Mad men coin op Maytags

[alr2903]

Were the Maytags on this weeks episode in the basement laundry room with Meagan and her housekeeper of the correct vintage? They seemed too new to me. alr

 

[frigilux]

I noticed that, too. The show is currently parked in 1967-68, isn't it? The Maytags shown in the laundry room are from the mid-to-late 1970s, right?

 

[kb0nes]

I just watched Episode 3 last night, the same thought immediately struck me. My experience isn't great enough to allow me to date appliances with any accuracy, but I would have guessed they were a few years too recent for the time period.

 

[rp2813]

I agree that they appear to be too new. 

 

At the beginning of that particular scene, I thought I briefly heard the classic sound of Maytag agitation in the background, but it didn't last long enough for me to be sure.

 

[redcarpetdrew]

They remind me of the late 70's to mid 80's or so. A trifle difficult to peg as Maytag kept the same design for a while. Actually, the door design would help peg it closer but they look almost like the big door design of the LDE series so 90's?

RCD

 

[swestoyz]

Drew - I think you're spot on.  When I watched the scene, I noticed the LDE series handle on the dryer door (not visible in the screen shot above). IIRC, the panel design seen here was used from the early 70's on.  The commercial big load dryers would have been around starting in '73.

 

While most folks would deduct points, I'll give them props for at least trying to find several commercial machines that look period correct - regardless if they are or are not.

 

Ben

 

[kb0nes]

Gratuitous Door Shot

Drew,

Here is another capture showing the door a bit better.

All in all the show does well with continuity of props and their vintage. I wouldn't fault them at all if the machines were newer. Only a very tiny fraction of the viewers (and picky ones at that) would ever notice the difference!

 

[coldspot66]

although they do have the proper single coin slide.

 

[rapidry1000]

I remember the Maytag coin operated washers of the 60's were based on the basic Highlander style with a temperature toggle switch for either hot or warm wash and an agitator like the Maytag wringer.

 

[whirlcool]

I have never been to a coin op where you have a dryer next to a washer of the same make. Usually all the washers are together and then on one or two walls you usually have huge commercial dryers by Huebsch, Speed Queen or Wascomat. It has been that way since I have been a little kid.

 

[rp2813]

Allen, I agree with you when discussing washers and dryers in the context of a coin-op public laundromat, but in private apartment buildings matched sets have been the rule rather than the exception in my experience, and the space provided for the facility can often dictate how the machines are configured.

 

[maytagbear]

Yes-

In the dorms at Hiram, they also had adapted home washers and dryers....FilterFlo GE's, in my case. Big dryers, like Cissell and Huebsch would be more prone to vandalism, as well as not being very space efficient. This is also true in most apartment buildings.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[rp2813]

I can only imagine the things that would happen to -- or in -- a big laundromat type dryer in a college dorm application.

 

At Cal Poly we had separate banks of early 70's avocado Maytag standard capacity washers and HOH dryers, all placed against the same wall in one long row.

 

[redcarpetdrew]

Yup, those are the reversible door LDE style dryers. 1990's or so.

RCD