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I posted this before a while ago, but here are my 3 vintage Shop-Vac machines I have so far. The one on the left is like new; the other two are used, but I have given them a thorough disassembly and cleaning. From what I've seen, the history of the Shop-Vac is little known and I'm itching to know more. All I know is it originated in Hackensack, NJ sometime in the 1960's and went from there.

Left to right: Aqua-Klean 8-gallon (1976), 600 5-gallon (1980), 600C 5-gallon (approx. 1989). They work great and are much more powerful than anything you see today (probably because of the top hose inlet), and I can use any of them with the wide 2 1/2" hose. Right now I'm using the 600 as the "laundry shed vacuum"...but when everything's all done I'll give them a good cleaning and put them on display.
 
Hey Austin!

I have a model 84 Constellation-the first floater and the only one with the wheeled floor nozzle. When I get more energy I will post a picture of it with the matching model 64 upright that I just got from Roger Lequea. We made the deal in Omaha! It isn't quite pink, it's more two-tone beige - just like the cars of the era. They made the models in matching colors. When Charlie helps me set up the display, I will put the blue 82 Connie with the 63 upright and the 84 Connie with the 64 upright, perfect matches.

That 87 Avocado Connie was an enigma. Those air-powered switches on the hose gave out almost immediately. You can't find one that works. I don't know when they were produced, but if you follow the Hoover ads of the period, you can probably put it together. To compensate for the lousy design, the field offices, when they took them in for repair, put new switches on the machines.

The Air-Way Mark V you saw on Ebay is probably this one. Tom Gasko got it, tried to sell it on Ebay, didn't get his price, held on to it, and then worked a deal with me.
 
Picture #5

Looks to me more like Tania off to play with the 65 convertible, she obviously dressed for it.LOL

Now I'm going into the nether regions to dig out my pinkish Connie..not sure the model...and I'll take another pic.

BTW were yours all made in the US, mine were made in Canada at the Hamilton plant
 
Special Note about the Hoover 33

This was the one that my mom had, it holds a special place in my heart. Our fellow VCCC member and former board member Chuck Chatham is selling one on Ebay right now. I don't know how he knows these stories, or if he makes them up. His story about this machine is that it was designed in honor of Agnes Moorhead, Endora of Bewitched. The story goes that Lavender was her signature color and Hoover honored that with this machine. (Of course, I would have wanted the deluxe machine honoring me (a 65 or higher)). But I suppose I would have settled for the basic machine...
 
It's Late and I tend to forget my manners!

The beautiful Hoover 29 is from Charlie Watrous (a long story, to be told later), the 65 is from Fred Stachnik and the 33 is from Jeff Parker, a special one for him since that was also the machine is mother had. Thanks all! That's what this hobby is all about - sharing.

Fred
 
Here's the pink connie 866

It's in reasonable shape, better than the pick makes it look. I'm missing the wands and the floorbrush. The floorbrush shown here may be the match I don't know, it's not quite pink but matches the base and handle of the machine. It has a little see saw lever on the back for floors and carpet and two rollers along the front edge.
 
Here's the back of the nozzle

I found the floor brush at a local vac shop which is a goldmine of parts, so many they don't even know what they have. He told me he has a semi load out back. They didn't know for sure if they had any LOL but as I was walking out the door there it was in a box with a bunch of other vac piece and they gave it to me.
 
Now That's a Pink Connie!

That may be the original floor tool. I am not familiar with Canadian machines, but that looks like a replacement hose. The Connies came with those great Ultraflex hoses. I don't think that there was a pink American Connie, but I could be wrong. I have a beatiful gold Hoover Connie. Didn't get the gold floor tool to go with it so I bought a whole machine just to get the matching floor tool. We are crazy sometimes, aren't we?
 
More on model 33

Fred, awesome pics!
Yes my mom had a 33, in use from January 1964 to December 1998. That model above all the others is special, my earliest memories are tied to it. Today mom's 33 lives downstairs in the collection.
Now I don't know if the Agnes Moorhead bit is true or not, but I can say is the design is Henry Dreyfuss, and the color choice Faber Birren. Faber was employed by Hoover just to choose colors!
Model 33's were dusky lavender and pearl white, with a silver accent.
The flyers announcing its debut were printed with lavender scented ink.
Model 33 was the 2nd biggest selling Convertible of the 1960's, with 495,000+ produced between February 1962 and February 1964. Many are still in use today. You must admit she's quite fetching!
 
Thanks Fred for posting all those great pictures!! That Hoover 65 is in beautiful shape. I have one that I got from Roger LeQuea, definitely one of my favorite machines. Terry
 
I noticed that some of the Hoover uprights like the pinky 65 have a matching pink handle where many other colors only had a white handle. Is there anything to which models may have had matching handle and which didn't?
 
Thickness of early Air-Way bags

Pete,
Yes, in the pics, the bags do appear thick due to the photo. Actually, they are thin and at this point in time would tear easily since they are about 75 years old. The collar is the thickest part to keep from tearing during installation.

They were all machine sewn at Air-Way headquarters and as you know, made of wood pulp cellulose paper for the best filtration. As someone mentioned earlier, when the 55 debuted, it took the new round bag with the cardboard collar. That is the same bag used today but now they have plastic collars. The cardboard does not hold up with a 12 amp motor.

Just ask Fred! One time when Tania and I were at his house, we were doing a "go-over" of his Air-Way's and inside his Centurion he had one of the older cardboard collared bags and it had been sucked into the bag cage! The older bags are still to be found but I would not even use them in a Mark model or newer as the cardboard loses it's stiffness with age. I think they are safe in the 55/55A, 66 and 77 since the motor amperage is less.

Those older bags pictured, I keep for learning tools and they will not be used in any Air-Ways. When people see them, like here, it makes it much easier to understand how they were used and what they looked like.

Charlie
 
Colors...

Pete,
There is no rhyme or reason to colored handles, I think maybe they went to the white handles because it gave a more modern appearance.
The first white handle-d machine was the 1960 model 32 Special. Model 69 would be the first white handled deluxe model.
 
Airways and Hoovers, and Kirbys; oh my!

Charlie:

You have opened a whole new *cannister* of worms! The other thing that Austin loves as much as washers is vacuums!

When he was an infant, I would hold him as I used the vintage Eurekas he sometimes mentions. I figured if he was around the vacuum when I used it, he wouldn't be afraid of them. I bought him a toy vacuum when he was two, and his first *real* vacuum; an Electrolux cannister at a garage sale, when he was about three. He hasn't stopped loving them since! He was so fascinated by them, his pre-school teacher put a little booklet of vacuums together for him and I would cut out vacuum ads and put them in a photo album. Ask him about *Linda Binda Dusty* sometime! I'm sure he will blanche and turn red! LOL

Terrific collections guys!

Venus :-D

Venus
 
Thanks Venus!

Venus,
I'm so glad that Austin has an appreciation of vacuums. I am concerned at times that my generation is going to be the end of the collectors so it is great to know that Austin is out there and more like him.

I'm having some trouble trying to get my photo album on a link and I'm going to consult Robert for further help. At the photo album are more pictures and Fred has posted lots too.

Thanks for you great post and we won't mention the Linda Binda Dusty unless he brings it up. I remember being that age and life is tuff enough without us making it harder. I totally support Austin in his interest vacuums and I know you do to---thanks for being that kind of Mom. So many of us did not have a Mom like you and wish we did!

Charlie
 
Thank you so much Robert for fixing that for me. As I explained to you I have issues with cut/paste/copy/select/, etc. I still think those terms have to do with scissors, Elmer's glue, newspaper articles, and cuts of meat.

I've got to get caught up in this computer stuff. Anyone offering "Computer 101" in exchange for a complete vacuuming of their home? Or a repair of a vacuum?

Let me know!

Charlie
 
Hi Charlie, Thanks so much for sharing your beautiful collection with us. I just realize that I had never seen pictures of it before. You have everything displayed so well. Terry
 

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