I picked up a nice Wedgewood Holly range yesterday. It's in the best shape of any I've collected so far. I prefer the look of the older models, but this one has some cool features.
Pristine Wedgwood Holly Range
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Here's the griddle... unlike older models, which were chrome plated iron, this one's aluminum...
Under the griddle
What's kind of interesting is what's under the griddle. It's a big drip pan/heat reflector with a single round burner. As soon as I saw it, I starting thinking about how to put a wok grate/holder over this...
What's kind of interesting is what's under the griddle. It's a big drip pan/heat reflector with a single round burner. As soon as I saw it, I starting thinking about how to put a wok grate/holder over this...
The oven has a light, too!
Holly after dark...
Details...
The louvered door on the left conceals a space heater, operated by one of the knobs on the lower control panel. It also has an electric fan at the back, which blows the warmed air into the room. The fan still works, although I had to give it a little knudge, probably to loosen up old oil/grease on the bearings. The fan is operated by a push button switch on the upper control panel. Also operated by buttons there are the upper panel light, and the oven light.
The clock doesn't work, although it's receiving power ok, and the buzzer for the timer works. It's not unusual for range clocks to die after a while; I'll be looking into how to resurrect this one. Might just need cleaning/lubrication.
All in all, it's a nice relatively compact range with useful features. It would probably be nice in a one room studio type apartment, with the space heater providing warmpth as needed.
The chrome trim on the upper panel needs to be replated - the original finish was very thin and has light rust over it. Too bad they cheaped out and didn't use better plating, or even stainless on these parts. But it's all fairly easily disassembled for restoration.
The starburst patterns on the glass surround makes me think this is late 50's, even early 60's, but the previous owner said it's a '53.
The louvered door on the left conceals a space heater, operated by one of the knobs on the lower control panel. It also has an electric fan at the back, which blows the warmed air into the room. The fan still works, although I had to give it a little knudge, probably to loosen up old oil/grease on the bearings. The fan is operated by a push button switch on the upper control panel. Also operated by buttons there are the upper panel light, and the oven light.
The clock doesn't work, although it's receiving power ok, and the buzzer for the timer works. It's not unusual for range clocks to die after a while; I'll be looking into how to resurrect this one. Might just need cleaning/lubrication.
All in all, it's a nice relatively compact range with useful features. It would probably be nice in a one room studio type apartment, with the space heater providing warmpth as needed.
The chrome trim on the upper panel needs to be replated - the original finish was very thin and has light rust over it. Too bad they cheaped out and didn't use better plating, or even stainless on these parts. But it's all fairly easily disassembled for restoration.
The starburst patterns on the glass surround makes me think this is late 50's, even early 60's, but the previous owner said it's a '53.
frontaloadotmy
Well-known member
Thats a beauty
Is it a 30"er? Looks larger than 30, but smaller than 39/40.
Is it a 30"er? Looks larger than 30, but smaller than 39/40.
Thanks
I hadn't actually measured it yet. I know it was smaller than 48", because it easily slid between the wheel wells on my pickup truck.
It's a 36" wide unit. Full size Wedgewoods are more like 48" (they just fit in my truck bed).
Now, if I just were to hack away at the peninsula in my kitchen, this unit would fit nicely under the 36" hood in place of the current cooktop.
;-)
I hadn't actually measured it yet. I know it was smaller than 48", because it easily slid between the wheel wells on my pickup truck.
It's a 36" wide unit. Full size Wedgewoods are more like 48" (they just fit in my truck bed).
Now, if I just were to hack away at the peninsula in my kitchen, this unit would fit nicely under the 36" hood in place of the current cooktop.
;-)
For that one I'd switch back to gas cooking!
Great find.
Enjoy
Great find.
Enjoy
I wonder if that space heater feature is exclusive to the Wedgewood line or if it can be found on others. I can't say I've ever seen that feature on a stove. Great idea! Beautiful stove.
I have seen it before in upstate(rural) New York State, and cities such as Albany.
Oddly, the space heater is normally vented, the oven not!
(If you are going to do one, why not both?
Oddly, the space heater is normally vented, the oven not!
(If you are going to do one, why not both?
Those burners look pretty hefty too. What a nice find. Do you have any info on what the top burner's btu rating is?
On this stove, as well as on another Wedgewood in my collection, both the space heater and the oven are supposed to be vented to a chimney. In fact, the flues for both parts are joined into one flue before they exit the appliance.
The older Wedgewood is a 48" model, and has the heater on the left side, with a grille on the left panel. There is no forced air fan involved. It's not in as good shape as this model, with dings from a failed attempt to move it before I got to it, and some missing/broken knobs. But it does have a very cool adjustable cover that can be put in three positions: down, up against the back, or flipped up at the back as a half-shelf. This, plus a dual clock tower with capability of automatically controlling the oven.
I'll try to snap some photos of the 48" model later in the week.
I don't know what the BTU ratingof these burners is. I have yet to find the serial number/model number sticker on this unit - which might indicate BTU rating.
The older Wedgewood is a 48" model, and has the heater on the left side, with a grille on the left panel. There is no forced air fan involved. It's not in as good shape as this model, with dings from a failed attempt to move it before I got to it, and some missing/broken knobs. But it does have a very cool adjustable cover that can be put in three positions: down, up against the back, or flipped up at the back as a half-shelf. This, plus a dual clock tower with capability of automatically controlling the oven.
I'll try to snap some photos of the 48" model later in the week.
I don't know what the BTU ratingof these burners is. I have yet to find the serial number/model number sticker on this unit - which might indicate BTU rating.
The specs are double stamped, so it's hard to tell from the scanned plate, but the cooktop burners are 12,000 BTU, as well as the griddle burner. The heater and oven are both 20,000 BTU. The "Thermal Eye", which I assume is the little simmer burner at the center of each cooktop burner, but could be something else, is 9,0000 BTU.
The model is E597-HSYV. The serial no. is A-1384.
The model is E597-HSYV. The serial no. is A-1384.
chad_hauris
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2006
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- 94
The heater function may have been included to replace a coal/wood range which would have been able to heat the kitchen (or part of the house in a small house.)
Thanks Rich for the info. I thought those burners looked like they would throw more than the typical 9,000 BTU's found on many aluminum open burners. All this craze today about higher BTU's. What's old is new again i guess 
Pat
Pat
Very nice range, Rich! This looks to be from the early to mid-60's?? Do you know much about the Wedgewood-Holly company? I was wondering if it was a merger of Wedgewood and Western Holly that might have happened around this time?
The Thermal Eye, is this a separate function of each burner for simmering or an option on the dial of each burner? 9000 BTU sounds like a lot for a simmer setting. Is there a burner with a thermostat built into it - temp markings on the dial?
Space or room heaters were fairly common in ranges, especially in earlier models. Frigidaire even had an electric stove with a burner box for coal or wood that kept the kitchen warm while still giving you the benefits of all-electric cooking.
The Thermal Eye, is this a separate function of each burner for simmering or an option on the dial of each burner? 9000 BTU sounds like a lot for a simmer setting. Is there a burner with a thermostat built into it - temp markings on the dial?
Space or room heaters were fairly common in ranges, especially in earlier models. Frigidaire even had an electric stove with a burner box for coal or wood that kept the kitchen warm while still giving you the benefits of all-electric cooking.
Well, each burner has two gas tubes, one to the main burner and the other to the central simmer burner button My guess is that at low settings only the simmer burner is lit.
As for Wedgewood history, here's what I know:
The original Wedgewoods were produced in Newark, California, in the SF East Bay, by the James Graham Foundry company. I gather that he actually had a blood tie to the Wedgewood name of old England (spelled Wedgwood there).
At some point the company was sold to Rheem, but it stayed in Newark. I think this happened in the 50's. Then, later, the company was sold to Holly, which is located in Culver City, CA, in the LA area. It's possible that the stoves were still manufactured at Newark at that point.
I agree that this range looks more 60's than 50's.
As for Wedgewood history, here's what I know:
The original Wedgewoods were produced in Newark, California, in the SF East Bay, by the James Graham Foundry company. I gather that he actually had a blood tie to the Wedgewood name of old England (spelled Wedgwood there).
At some point the company was sold to Rheem, but it stayed in Newark. I think this happened in the 50's. Then, later, the company was sold to Holly, which is located in Culver City, CA, in the LA area. It's possible that the stoves were still manufactured at Newark at that point.
I agree that this range looks more 60's than 50's.
