Wow! More great information Robert!! That '32 GE would be a great find indeed... If one ever turns up, there's gonna be a stampede, though.
This summer when Mike and Todd visited Ogden, Mike retrieved the 1921 Walker dishwasher that I picked up and stored for him earlier in the year. The machine did look oddly familiar - the 1949 GE Portable (the one that looks like a wringer washer) was very obviously based on this design, including the fact that the operator is responsible for the wash cycle. Mike was anxious to tinker with the Walker and much to his delight, the motor ran immediately when we plugged it in! The impeller in the Walker actually looked like a rake, but by golly, it could move water around the tub.
Wonderful insight into the design and progress of the automatic dishwasher - thanks for posting this Robert!