The excitement of electrical gadgetry

Simply switch on - that was the difference between the old way of doing things in the home and the new. 'Simply switch on' was a common phrase in almost every electrical appliance instruction leaflet from the 1920s to the 1950s. It meant you had invested in a piece of the new domestic gadgetry, and now it had been delivered, unwrapped, assembled and plugged in, that old domestic chore would be transformed and your way of life would be dramatically improved. The actual technology you didn't really understand but, by this stage, you were convinced that your new machine would save you time and effort and, even better, was a symbol of your prosperity and modernity. In short, you were investing in a piece of the twentieth century that would have been beyond the dreams of your parents.

Powered domestic machines before electricity

Before electricity, the most sophisticated machines in the home, the sewing machine, carpet sweeper and mangle, were all hand-operated. The concept of powered machines that could be switched on and left to do the work by themselves, or that required a minimum of human effort, was revolutionary and very exciting, not far removed from the science fiction world of robots.

Electrical appliances before 1914

Almost all the electrical appliances that are taken for granted in the home were in existence in some form before 1914. Indeed, the mechanical principles embodied in some electrical machines, such as vacuum cleaners, dish washers and automatic washing machines were in existence by the end of the Victorian era. Although publicity from 1900-1914 suggests that electricity was a viable alternative to other domestic fuels, the fact that appliances were not widely available, were very expensive and badly designed suggests under-development due to lack of demand; the result of a small and localised electricity supply system. In 1910, under 2% of British homes were wired for electricity.

Reasons for the first boom in small electrical appliances

After 1920, both the standards of appliance design and their availability began to rise as the market for electrical goods steadily increased. By 1939, the market for smaller, cheaper appliances in particular had grown significantly for a variety of reasons.

• The private housing boom of the inter-war years brought cheap houses with electricity to the middle classes for the first time. By 1931 the number of homes with electricity had risen to 33%, increasing to 67% by 1939, comprising of 4 million new houses, plus about half the existing housing stock which had 'gone electric'. The period 1930 - 1939, therefore, first saw electricity available to the majority. After 1945, electricity availablity continued to rise with house rebuilding, the development of new estates and 'new towns', so that by 1949, 86% of homes had electricity. Houses were wired for electric lighting, from which small appliances could also be run, with only one or two more expensive wall sockets..
• Electricity distribution, which had developed on a localised and sporadic basis, became standardised and reliable with the setting up of the National Grid between 1928 and 1935.
• The cost of domestic appliances fell during the 20s and 30s as the British electrical appliance industry expanded, spurred on by competition from the USA and the development of new materials and new manufacturing techniques.
• The new hire-purchase system meant that the high cost of an electrical appliance could be spread over a long period.
• Persuasive, door-to-door sales techniques and promotion of electrical appliances from organisations such as the Electrical Development Association (EDA) and the Electrical Association for Women (EAW)
• The acceptance of electrical appliances as modern servant replacements, allowing middle-class women to do their own housework, without losing their dignity
• Opportunities to purchase electrical appliances increased dramatically between 1920 and 1960. Appliances could be purchased from door-to-door salesman, local bicycle, hardware or ironmongery stores or in town department stores or new, local electricity board showrooms.

The second boom - post-1945

A second phase of expansion of the electrical appliance industry occurred after 1945. Once vital export orders had been satisfied and rationing had ended in the early 1950s, sales of all electrical appliances boomed. Electrical goods that had been luxuries before 1939 were now deemed essential to everyday modern life.

Built-in obsolescence

As ownership increased, so the status of ownership diminished; merely owning an electrical appliance was not enough. Manufacturers also realised that the products they were delivering 'to last a lifetime' would restrict the sales of the next generation of products unless users were encouraged to replace them. After 1945, faster production led to a general drop in quality, although most appliances were outwardly better designed. Many useful innovations, such as the thermostats on irons, started the cycle of obsolescence and put all conventional electric irons in the shade; that initial pride of ownership was soon found lacking.

The desire for greater diversity in order to sell more products encouraged styling. This trend was started, with all good intention, by American industrial designers in the 1930s who transformed utilitarian products of the 1920s into streamlined objects of desire. Styling became a feature in itself and ranged from well-considered and functional designs to gaudy and gimmicky 'gadgets' for which the enthusiastic and unwary public were easy prey. By the end of the 1950s, products were sold on their features and appearance, rather than on the basic benefit of owning it, as had been the case thirty years earlier.

Scope of the Collection

The collection of appliances catalogued in these pages are the ones that became a part of everyday life for a majority of people between 1920 and 1960. Ordinary homes were now able to benefit from what had hitherto been financially out of reach. Other items such as electric washing machines and refrigerators were still expensive luxuries, costing anything up to several thousand pounds in today's terms. The first automatic washing machine, from Bendix, cost £81 in 1937; a Ford 'Popular' car could be bought for £100. It was not until the 1960s that the average British home experienced the benefits of the electric washing machine and refrigerator.

These products also brought about the most radical changes in the home. The traditional locations of many domestic activities changed forever and were now dictated by the position of an electric socket and a length of electric cable. While electric cooking was hard-pressed to compete with gas for cheapness and controllability, small electric cooking appliances broke the kitchen's monopoly over food preparation. Cleaning and ironing by electricity set a completely new standard in efficiency, cleanliness and time taken, whilst the hair dryer and electric curling tongs meant an evening out at the pictures.

The aim of these pages is to convey the newness of it all in the first half of the twentieth century. Machines that are a forgotten part of day-to-day living now were status-symbols that transformed the lives of ordinary people. Electrical appliances were novelties with an almost-magical quality, that were welcomed as practical equipment. Their widespread acceptance played a key role in the restructuring of the home in society, paving the way for our lifestyle today.