One thing is always certain: things change with time. People change, situations change, and technology changes. Change is a constant! Think back to a time when you lived your own life. How much has changed in reality? especially in terms of innovations in technology. The realization of how much has changed in the past can be a little unsettling. But it may also be incredibly energizing!
Think about this “thing,” for example; we’re assuming you don’t know what it is. You’re probably not going to notice this. As a result, unless you were born in the 1930s, it’s unlikely that you are familiar with this. Congratulations if that’s the case! a tad odd in appearance? Is it not? If you were to guess, what may this device be?
You might get away with not knowing what this equipment is used for. However, we recognize your sincere curiosity! This strange-looking item, which seems like a flask or some sort of carrier, is actually a vacuum cleaner from the 1930s named Hercules! This old vacuum is considerably different from current models. Actually, I’m watching my Roomba® vacuum my floor as I write this! Can you imagine what life must have been like back then? How exciting and groundbreaking such a contraption was in its day? But we all take for granted how much easier life has become in the current day due to technological advancements.
The Vacuum Cleaner Hercules: A Fashion Statement
The Hercules vacuum cleaner was an extremely stylish and sophisticated machine back then. The one in the picture above was extremely expensive because it was covered with crocodile skin. Its already luxurious character was enhanced by the fact that it was marketed during the Great Depression, a time when many families could not even afford to make ends meet, much less buy a Hercules.[^1] If you know what this object is, try displaying it to your kids and see if they can guess! They will definitely not notice this!
The Subtle History of Vacuum Cleaners
The fact that the common broom wasn’t even improved until 1797 might surprise you. After observing his wife’s difficulties with sweeping, a farmer in Massachusetts decided to create one that handled the task properly. His broom, which became known as broomcorn, became well-known very fast. If people grew sluggish over time, that makes sense! A few different sweepers and brooms came and went, and Daniel Hess didn’t create the first real vacuum cleaner until the 1860s. According to his patent, “My invention consists in drawing fine dust and dirt through the machine by means of a draft of air.”
Ives McGaffey of Chicago then advanced it in 1869. However, his idea was actually harder to use than a regular broom. “The object of my invention is to obviate these difficulties is the accumulation of dust and dirt/in dwelling-houses, which is a source of great annoyance to all good housekeepers,” the inventor states in his patent. Unfortunately, his creation did not work out.
Several designs surfaced and then disappeared. James Murray Spangler, however, was the man who revolutionized the vacuum cleaner. James, a modest sixty-year-old janitor from Canton, Ohio, worked hard to hone his concept. It had a negative impact on his health.
His machine was better than the others because it was not only upright but also portable. The crude contraption worked well, sucking filth in and releasing it into the pillowcase that was secured. Following the awarding of a patent in 1907, Spangler resigned from his job to establish the Electric Suction Sweeper Company.
An electric ceiling fan motor with paddle blades was used to provide the air flow. Using a leather belt, he journaled it to a rotating brush he had stolen from a carpet sweeper. They didn’t have a motor-driven brush, thus no one else could clean the carpet as well.
He sold his company to his cousin Susan Hoover when he ran into financial troubles, giving birth to The Hoover!
