

 

[eluxomarty]

Great Pictures!!

I see my friend Rich in there!

 

[veg-o-matic]

That Hoover popper is the same one Sears offered in the late '60s. I think it's the one that came with a stirring thingie so you could make caramel corn in it.

veg

 

[myhooverco]

It all started in 1947...

Hoover Housewares all began in 1947 with a 3 1/4 pound dry iron that Hoover made themselves. When Hoover Sr. retired in 1948 and his brother retired in 1951, the younger Hoover took over in 1954 and set out to make some changes in the products that they marketed. Hoover had already built a successful washer following in England and even built a plant to produce them in Mythr Tydfill, Wales. So the younger Hoover just decided to go full force into other appliance areas. They began in the mid fifties with a coffee pot, mixer, and a steam iron. Then plant expansions allowed the fry pan to develop in the early 1960's. Hoover bought up Knapp-Monarch in 1969 which labeled everything for Hoover. The end came in 1977 when Hoover decided that they could make more profit on a vacuum than a $15 toaster. So they sold the Housewares (including the fry pan) off in 1977 and concentrated on floor care. They have recently come back to housewares with the introduction of the air cleaner back in 2000 under "hoovertag" management. Will they ever go back to a full line of appliances? Doubtful. They did make refrigerators too! If given more time, they could have expanded their laundry and large kitchen appliances.

--Tom