The Latest from Montgomery Ward 1963!

[washerlover]

Ok, so I don’t have much of a life but just received the 1963 Spring/Summer Wards catalog! I ordered it in hopes of seeing the washer & dryer my grandmother had that got me hooked on all this washer stuff. And lo and behold such a beautiful sight...gotta love that “Signature” logo!

 

[norgeway]

Thats a

NORGE!!

 

[washerlover]

Well of course it’s a Norge...it had all the sounds and agitation that’s worthy of it! Except that was before the safety brake and the comforting “clunk” at the beginning and end of each cycle.

 

[rp2813]

The folks at Norge finally developed enough empathy for the consumer to make the entire front panel removable a few years later!

 

It should come as no surprise that we had a blue and white canister vacuum cleaner with that same Signature logo on it.  That catalog may contain a picture of it.

 

 

 

[pumper]

LNC6223?

 

[washerlover]

But of course! How kind of you to remember!

 

[combo52]

1963 Norge Built Washer

ALL Norge Automatic washers had a brake solenoid and a strong brake from the beginning till Maytag bought the line and redesigned the washer somewhat.

John

 

[washerlover]

But I don’t remember hearing the calming “clunk” until models manufactured in the mid 1960s. The machine in the Wards catalog (the same as my Grandmother’s) did not make the clunking noise and when it kicked into the spin cycle, it really got up to speed quickly unlike the later models...and if you lifted the lid during the spin cycle it stopped fairly quickly but no clunk.

 

[combo52]

Norge Washer Brakes

They even used the same brake solenoid on the earlier solid tub models, they did beef up the brake on the perforated basket models and they did make a louder clunk.

 

John

 

[norgeway]

I have a 53

Sitting on my carport and it has the brake,,,The solid tub models do take off quickly, they sling the water out almost as fast as a Frigidaire.

 

[washerlover]

Hans, why, pray tell, is a Norge sitting out in a carport?! And is it a ‘53 or ‘63? There is a really cool video online of a ‘62 Norge washer in action — is this one of yours?