Gina Heslop
Change is an unstoppable force, reshaping our lives, people, technology, and circumstances as time marches forward. This inevitability of change is especially evident when we reflect upon our own lives and the incredible advancements in technology. Looking back, it can be both daunting and exhilarating to see how much has evolved over time.
Consider this peculiar object from the 1930s. Unless you were a witness to that era, chances are you’d struggle to identify it. This odd-looking contraption, resembling a flask or carrier, is none other than the Hercules vacuum cleaner from the 1930s. It’s a far cry from the sleek robotic vacuum cleaners like the Roomba we have today, which effortlessly glide across our floors while we attend to other tasks.
Imagine life in the 1930s when the Hercules Vacuum cleaner was considered stylish and sophisticated, often encased in luxurious crocodile skin. This was an era marked by the Great Depression, a time when many families could barely make ends meet, let alone afford such a lavish machine. If you knew what this item was, try showing it to your children, and you’ll likely stump them completely.
The vacuum cleaner itself has an interesting history. Before the invention of vacuum cleaners, the humble broom was the primary tool for cleaning. It wasn’t until 1797 that a farmer from Massachusetts perfected the broom, known as broomcorn. Fast forward to the 1860s, when Daniel Hess created the first true vacuum cleaner, using a draft of air to draw dust and dirt into the machine.
In 1869, Ives McGaffey of Chicago took the concept further, but his design proved to be more cumbersome than a regular broom. It wasn’t until James Murray Spangler, a humble janitor living in Canton, Ohio, revolutionized the vacuum cleaner. He designed an upright, portable machine that effectively sucked up dirt and blew it into an attached pillowcase. Spangler patented his invention in 1907 and founded the Electric Suction Sweeper Company.
However, financial troubles led Spangler to sell his company to his cousin, Susan Hoover, giving birth to the iconic Hoover brand. Hoover’s innovative use of a ceiling fan motor and rotating brush set the standard for vacuum cleaners as we know them today.
Reflecting on the Hercules Vacuum cleaner and the evolution of cleaning technology, we can appreciate how far we’ve come in simplifying our lives through innovation and progress. Change, with all its unpredictability, continues to shape our world, making it simultaneously daunting and inspiring.
