General Information

Serial #

H60341

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

CHROME PLATED PRESSED METAL HOUSING & PANELS/ WIREELEMENTS WRAPPED AROUND SHEET MICA CORES/ METAL WIRE GRILLS/ SYNTHETIC BASE & FEET, PANEL HANDLES & SWITCH/ FIBRE COVERED CORD/ RUBBER PLUG WITH BRASS PRONGS

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

19.8 cm

Width

13.5 cm

Height

17.3 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Domestic Technology

Category

Food processing

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Westinghouse

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

City

Hamilton

Context

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

Period

Unknown

Canada

In the early 20th century, electricity was not yet commonly found within Canadian homes. Before toasters were brought into the home, they were typically used in commercial settings, such as restaurants. Electrification of homes started initially through the introduction of lighting, leading to the development of some toaster cords that plugged into lightbulb sockets (Ref.1). In 1917, the two-prong system for electrical plugs was established and standardized across North America (Ref.1), and by the 1920s it became more affordable to bring electricity into the home. Between 1941-1951, the percentage of homes with electricity increased significantly, from 69.1% of homes, to 87.8%, with higher percentages in urban regions of the country (Ref.2). Companies such as B.C. Electric encountered a surplus of electric generation, particular during periods of low-usage. To encourage further use of electricity in homes, electric companies in Canada began to encourage use of electrical appliances. These companies targeted women in their marketing, promoting the benefits of appliances to reduce workload in the kitchen. Showrooms were set up across Canada by various electric manufacturers, inviting women to view various electrical appliances (Ref.1). As Canadians were introduced to the benefits of electricity in the kitchen, there was generally higher uptake of small electric appliances, such as toasters and irons, than the larger electric appliances. Between 1952-1960, the total number of toasters that were manufactured in Canada increased from 198,200 to 278,567 toasters total, or a total value of $1.2 million to $2.6 million (Ref.3). By 1931, 40% of homes across Canada owned a toaster (Ref.2). This product was developed in Hamilton, Ontario, at the Canadian-based Westinghouse facility. The Canadian Westinghouse Company Ltd was established in 1903, and continued to grow successfully for many decades, till its eventual closure in 1987 (Ref.4).

Function

To toast bread, one side at a time. Can toast up to 2 slices of bread at a time.

Technical

The toaster is simple in design and material, the triangular body a common shape of early toaster design. It is made primarily of a reflective chrome body that conveys the modern and minimal aesthetic of the art-deco movement (Ref. 5). A wire is wrapped around mica sheets to create a heating element for the toast, an approach that is used in the design of toaster components to this day. The toaster requires that the user attends to the appliance in order to remove the toast when it is ready. Due to human error however, this often led to burnt toast. This design flaw eventually led to the development of the pop-up toaster in 1919 (Ref.6).

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

INCISED PRINTING ON UNDERSIDE OF TOASTER READS: 'CANADIAN WESTINGHOUSE Co LIMITED/ HAMILTON CANADA/ MODEL TT-12 S-H60341 115V 500W/ CSA APPROVAL No 27'/ RAISED NUMBER '1778' APPEARS ON UNDERSIDE OF BASE/ 'Westinghouse' STAMPED AT BOTTOM FRONT/ RAISED PRINTING ON SWITCH READS: '10A.-250V./ UND.LAB.INSP./ ON OFF/ ARROW-H&H/ -U.S.A.-'

Missing

NONE From CA of 03/17/1994 by Tony Missio: No - Complete

Finish

HOUSING & PANELS METAL WITH POLISHED CHROME FINISH/ ELEMENT CORES GRAY MICA/ BASE & FEET, HANDLES & SWITCH BLACK SYNTHETIC/ CORD COVERING BLACK & WHITE FIBRE/ PLUG BLACK RUBBER/ PRONGS BRASSUNFINISHED

Decoration

N/A