General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

2

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

Nickel plated cast iron body.

Dimensions

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

Length

16.5 cm

Width

8.3 cm

Height

12.2 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Domestic Technology

Category

Laundry

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Smart

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

City

Brockville

Context

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

Period

Unknown

Canada

Sad Irons were used in Canada from the 1880's up and into the early 20th century. James Smart Manufacturing Company was based in Brockville, Ontario, and was a leading iron manufacturing company. Part of the Ontario Hydro collection donated in 1992.

Function

This type of sad iron was typically heated on a stove. When thoroughly heated, the handle was attached to the base and then used to press and smooth textiles.

Technical

Sad Iron ‘1’ with detachable handle from a nickel plated sad iron set (detachable handle patented in 1871 in the United States). Sad irons with detachable handles are a marked advancement in the history of ironing technologies. They not only increased productivity, as a user could have multiple iron bases being heated at once (and therefore not have to wait for a single iron to re-heat) but also provided a greater level of comfort for the user; wood does not conduct heat and allowed the user a much cooler handle. These irons were generally sold in sets of three with a detachable handle. The weight of the iron was correlated to the style of the textile (heavier iron for heavier textiles). The sole of the iron needed to be entirely flat in order to eradicate wrinkles and press seams and creases.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

Raised letters cast on top read: 'JAS. SMART MFG. CO. LTD./ BROCKVILLE, ONT.'; Raised number '1' cast on either side of top.

Missing

From CA of 04/07/1994 by Tony Missio: No - Complete

Finish

Polished nickel finish. Fibre tape residue under iron sole.

Decoration

N/A