General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

NICKEL PLATED CAST METAL BASE/ NICKEL PLATED PRESSED METAL ELEMENT HOUSING & BREAD RACKS/ METAL WIRE ELEMENTS WRAPPED AROUNDSHEET MICA CORES/ CELLULOID HANDLES, PUSH BUTTONS & FEET/ METAL MFR'S PLATE

Dimensions

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

Length

21.5 cm

Width

13.5 cm

Height

21.4 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

LANDERS

Country

United States of America

State/Province

Connecticut

City

New Britain

Context

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

Period

Unknown

Canada

Around the time when this toaster was produced, electricity was just beginning to enter Canadian homes. Prior to this, toasters and other electrical appliances 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). To encourage further use of electricity in homes during low-peak hours, 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). This is an example of a toaster that was marketed specifically to women as a beautiful appliance that would make housework easier and impress guests (Ref. 3). As Canadians were introduced to the benefits of electricity in the kitchen, there was initially higher uptake of small electric appliances, such as toasters and irons, than the larger 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).

Function

TO TOAST BREAD. To toast bread on one side, other side is toasted by pushing a button to turning the bread cages. Can toast up to two slices of bread at a time.

Technical

The design of Universal E9410, also known as the Sweetheart Toaster, was patented by George E. Curtiss (Ref.4). The toaster is elegant in form, made up of up curved lines and decorated with floral patterns. The floral and geometric styling of the toaster is inspired by art deco. The company Landers Frary & Clark created a line of products under the Universal label, marketing their products as approachable and for everyday (Ref.4). 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. Using this appliance, toast could be flipped by pushing a button, thereby activating the turning mechanism in the bread cages, allowing the toast to be turned by the machine. This still required that the user attended to the appliance, and due to human error, this often led to burnt toast. This design flaw eventually led to the development of the pop-up toaster in 1919 (Ref.5).

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

RECTANGULAR MFR'S PLATE ON UNDERSIDE OF BASE READS: 'THE TRADE MARK KNOWN IN EVERY HOME/ UNIVERSAL/ VOLTS 108 116 NO.E9410 WATTS 525/ MADE IN U.S.A./ LANDERS, FRARY & CLARK, New Britian, Conn., U.S.A.'

Missing

ONE FOOT/ ELECTRICAL CORD From CA of 05/17/1994 by Tony Missio: Yes - No cord.

Finish

BASE, HOUSING & RACKS METAL WITH POLISHED NICKEL FINISH/ ELEMENT CORES GRAY MICA/ HANDLES, PUSH BUTTONS & FEET IVORY-COLOURED CELLULOID/MFR'S PLATE POLISHED METAL UNFINISHED WITH BLACK BACKGROUND & SILVERPRINTING

Decoration

ORNATE DESIGN INCLUDES INCISED PANELS ON BASE, RAISED FLORAL DECORATION ON BASE, ELEMENT HOUSING & HANDLE BRACKETS, PATTERN OF CURVED& STRAIGHT LINES IN GRILLWORK ON SIDES OF BREAD RACKS & TEAR-DROP SHAPED HANDLES