Why were really old Whirlpools (50s-60s) branded RCA Whirlpool?
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Whirlpool name was used for appliances off and on, since the Uptons first began producing washing machines.
In the 1950's Whirlpool bought RCA to get at that company's cooking and AC line; hence the name change to RCA-Whirlpool. Later RCA was dropped and the company went back to just Whirlpool.
http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/whirlpool-corporation-history/
In the 1950's Whirlpool bought RCA to get at that company's cooking and AC line; hence the name change to RCA-Whirlpool. Later RCA was dropped and the company went back to just Whirlpool.
http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/whirlpool-corporation-history/
The appliance and electronic divisions were eventually separated and sold to Thompson Consumer Electronics that made the cheap television/electronics in China under GE and RCA brands and GE made RCA a cheap knock off brand of appliance. Whirlpool and RCA shared a a nice early life together as well known, respected brands, but you see what happened when corporate greed takes over.
I have heard
That Whirlpool was starting to get their foot in the door for appliances and vacuum cleaners. In those days, Whirlpool was unknown. They slapped the RCA Whirlpool name on their appliances and washers to help make them more well known. RCA Whirlpool only lasted about 10 years. From about 1956-1966. They had some of the most beautiful washers and vacuums. Someone correct me if I am wrong.
-Tyler
That Whirlpool was starting to get their foot in the door for appliances and vacuum cleaners. In those days, Whirlpool was unknown. They slapped the RCA Whirlpool name on their appliances and washers to help make them more well known. RCA Whirlpool only lasted about 10 years. From about 1956-1966. They had some of the most beautiful washers and vacuums. Someone correct me if I am wrong.
-Tyler
philr
Well-known member
RCA at some point sold Hotpoint-made appliances in Canada. I have a Hotpoint kettle from the 1950s (I guess) that was sold by RCA Victor.
And here, RCA Victor did also sell RCA Whirlpool appliances back in the 1960s but their laundry appliances was made by Inglis. They did use some US RCA Whirlpool parts until Whirlpool stopped using the RCA name and then they went to RCA Victor and just RCA in 1969. In 1971, they switched from selling Inglis/Whirlpool appliances to Westinghouse for about 5-6 years and then they briefly sold GE stuff in the late 1970s. That was before GE and RCA were bought by Thomson and before there were some RCA-branded GE appliances in the United States.
And here, RCA Victor did also sell RCA Whirlpool appliances back in the 1960s but their laundry appliances was made by Inglis. They did use some US RCA Whirlpool parts until Whirlpool stopped using the RCA name and then they went to RCA Victor and just RCA in 1969. In 1971, they switched from selling Inglis/Whirlpool appliances to Westinghouse for about 5-6 years and then they briefly sold GE stuff in the late 1970s. That was before GE and RCA were bought by Thomson and before there were some RCA-branded GE appliances in the United States.
I have a radio from 1967 that says RCA victor on it.
passatdoc
Well-known member
RCA was one of the TOL brands for color television in the 1960s. RCA introduced the first mass-marketed color home tv sets in c. 1954, using a broadcast format that could also be received by the millions of black and white sets then in existence.
CBS had a rival color format that was not compatible with B&W sets. Eventually NTSC chose the RCA format (with lots of lobbying from both sides).
CBS had a rival color format that was not compatible with B&W sets. Eventually NTSC chose the RCA format (with lots of lobbying from both sides).
I remember seeing RCA window air conditioners as a child, but not as many as Fedders, Carrier and GE. York AC units were made by McGraw-Edison (which also owned Speed Queen then), but they were not as numerous in the Atlanta Area. I remember the square paper label on the front corner of SQ coin washers. It was gray and black and had the McGraw-Edison name with a side shot of good old Thomas Alva.
[this post was last edited: 7/12/2017-12:17]
[this post was last edited: 7/12/2017-12:17]
I know further research from actual sources is the best way to unpack this, but the Wiki entry below pretty much sums up Whirlpool's relation with RCA (note - Whirlpool did not buyout all of RCA. Think of RCA in 1955 as the General Motors of the electronics world).
en.wikipedia.org
To better compete with more diversified manufacturers, in 1955 Whirlpool acquired Seeger Refrigerator Company and RCA's air conditioner and cooking range lines. The company changed its name to Whirlpool-Seeger Corporation and began using the RCA-Whirlpool brand name.[6] Whirlpool acquired International Harvester Company's refrigeration plant in Evansville, IN in 1955.[11] In 1956, a 100-acre (0.40 km2) administrative center was opened in Benton Harbor, Michigan. In 1957, the RCA Whirlpool Miracle Kitchen was introduced with an estimated 15 million television viewers. The company changed its name back to Whirlpool Corporation.
In 1962, the company's research laboratories won a contract from NASA to develop the food and waste management system for Project Gemini.[12] In 1966, Whirlpool dropped the RCA name so the brand name became Whirlpool. The following year, the company introduced a 24-hour helpline. By 1978, annual revenues exceeded $2 billion.
[this post was last edited: 7/12/2017-14:43]
Whirlpool Corporation - Wikipedia
To better compete with more diversified manufacturers, in 1955 Whirlpool acquired Seeger Refrigerator Company and RCA's air conditioner and cooking range lines. The company changed its name to Whirlpool-Seeger Corporation and began using the RCA-Whirlpool brand name.[6] Whirlpool acquired International Harvester Company's refrigeration plant in Evansville, IN in 1955.[11] In 1956, a 100-acre (0.40 km2) administrative center was opened in Benton Harbor, Michigan. In 1957, the RCA Whirlpool Miracle Kitchen was introduced with an estimated 15 million television viewers. The company changed its name back to Whirlpool Corporation.
In 1962, the company's research laboratories won a contract from NASA to develop the food and waste management system for Project Gemini.[12] In 1966, Whirlpool dropped the RCA name so the brand name became Whirlpool. The following year, the company introduced a 24-hour helpline. By 1978, annual revenues exceeded $2 billion.
[this post was last edited: 7/12/2017-14:43]
Ben, Thanks for posting that snippet. I'm a big space/NASA buff and I hadn't known of the connection between Whirlpool and the Gemini missions. I found a bit more detail in the book Gemini - Steps to the Moon
NASA -
Isn't that interesting, Phil? News to me, as well.
Isn't that interesting, Phil? News to me, as well.
Here's a snippet from the January 1957 Appliance Manufacturer magazine that Robert made available last month. This is from an an interview with Whirlpool-Seeger's treasurer, Mason Smith:
A "space food" dispensing machine in 2001: A Space Odyssey is branded RCA Whirlpool.
philr
Well-known member
A "space food" dispensing machine in 2001: A Space O
That's funny as by the time this futuristic movie was released, RCA Whirlpool was already a thing of the past!
That's funny as by the time this futuristic movie was released, RCA Whirlpool was already a thing of the past!
toploader55
Well-known member
TomTurbo...
I remember seeing many 23-33,000 BTU Wall A/C units branded "Thomas A. Edison"
" The “Yukon” series (photo five) are high capacity multi-room/commercial models."
Scroll down a bit on the link.
I love this guy's site. I remember mostly all of these A/Cs.
I remember seeing many 23-33,000 BTU Wall A/C units branded "Thomas A. Edison"
" The “Yukon” series (photo five) are high capacity multi-room/commercial models."
Scroll down a bit on the link.
I love this guy's site. I remember mostly all of these A/Cs.
House the parents built in 1964 had a Thomas A. Edison window unit in the living room. I don't know what was the capacity. It may have been a year or two newer than '64.
During what time period were RCA appliances simply rebadged
You can thank the 80's and Jack Welch for RCA badged GE's. This is why you see late 80's RCA TV's as being made by Thomson.
<h2><span id="Re-acquisition_and_break-up_by_General_Electric" class="mw-headline">Re-acquisition and break-up by General Electric</span></h2>
In December 1985 it was announced that General Electric would reacquire its former subsidiary for $6.28 billion in cash, or $66.50 per share of stock.<sup id="cite_ref-45" class="reference">[45]</sup> The sale was completed the next year, and GE proceeded to sell off most of the RCA assets. (The only RCA unit which GE retained was Government Services.) GE disposed of its 50% interest in then-RCA/Ariola International Records to its partner Bertelsmann, and the company was renamed BMG Music, for Bertelsmann Music Group. In 1987, RCA Global Communications Inc., a division with roots dating back to RCA's founding, was sold to the MCI Communications Corporation.<sup id="cite_ref-46" class="reference">[46]</sup> The rights to make RCA- and GE-branded televisions and other consumer electronics products were purchased in 1988 by the French company Thomson Consumer Electronics, in exchange for some of Thomson's medical businesses. (For information on the RCA brand after 1986, see RCA (trademark).) That same year, its semiconductor business (including the former RCA Solid State unit and Intersil) was bought by Harris Corporation.<sup id="cite_ref-47" class="reference">[47]</sup> In 1991, GE sold its share in RCA/Columbia to Sony Pictures which renamed the unit to "Columbia TriStar Home Video" (later further renamed to Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment, now Sony Pictures Home Entertainment).
Sarnoff Labs was put on a five-year plan whereby GE would fund all the labs' activities for the first year, then reduce its support to near zero after the fifth year. This required Sarnoff Labs to change its business model to become an industrial contract research facility. In 1988 it was transferred to SRI International (SRI) as the David Sarnoff Research Center, and subsequently renamed the Sarnoff Corporation. In January 2011 it was fully integrated into SRI.<sup id="cite_ref-Sarnoff_integration_48-0" class="reference">[48]</sup>.
GE sold all of its radio station holdings to various owners, and the NBC Radio Network to Westwood One. In 2011, a controlling interest in the National Broadcasting Company, by this time part of the multimedia NBC Universal venture that included TV and cable, was sold by GE to Comcast, and in 2013 Comcast acquired the remaining interest.<sup id="cite_ref-49" class="reference">[49]</sup>
You can thank the 80's and Jack Welch for RCA badged GE's. This is why you see late 80's RCA TV's as being made by Thomson.
<h2><span id="Re-acquisition_and_break-up_by_General_Electric" class="mw-headline">Re-acquisition and break-up by General Electric</span></h2>
In December 1985 it was announced that General Electric would reacquire its former subsidiary for $6.28 billion in cash, or $66.50 per share of stock.<sup id="cite_ref-45" class="reference">[45]</sup> The sale was completed the next year, and GE proceeded to sell off most of the RCA assets. (The only RCA unit which GE retained was Government Services.) GE disposed of its 50% interest in then-RCA/Ariola International Records to its partner Bertelsmann, and the company was renamed BMG Music, for Bertelsmann Music Group. In 1987, RCA Global Communications Inc., a division with roots dating back to RCA's founding, was sold to the MCI Communications Corporation.<sup id="cite_ref-46" class="reference">[46]</sup> The rights to make RCA- and GE-branded televisions and other consumer electronics products were purchased in 1988 by the French company Thomson Consumer Electronics, in exchange for some of Thomson's medical businesses. (For information on the RCA brand after 1986, see RCA (trademark).) That same year, its semiconductor business (including the former RCA Solid State unit and Intersil) was bought by Harris Corporation.<sup id="cite_ref-47" class="reference">[47]</sup> In 1991, GE sold its share in RCA/Columbia to Sony Pictures which renamed the unit to "Columbia TriStar Home Video" (later further renamed to Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment, now Sony Pictures Home Entertainment).
Sarnoff Labs was put on a five-year plan whereby GE would fund all the labs' activities for the first year, then reduce its support to near zero after the fifth year. This required Sarnoff Labs to change its business model to become an industrial contract research facility. In 1988 it was transferred to SRI International (SRI) as the David Sarnoff Research Center, and subsequently renamed the Sarnoff Corporation. In January 2011 it was fully integrated into SRI.<sup id="cite_ref-Sarnoff_integration_48-0" class="reference">[48]</sup>.
GE sold all of its radio station holdings to various owners, and the NBC Radio Network to Westwood One. In 2011, a controlling interest in the National Broadcasting Company, by this time part of the multimedia NBC Universal venture that included TV and cable, was sold by GE to Comcast, and in 2013 Comcast acquired the remaining interest.<sup id="cite_ref-49" class="reference">[49]</sup>
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