Collection
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Decorative Arts and Design

Vacuum Cleaner

Lurelle Guild

1 of 3

Object Label

In the period between the world wars, American manufacturers often hired freelance industrial designers to enhance the images of their products. Electrolux hired Lurelle Guild to redesign their vacuum cleaner. He produced an iconic design that embodies the era's fascination with speed and efficiency and incorporated new materials such as rubber and chrome to make Electrolux appear more innovative. This design, with variations such as the substitution of wheels for the gliders, remained in production for over twenty years.

Caption

Lurelle Guild (American, 1898–1985). Vacuum Cleaner, ca. 1937. Chromed, polished and enameled steel; cast aluminum; vinyl; rubber, 8 1/2 x 23 x 7 3/4 in. (21.6 x 58.4 x 19.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Fifty/50, 86.15a-f. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)

Title

Vacuum Cleaner

Date

ca. 1937

Geography

Place manufactured: Dover, Delaware, United States

Medium

Chromed, polished and enameled steel; cast aluminum; vinyl; rubber

Classification

Tool

Dimensions

8 1/2 x 23 x 7 3/4 in. (21.6 x 58.4 x 19.7 cm)

Signatures

no signature

Inscriptions

no inscriptions

Markings

Pressed into metal band on top: "K75892R". Opposite , on under side of bass: "MODEL XXX D. C. TO 60 CYCLES A.C. 115 VOLTS-535 WATTS". Molded into underside of blue canister: "UL" Both sides of canister with band with raised letters: "ELECTROLUX"

Credit Line

Gift of Fifty/50

Accession Number

86.15a-f

Frequent Art Questions

  • Is there any information about this?

    That is a really unusually shaped pitcher! It was manufactured circa 1955 by The Aluminum Cooking Utensil Company in New Kensington, Pennsylvania. The designer was Lurelle Guild, who also designed he Electrolux Vacuum Cleaner, also on view in the Luce Center.
    Thanks!
    You're welcome!

  • What's this?

    This is a vacuum designed in the 1930s. It's aerodynamic shape was influenced by that era's interest in speed. During the Great Depression, industrial designers were hired to "style" existing products to make them look more advanced and desirable. This encouraged people to spend money, which helped the economy recover.
    Notice that it has a sled-like glider on the bottom instead of wheels!

Have information?

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Artists and makers

Lurelle Guild

4 works in the collection

Electrolux Corporation

1 work in the collection