The Draper Dishwasher:

Automatic Washer - The world's coolest Washing Machines, Dryers and Dishwashers

Help Support :

danemodsandy

danemodsandy

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 6, 2006
Messages
8,180
Location
The Bramford, Apt. 7-E
In another thread, there was some curiosity about the dishwasher seen on the set of the Draper kitchen in Mad Men. It's clear at a glance that it's a D & M machine, but which D & M machine?

Below is an enlarged detail from a still frame, showing the clearest view of the dishwasher's control panel I can find. This had to be heavily tweaked for contrast, gamma and focus to get it this clear, so no kvetching that you want a clearer shot, mmkay?

John combo52? Whaddya think?

danemodsandy++11-25-2014-11-20-43.jpg
 
P.S.:

The coffee service on the counter above the DW is the kind of little "touch" set decorators pride themselves on. The stuff is called Ikora, from the German manufacturer WMF (Wurttembergische Metallwarenfabrik). It's silverplate with a fancy surface treatment, done with heat and chemicals, to give it a pearlized look.

Since Betty Draper's ethnic heritage is German - her maiden name was Hofstadt - this makes Ikora a very suitable choice for her character.
 
Tom:

Yes, the coffee pot has an insulated outer shell over a white ceramic pot. The sugar and creamer also have removable shells. The surface of Ikora was not supposed to get put in the dishwasher, nor could it withstand harsh cleaning methods of any kind. It had a lacquer layer over the pearlization, and if the lacquer became eroded, it was goodbye, Charlie for the finish.
 
I'd guess it's one of the more unusual D&M rebadges like a Caloric or O'Keefe & Merritt.   That 'starburst' panel is something I don't immediately associate with a specific manufacturer. 
 
Coffee Set

My grandmother gave my mother this coffee set; it's gone now and I miss it greatly, not only because it was stylish, but for sentimental reasons.

It was beautiful, with a dimensional look to the brushed metal shell, but as Sandy pointed out, the lacquer could not be damaged or the whole thing turned into a rusty mess. How ours ever got damaged, I will never know, it was NEVER used and set aside as a show set. We did live in a damp and foggy climate in coastal California at the time, perhaps it was the climate itself that did it in.
 
Am I the Only One....

....Who thinks this DW must be another anachronism - something wrong for the period?

God knows I'm not an expert on D & M, but this just reeks early '70s to me. I was very familiar with Kenmore DWs at the time, and that door trim and latch lever are exactly the ones used on Kennies then.
 
Kelvinator? 
c7a97fdba9540aa4bd16eeaa612e4e45cde12627406510b2224ba30009ae7484.png


[this post was last edited: 11/26/2014-06:07]
 
The only reason I would not say early 70s was that the period had fake woodgrain on everything, it seemed.

John is on a trip so he might not see the question until a bit later than usual.

I wonder if this could be the D&M Speed Queen DW.
 
I have seen this starburst design on a D&M panel before, think it was Kelvinator. The selector buttons look mid-70's Kenmore like to me, it wasn't uncommon to see similar knobs and buttons across the D&M offerings and spanning several years of manufacturing.

Like Johnny Cash working at the Cadillac factory!
 
I Hope....

....Someone can really nail this DW, because it's driving me nuts. I have everything else in this kitchen I.D.'d, even the laminate on the counters (Arborite's 'Sky Tulle,' which is current stuff, but looks vintage, except for its matte finish, which was a plus for filming, since it does not create unwanted reflections).

But not the DW. AHHHHHHHHH! And grrh. :)
 

Latest posts

Back
Top