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Please Note: Not all of the objects on this website are on display at the museum.
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EVER READY LAZY DAISY CALL BELL, circa 1910 Used as a portable calling system for master and servant or doctor and patient, simply it consists of a large battery box with a bell on the top a fabric covered lead connects to a bell push, which is unwound and left with the patient/master ready for calling. The system could have many other uses. Dating these units is difficult as the manufacturing period could have lasted for as much as 30 years. Thanks to a comment received from America, one was found with evidence that it had been used in 1904, dating it to the turn of the 20th Century. Carries the nickname Lazy Daisy. This one made by Ever ready. Be the first to write a comment about this objectA1721 |
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PEERLESS SEWING MACHINE, 1890's Thomas Howard White founded the White Sewing Machine Company in Templeton Massachusetts in 1858 and a partner when he was 22 years of age, he invented a chain stitch sewing machine that could be completely held in one hand. This he sold for $10. It was successful enough within a few years he had to find larger premises, and in 1866 the company moved to Cleveland Ohio. The White company were equal almost to their largest competitor Singer and continued the flourish until the 1960's when Japanese low cost machines stated to flood the market. In 1986 the company was merged with the Swedish company Husqvarva Viking that was part of the Electrolux group. Dating these machines is very difficult, the dates on the machines refer only to the latest patent in this case 1881, and this can be misleading and not at all accurate. Judging by our research from the serial number this machine is dated around 1892, but could be as late as 1900. This model has a unique folding hand crank handle but has lost its bobbins making it almost impossible to use unless replacements could be found. Be the first to write a comment about this objectA1707 |
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JONES SEWING MACHINE, 1930's The Jones Type CS range started in 1895. This machine is a Type 5 Variant 1 and was made around 1935, its serial number is 15317 indicating a rough guide to its age. CS stands for Central or Cylinder Shuttle, a type patented by William Jones using a vibrating method, different from Singer machines in America being imported in 1895 when Jones decided to design an improved machine in the UK. He opened his first factory in 1860. A1589 |
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HOOVER 'DUSTETTE' MODEL 100 of 1930 Launched in 1930 the patent for the design was filed on May the 5th, by William H Kato, this was the first hand-held vacuum cleaner on the market. Kato was assigned to the Hoover Company of North Canton Ohio in the United States of America. At the time all vacuum cleaners were of the upright model type, Hoover saw the need for a smaller more portable model. It was launched in 1930 along with the cylinder type 'MINOR' model. They were available from 1930 to 1939 and after WW2 from 1945 to 1950. A1661 |
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CORN RAZOR, circa 1890 Cut throat style razor for removing Corns on feet. Developed in the late 19th century. An extension to the blade is provided to assist the opening of the blade. A1656 |
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TINTED SPECTACLES, 1920's Green tinted spectacles mounted in coil spring frame, sometimes known as 'Aviator' glasses. An early attempt to reduce glare from sunlight. Made from the 1920's onwards. A1655 |
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SUPREME HAIR DRYER, 1940's Supreme Hair dryer. Made by L.G.Hawkins & Co Ltd. Made in white Bakelite, and in original box. A unique part of the design is that the handle unscrews for easier storage. Made between 1947 and 1949. A1654 |
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ORIC ATMOS COMPUTER 11 X GAMES and 2 X BOOKS., 1984 The ORIC ATMOS was introduced in 1984 and replaced the ORIC 1 Computer; it had an improved keyboard and an updated ROM (Read Only Memory). Soon after ATMOS was released the Modem Printer and 3 inch floppy drive was introduced and released at the end of 1984. Not all games released were compatible with ORIC and ATMOS versions, a modification was released to enable switching between old ORIC 1 tapes and new ATMOS versions. Tape based software could be obtained with ORIC 1 software one side and ATMOS on the other. Earlier titles produced by publishers who had ceased trading were unlikely to be supported. Oric International finally produced the STRATOS version before going into receivership. A French company (Eureka) released the ORIC TELESTRAT after continuing production of the STRATOS. Apart from being gaming machines, users could learn an early computer programming language called 'BASIC' on these machines. The system requires a Television and a Tape player. A1639 |
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ORIC 1 COMPUTER. 17 games and 2 X BOOKS. , 1983 Introduced in 1982 the ORIC 1 was based on the 1MHz 6502A CPU with 16 or 48 Kb Ram versions. Made by Oric Products International Ltd formally Tangerine Company Systems. It included a sound chip, Centronics Interface, TV RF modulator (television required), and a tape output for storage of Data. A (a mains adaptor was supplied). In 1983 the 16 Kb version cost £129.00 and the 48 Kb version cost £169.00. A1638 |
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SIMPLEX SEWING MACHINE, circa 1950 Simplex Sewing Machine believed to be manufactured in America but some unit were made in post war occupied Japan. No serial number can be found, and other than the word Simplex that has been worn down, no other marks can be found. A1635 |
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OIL LAMP MARKED ARG DATED 1942, 1942 Oil or Paraffin lamp made in 1942. On the top is a bell dome which when unscrewed one turn will act as a bell if knocked with a suitable object. No more is known about this object, or can be found. A1637 |
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SILEX ELECTRIC AUTOMATIC STEAM IRON, 1940's Silex Electric steam Iron. Made by Silex Household Products Ltd, or H.Bagott & Company Ltd. On the back is a label with the company name, but the 'G' in Bagott is not clear and looks like the figure '8' so the name is not certain. No record can be found of this Company. Judging by the materials used and the method of manufacture it seems to have been made before World War 2. There are two controls, one on the rear for controlling the temperature and one on the handle for Ironing with steam or dry. A1624 |
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BELLING BED WARMER, 1939 Bed warmers in early days were filled with hot coals or ashes to remove the damp from the sheets. The Belling Company who originally made this product in 1939 started by making electric fires in 1912 at there factory in Enfield. It consists of two metal shallow spheres joined together with a 40-Watt bulb inside to produce the heat. Originally made in Cream, they were so successful that they continued until the 1960's. The instructions say that the unit must be removed before getting in to the bed. Belling made the Baby Belling cooker (No40) in 1931 with a fully enamelled body, using a glass door on an oven for the first time. Be the first to write a comment about this objectA1620 |
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PIONEER MANGLE, 1950's Early mangles would wring out washing by passing it through rollers originally made from wood, later rubber. After the Second World War electric washing machines came over from America, which had there own rollers mounted on top of the machine operated by a manual handle (domestic spin dryers were not available yet in the UK). Whittaker Bros Ltd who ceased trading in 1958 made this machine. A1607 |
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STRAND ULTRA VIOLET EXPERIMENTAL OUTFIT, 1950's The box provides Ultra Violet sensitive paint that can be put onto items including body and face (no warnings are given as to its safety) when the lamp provided is switched on and used to illuminate the subject the paint glows brightly. As expected. Six colours are provided as well as some face cream. A1586 |
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SHARP MZ 100 PC, 1980's An early example of a Personal Computer. It used a domestic television as a display. The program was supplied on a cassette tape run on an internal tape player. A0954 |
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PROGRAMMABLE CALCULATOR TI59 AND PC-100c PRINTER, 1970's The TI-59 was an early programmable calculator, manufactured by Texas Instruments from 1977. It was the successor to the TI SR-52, quadrupling the number of "program steps" of storage, and adding "ROM Program Modules" (an insert-able ROM chip, capable of holding 5000 program steps.) It was one of the first LED calculators. Also available for the TI-59 was a thermal printer (the PC100C); the calculator was mounted on top of the printer. It could print out a hard copy of the calculator's program, where the instructions were listed with the same alphanumeric mnemonics as the keys , not just the numeric key codes. View 1 comment about this objectA1459 |
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HEWLETT PACKARD POCKET PC, 1970's Pocket sized personal computer, supplied by Zengrange Ltd Leeds, England A1024 |
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EPSON HX20 LAPTOP COMPUTER, 1982 The Epson HX-20 (also known as the HC-20) is generally regarded as the first laptop computer, announced in November 1981, although first sold widely in 1983. Full-size keyboard, an LCD screen, printer, tape storage device, built-in rechargeable batteries. Microsoft BASIC is also included in ROM. Price in 1982 US$795. CPU=Two Hitachi 6301 @ 0.614MHz. Ram 16K, 32K max A1385 |
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AMSTRAD PC9512 COMPUTER, 1985 Replaced the PC8152. which in turn superseded the PCW8256 (Personal Computer Word Processor). Released in 1985. The company Amstrad was launched by Alan Sugar in 1968. A1562 |
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COMMODORE PET 8296 DISK DRIVE AND PRINTER, 1984 The last of the Pet series this one made in western Germany in 1984 The final version of what could be thought of as the "classic" PET was the PET 4000 series. A0937 |
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SINCLAIR ZX81 PERSONAL COMPUTER, 1981 Successor to Sinclair's ZX80, 1.5 million units were sold before it was discontinued. Programs and data were loaded and saved onto audiotape cassettes; The ZX81 could be bought by mail order in kit form or pre-assembled. It came with 1 Kb of on-board memory, QWERTY keyboard layout, and an optional a 16 Kb RAM pack shown in the picture. The owner supplied a TV and cassette recorder. A1524 |
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SINCLAIR SPECTRUM PERSONNAL COMPUTER, 1982 The original ZX Spectrum with rubber keyboard, being small in size and with a rainbow motif. Originally released in 1982 with 16 KB of RAM for £125 Sterling or with 48 KB for £175; these prices were later reduced to £99 and £129 respectively. Owners of the 16 KB model could purchase an internal 32 KB RAM upgrade. Shown with printer, Micro drive, tape-loop cartridge storage device, and an Interface, with RS232 port, the owner provided a colour TV and Cassette recorder, for program storage. A1523 |
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URANIUM GLASS CANDLESTICK, 1930's The term uranium glass, to the collector, will always be associated with that oily, yellow-green, transparent medium known as Vaseline glass. A1454 |
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ELECTRIC TRAVELLING IRON, 1930's Electric Travelling Iron, the first design that became very popular. A0352 |
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VOLTA ELECTRIC IRON, 1930's Early Volta electric Iron. A1212 |
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ELECTRIC IRON, 1930's Early Electric Iron. A1213 |
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SERVANTS CALL BOX, 1930's Servants call system on demonstration board, flaps on the indicator panel (annunciator) moves from side to side when called as the bell rings, and are marked to indicate caller. A1166 |
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HOOVER 750, 1930's First Hoover with famous 'beats-as-it-sweeps -as-it-cleans' motor-driven agitator/brush unit, also the first with a polished aluminium body, it replaced the Hoover model 541. It has a switch integral with the black steel handle and an orange triangular badge. Replaced by 1930 Hoover model 725 with snap-action handle and orange motor band. Basis for standard large Hoover upright until 1936 and continuing in modified form up to 1939. A1160 |
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STYLOPHONE, 1967 The Stylophone is a miniature stylus operated synthesizer invented in 1967 by Brian Jarvis. It consists of a metal keyboard played by touching it with a stylus. Three million Stylophone's were sold, mostly as children's toys, Rolf Harris appeared for several years as the Stylophone's advertising spokesman in the United Kingdom. The Stylophone was available in three variants: standard, bass and treble, the standard one being by far the most common. View 1 comment about this objectA1287 |
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'LITBADGE' AN ILLUMINATED BADGE, 1937 An illuminated badge to celebrate the coronation of George VI in 1937. A1261 |
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PIFCO ELECTRIC TIE PRESS, 1955 Slide the tie down the blade and plug the unit in. A1262 |
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PIFCO ELECTRIC TROUSER PRESS, 1950's A press for the seams of trousers. Once heated the blades are opened and sandwiched over the crease then moved along the length of the legs. A1266 |
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BAKELITE ELECTRIC WATER BOTTLE, 1943 Although shaped like a standard rubber hot water bottle, no water is needed. Just slip into the bed and plug in. A1242 |
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OZONE AIR FAN AND GENERATOR, 1930's Ozone generator with an electric fan mounted on the top. A1211 |
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TWO BED WARMERS, 1940's One made of porcelain one made of Bakelite, simply electric water bottles (without the water), no regulation and fairly low power. Sold before electric blankets were available. A1171 |
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FULLY AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC CLOTHES BRUSH, 1950's Gadgets like this were common after the War, this claimed to clean clothes on the wearer better than an ordinary brush. A1170 |
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LAZY DAISY BELL & CALL BUTTON, circa 1910 Used as a portable calling system for master and servant or doctor and patient, simply it consists of a large battery box with a bell on the side a fabric covered lead connects to a bell push, which is unwound and left with the patient/master ready for calling. The system could have many other uses. Dating these units is difficult as the manufacturing period could have lasted for as much as 30 years. Thanks to a comment received from America, one was found with evidence that it had been used in 1904, dating it to the turn of the 20th Century. These items have somehow been labelled as a Lazy Daisy. View 1 comment about this objectA0118 |
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STEWARD 'STICK' VACUUM CLEANER, 1936 A small vacuum cleaner dated 1936 A1158 |
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BUSTLER (STICK) VACUUM CLEANER, 1930 The 'stick' upright cleaner was a popular format in the 20's and 30's. It was cheaper and lighter, though lower-powered, that larger cleaners. The 'Bustler' was a popular British model which was available well into the 1950s. A1159 |
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ULTRAZONE OZONE GENERATOR, 1922 Devices generating high levels of ozone, some of which use ionization, are used to sanitize and deodorize uninhabited buildings, rooms, ductwork, woodsheds, boats and other vehicles. A1200 |
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ELECTRIC FIRE, 1908 One of the very first electric fires. The lamps were made by Osram. With spare lamp. The Spare is made by Robertson. View 1 comment about this objectA0917 |
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TRICITY 'SUN RAY' LAMP HEATER, 1927 An electric fire that depended on the Infra-red output of a special light bulb. A1267 |
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ELECTRIC BOWL FIRE, 1930's Electric fire used between the Wars and afterwards, operating from 240-250 volt AC mains. A1240 |