Iron Trivia at Mama’s Treasures The history of the modern day iron is a fascinating one. Not only is it reflective of scientific progress but it also tells us a lot about marketing history in the mid century.
News-Antique.com - Sep 01,2008 - The history of the modern day iron is a fascinating one. Not only is it reflective of scientific progress but it also tells us a lot about marketing history in the mid century. I confess that I love the 1940s to 1960s era. Many of us grew up during that time and have fond memories of those years. However, the post war years was also a time of ingenuity in the marketplace. Here are a few facts that you might find interesting.
1874 - First gas iron patents issued.
1882 - First electric iron patent (#259,054) issued to H. W. Seely of New York.
1903 - Development of iron with a hot point by Earl Richardson in California. This became the origin of the Hotpoint trademark, now owned by General Electric. General Electric also introduced the first iron with a detachable cord.
1909 - First travel iron introduced by General Electric.
1917- First beveled edge iron, particularly suited for fancy waists and lingerie, introduced by Westinghouse.
1919 - First iron with a wooden Thumb Rest handle introduced by the Hughes Electric Appliance Company. This company was later acquired by General Electric.
1922 - First cordless iron introduced by the Nocord Electric Company.
1923 - Landers, Frary, and Clark introduced a rounded heel iron which ironed backward without catching on pleats. Westinghouse also introduced an iron with a side rest this year.
1924 - Westinghouse introduced the first automatic (non-adjustable) iron.
1925 - First irons with heel rests introduced by Westinghouse and General Electric.
1926 - First steam iron introduced by the Eldec company (said to have been a Swiss import).
1927 - First adjustable temperature iron introduced by the Liberty Gauge and Instrument Company. this company was absorbed by Proctor-Silex in 1929.
1929 - General Electric introduces Button Nook iron to facilitate ironing around buttons.
1930 - Sunbeam introduces first lightweight iron (under six pounds).
1934 - Proctor- Silex introduces the Snap Stand iron which had a built in snap out stand. This later became the Neverlift iron.
1939 - Knapp-Monarch (acquired by Hoover) introduced a circular pie plate shaped iron designed especially for flatwork.
1940 - Waverly Tool Company introduces Petitpoint air cooled iron with a dual soleplate. the smaller one extended upward into a point for ironing frills. Manning Bowman introduces the iron that wagged its tail. the cord was on a swivel joint so it could swing easily and stay out of the way.
1941 - First steam iron using the needle valve or flash boiler introduced by Waring Products.
1946 - Yale and Towne introduced the Tip-Toe iron equipped with a hinged tip to facilitate ironing pleats.
1948 - General Electric introduces first front fill steam iron.
1949 - Winstead Hardware Company introduces steam iron operating by means of a thirty foot long tube attached to a water faucet.
1953 - First travel steam iron introduced by General Electric.
1957 - First spray steam iron introduced by General Electric.
