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Accession #	86.15a-f
Designer	Lurelle Guild
Manufacturer	Electrolux Corporation
Title	Vacuum Cleaner
Date	ca. 1937
Medium	Chromed, polished and enameled steel; cast aluminum; vinyl; rubber
Dimensions	8 1/2 x 23 x 7 3/4 in. (21.6 x 58.4 x 19.7 cm)
Marks	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"
Inscriptions	no inscriptions
Signed	no signature
Credit Line	Gift of Fifty/50
Location	Visible Storage: Case 17, Shelf P (Contemporary Design)
Description	Canister-type vacuum cleaner with blue body (vinyl-covered on top, enameled on bottom), raised on a pair of polished steel runners; one end of canister chromed steel, the other cast aluminum. Rubber handle. Model 30. Parts are sub lettered as follows: (a) body; (b) hose; (c) upper chrome tube; (d) chrome tube with brush attachment; (e) brush attachment; (f) electrical cord. CONDITION: Worn from use with scratching, pitting, and minor dents to all surfaces.

Curatorial Remarks: 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.