Modern Living: Part Fourteen

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I’m fairly certain that the homes of the well to do had wired electrical wall outlets in 1919 and the occupants didn’t fool around with plugging lamps and appliances into their overhead light sockets.

 

 Granted, the homes with these kind of outlets were probably few and far between.  But think about the homes of the wealthy that were built new at that time and wired for electricity as opposed to the homes that were pre existing and then wired for electricity.  

 

The latter had the wiring attached to the walls instead of in the walls, which meant that the overhead light fixtures would have been the only place to connect that electric toaster or percolator.  I’ve been in homes built during the very early 1900’s that had floor and wall outlets and they were original to the home.

 

Eddie
 
Wall mounted receptacles in a 1919 house

Hi Eddie, you’ll have to prove it to me here’s a couple pictures from my 1918 1100 page catalog of electrical supplies and there are no wall receptacles in this book. This book has thousands of electrical items.

I would submit that the old houses you’ve seen of had the outlets added later I’m sure they started adding them in just a decade or so After 1919 but somebody will have to show me that they actually had them in 1919.

combo52-2024021112592409123_1.jpg
 
Hi John,

I’ve attached a link to the Museum of Plugs and Sockets that shows several examples of electrical wall outlets from the early 20th century, some as early as 1905.  

 

If you’ve ever been in the Hearst Castle which began to be built in 1919 there are wired electrical wall outlets, and I don’t believe these were retro fitted.   Granted most common folk wouldn’t have had these conveniences in 1919, hence the necessity for the product advertised to screw into a light socket to give the capability for having the lights on and the toaster plugged in.  

 

Eddie

 
Early electric outlets

Hi Eddie, thanks for posting the link. It’s interesting but there’s nothing like the outlet number three in this 1918 book that I have and I still don’t believe they existed but you’re much older than I am so maybe you know lol but I am not convinced until somebody shows me that in a home before 1920.

Reply number 101, hi Lawrence, your smart ass remarks are not really very nice. We’re merely having a discussion of when a conventional outlets came into existence. If you can’t add anything, you shouldn’t say anything.

John
 
John,

Talk about the smart ass remarks, if the shoe fits wear it.  And BTW, thanks Lawrence!  I’ve been in lots of homes in Petaluma, Calif. that were built before 1919 that have originally installed wall outlets, but I never took pictures of them.  And as far as being “lots” older than you I’m 16 months older than you.  But I’ve paid careful attention to the details of homes that I’ve been in for as long as I can remember.

 

You may be an authority on many things, but not everything.  That shouldn’t threaten you.  You can learn something new everyday if you keep an open mind and don’t need to be the last word on everything.

Eddie

[this post was last edited: 2/11/2024-16:09]
 
 

 

Part Fifteen:

 
Electrical outlets in early 1900 homes

My post number 98 is entirely factual and accurate. I did allow for the possibility that there were some wall outlets in homes.

The people that were buying electric chafing dishes were people who had electricity early on. They were not the Duponts. when electricity first came to homes, people were enamored with all kinds of electrical gadgets, and these were sold by the thousands to the relatively few people that had electricity, toasters and percolators and chafing dishes were very common, among this very limited population. The Duponts and other Uber rich people were not generally buying chafing dishes. They had cooking staff to do such things in the kitchen.

Having never heard of Homes generally having wall and baseboard outlets this early I went and did some research, my 1918 book doesn’t have a single duplex or even single outlet available for homes. This book is 1060 pages of electrical gadgets and light sockets and switches, etc.

Neither one of you have shown that electric wall outlets were even available in 1919 let alone were they in many homes.

I don’t know why you two are so jealous of my knowledge of these things that you can’t just learn something and go with it if you guys can prove me wrong, then do so.

I love this site because I learn things almost every day on it, but I honestly don’t know why you guys just come on here to argue with people if you’ve got facts to the contrary, then present them.

Lovingly John
 

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