General Information

Serial #

606000

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

CAST IRON BASE/ NICKEL PLATED PRESSED METAL HOUSING & FLIP-DOWN PANELS/ METAL WIRE ELEMENTS WRAPPED AROUND CERAMIC CORES/ METAL WIRE GRILLS/ WOOD CARRYING HANDLE & SIDE PANEL KNOBS

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

11.8 cm

Height

21.9 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

SIMPLEX ELECTRIC

Country

United States of America

State/Province

Massachusetts

City

Cambridge

Context

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

Period

Unknown

Canada

Around the time when this toaster was produced, electricity was not yet commonly found within Canadian homes. 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). 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 on one side.

Technical

The design of the toaster is simple, featuring a large metal frame mounted on a sturdy ceramic base. This toaster features flip-down doors, a functional design choice that protects the user from coming in direct contact with a hot element. This toaster is unique in its ability to adjust the flip-down doors to accommodate larger items like sandwiches to be toasted. 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 and turns the toast by hand to ensure even toasting on both sides. 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.4).

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

MFR'S MARKS INCISED ON UNDERSIDE OF BASE READ: 'SIMPLEX SELCO QUALITY [LOGO]/ T 211 V 115 A 4.3/ S 606000'

Missing

ELECTRICAL CORD From CA of 03/17/1994 by Tony Missio: Yes - missing cord

Finish

BASE METAL ENAMELLED BLACK/ HOUSING & PANELS METAL WITH POLISHED NICKEL FINISH/ CORES WHITE CERAMIC/ HANDLE & KNOBS WOOD PAINTED BLACK

Decoration

N/A