Material Type

Artifact

Date

1930

Materials

STEEL, RUBBER, COTTON, BAKELITE, ALUMINUM

No. Pieces

22

Description

1. UPRIGHT VACUUM 116CM TALL WITH STEEL POWER HEAD AND BLUE DUST BAG. MOVABLE ALUMINUM SHAFT HAS ROUNDED WOODEN HANDLE FINISHED WITH GLOSSY BLACK PAINT, WHICH IS WEARING TO REVEAL LIGHT COLORED WOOD BENEATH. ON UNDER SIDE OF SHAFT BELOW HANDLE IS SWITCH PLATE WITH ELECTRIC CORD. ALUMINUM SWITCH MOVES UP TO OFF POSITION AND DOWN TO THE "ON" POSITION. UNDER SWITCH IS HOLE FROM WHICH ELECTRICAL CORD RUNS. CORD HAS COILED STEEL SPRING AROUND IT AT BASE. CORD I6M LONG WITH BLACK RUBBER PLUG AT END. CORD IS COVERED WITH BROWN RUBBER WHICH IS DRY AND CRACKING BADLY. BOLTED TO SIDE OF SHAFT ARE TWO ALUMINUM BRACKETS TO COIL CORD. LOWER BACKET IS BROKEN OFF SO THAT ONLY BASE IS LEFT. ON OPPOSITE SIDE OF TOP BRACKET IS RING TURN SCREW WITH BALL CHAIN ATTACHED TO IT. AT END OF BALL CHAIN IS ALUMINUM CLIP WHICH HOLDS TOP OF DUST BAG. AT BOTTOM OF SHAFT ROUND CLAMP WITH WING NUT TIGHTENER TO HOLD SHAFT TO U-SHAPED CLAMP HINGED TO BODY OF POWER HEAD. ON LEFT SIDE OF POWER HEAD IS TUBE WHICH BAG SLIPS INTO. DUST BAG IS BLUE COTTON BAG APPROX 68CM LONG WITH BLACK CIRCLE AND DIAMOND SHAPES ALL OVER IT. ON FRONT IS LARGE GOLD LETTERING WHICH READS "PREMIER DUPLEX AN EMPIRE PRODUCT TRADE MARK REG'D". BOTTOM OF BAG NARROWS INTO NARROW SLEEVE WITH STEEL CUFF WHICH SLIPS INTO POWER HEAD. POWER HEAD IS CYLINDRICAL STEEL CASING WITH MOTOR AND WIDE POWER BAR ACROSS FRONT. AT BACK OF MOTOR ARE TWO RECTANGULAR STRUTS WITH BAKELITE WHEELS ON THEM. POWER CORD EXTENDS FROM BOTTOM OF MOTOR COVERED WITH COILED WIRE UNTIL IT GOES INTO SHAFT AND UP TO CORD. BLUE STEEL PLATE IS RIVETED TO TOP OF MOTOR WHICH READS "BALL BEARING MOTOR NO OILING REQUIRED" AND "MODEL 109 NO. 4063" WITH ELECTRICAL INFORMATION. ACROSS BOTTOM READS "PRIEMER VACUUM CLEANER CO., LTD. TORONTO, ONT. MADE IN CANADA". AT SIDES OF POWER HEAD ARE TWO MORE BAKELITE WHEELS, BADLY CHIPPED AND GOUGED. ON RIGHT SIDE ABOVE WHEEL IS STEEL TURN KNOB WITH ARROW AND "UP" WRITTEN ON IT WHICH IS USED TO RAISE AND LOWER SAID WHEELS. ON FRONT OF POWER BAR IS CIRCULAR PLATE WHICH OPENS TO REVEAL MOTOR SHAFT AND RUBBER BELT. PLATE HAS BLUE CENTER PIECE WITH TWO WHITE OLIVE BRANCHES CROSSED OVER. AROUND EDGE READS "M'F'D AND GUARANTEED BY PREMIER VACUUM CLEANER CO. LTD. TORONTO, CANADA". RAISED FROM POWER BAR IN LOW RELIEF IS "PREMIER DUPLEX". BLACK RUBBER BUMPER SKIRTS EDGE OF POWER BAR. POWER BAR HAS LARGE RE-BRISTLED BRUSH. ON SIDE OF DUST BAG IS WHITE BORDERED SQUARE WHICH READS "MANUFACTURED AND SOLD UNDER ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING. LETTERS PATENT OF THE DOMINION OF CANADA 1929 - 1930". MOTOR HAS A FEW SCRATCHES AND RUBBER BELT INSIDE IS BADLY CRACKED. 2. 30.5CM X 11CM X 21.3CM GREY PLASTIC CASE WITH WHITE SEWN BORDERS. PLASTIC COVERING IS SEWN AROUND RECTANGLUAR PIECES OF CARDBOARD. INSIDE PANEL DOES NOT HAVE CARDBOARD CORE BUT IS TWICE THE WIDTH OF COVERING FOLDED OVER TO FORM SIMPLE OPEN POCKET. FRONT PANEL IS SHORTER THAN INSIDE POCKET AND HAS "ELECTROLUX" STAMPED ON ITS FRONT. BOTTOM OF CASE IS PLAIN PIECE OF CARDBOARD. ALL PLASTIC COVERING IS DIRTY AND DRY. WHITE EDGING IS YELLOWING. 3. 44CM X 2.7CM GREY PLASTIC STRAP WITH WHITE EDGING. STRAP WAS ONCE SEWN TO BACK OF CASE. STRAP HAS STITCHING LOOSE AT ENDS AND IS FOLDED BADLY IN SEVERAL PLACES. STRAP IS VERY DIRTY. 4. 2.2M LONG GREY HOSE WITH STEEL COLLARS AT BOTH ENDS. HOSE IS RUBBER AND CANVAS CORE WITH GREY CLOTH COVERING. COVERING HAS WHITE PATTERNED DIAMONDS STITCHED THROUGH IT. RIVETED TO HOSE IS ONE COLLAR WITH SIMPLE RAISED EDGE. OTHER COLLAR HAS STEEL KNOBS FOR FASTENING TO OTHER PARTS AND AN INNER LIP AROUND END. BLACK ELECTRICAL TAPE IS WRAPPED AROUND HOSE AT THAT END TO REINFORCE IT. 5. HOSE END: STEEL COLLAR WITH RAISED LIP AND APPROX 5CM OF COVERED HOSE. THREE RIVETS HOLD COLLAR TO HOSE. HOSE HAS BEEN CUT AND IS FRAYED AND TORN AT END. 6. EXTENSION: 39.3CM X 3.4XM (D) STEEL PIPE BENT SLIGHTLY 1/3 OF WAY DOWN ITS LENGTH. NARROW END HAS HORIZONTAL GROOVE 1.5 CM FROM END AND MASKING TAPE WRAPPED AROUND IT. WIDE END HAS OVAL SHAPED HOLE 1 CM IN LENGTH. PIPE HAS NUMEROUS SCRATCHES AND PITS. 7. COLLAR JOINT: 15.5CM LONG STEEL COLLARS WITH TWO DIFFERENT SIZED ENDS. LARGE END IS 5CM IN DIAMETER AND SMALL END IS 4.2 CM IN DIAMETER. LARGE END HAS ANGLED GROOVE FOR ATTACHMENT. BOTH ENDS HAVE PLASTIC BUTTON RELEASE TABS. HAS SLIGHT CORROSION ON INSIDE OF COLLAR. 8. WIDE NOZZLE: CYLINDRICAL STEEL TUBE WHICH FLATTENS OUT INTO WIDE BUT NARROW HEAD. EDGE OF HEAD HAS FLARED LIP. HEAD IS 14.5CM WIDE. 9. BUNG: 4.2 CM (H) X 6.2CM (D) STEEL PLUG. HAS SLOPED BAND CUT AWAY FROM SIDE FOR ATTACHMENT. 10. CORNER NOZZLE: LONG NARROW RUBBER NOZZLE FITTED TO STEEL COLLAR. STEEL COLLAR HAS PLASTIC RELEASE TAB AND THREE RIVETS FASTENING COLLAR TO RUBBER NOZZLE. NOZZLE IS CIRCULAR AND SLOPES AWAY INTO A NARROW RECTANGULAR SHAPE APPROX 3.4CM X 1CM. BLACK RUBBER HAS RED RESIDUE ON IT AS DOES COLLAR. 11. BEATER BRUSH: 31.5CM (L) X 3.2CM (D) STEEL TUBE WITH BLACK BRISTLES AND STEEL COLLARED ENDS. AT MIDDLE OF TUBE IS STEEL RING 2.2 CM WIDE FOR BELT TO RUN ON. TUBE SPINS AROUND CENTRAL SHAFT WHICH IS HELD IN PLACE BY COLLARED ENDS. BRISTLES ARE IN FOUR SINGLE ROWS WHICH SLOPE ALONG TUBE AT A SLIGHT DIAGONAL TO DIRECT DIRT TOWARDS CENTER. STEEL IS PITTED AND DIRTY. SLIGHT AMOUNTS OF RED CLAY RESIDUE IN BRUSHES. 12. BEATER BRUSH: IDENTICAL TO 11. BUT WITHOUT THE PITTED STEEL OR RESIDUE IN BRUSHES. 13. BELT: 1.3 CM WIDE X 0.4CM THICK X 11CM (D) BROWN RUBBER BELT. DRY AND CRACKING. 14. BELT: IDENTICAL TO 13. 15. BELT: IDENTICAL TO 13. OUTER SURFACE HAS BEEN DIRTIED FROM USE. 16. BELT: 1CM WIDE X 0.2CM THICK X 10.5CM (D) LIGHT BROWN RUBBER BELT WITH TAPERED EDGES. 17. BELT: 1.3CM WIDE X 0.3 CM THICK X 7.5 CM (D) LIGHT BROWN RUBBER BELT. INNER SURFACE IS BLACK FROM USE. 18. LOCK KNOB: 8CM (L) X 2.3CM (D) STEEL KNOB WITH THREADED BASE AND RIBBED EDGE KNOB ON TOP. KNOB HAS ARROW AND "UP" ETCHED INTO IT. AT MIDDLE OF KNOB IS POINTED TOOTH LOCK & KEY. IT IS SPRING LOADED PULLING UP KNOB ALLOWS IT TO TURN. ARROW AND "UP" HAVE BLUE PAINT INSIDE OF LETTERING GROOVES. IT IS A REPLACEMENT KNOB FOR IDENTICAL ONE ON VACUUM. 19. WHEEL: BLACK BAKELITE WHEEL 1.5CM (W) X 5CM (D). HAS HOLE IN CENTER TO SLIP OVER SHAFT. IT IS A REPLACEMENT WHEEL FOR IDENTICAL ONES ON VACUUM. 20. COILED SPRING: 2.5 CM (L) X 1.5 CM (D) STEEL COIL WITH HOOKED ENDS. 21. BRUSH BEARING: HAT SHAPED STEEL CUP WITH THREE HOLES AROUND EDGE. IN MIDDLE IS STEEL BEARING FRAME WHICH SHAFT OF BEATER BRUSH ROTATES IN. 22. BEARING CAP: 1.6CM (W) X 3.6CM (D) STEEL CAP WITH THREE SMALL HOLES AROUND EDGE AND ONE LARGER ONE IN CENTER.

Subjects

MAINTENANCE T&E

Historical Association

DOMESTIC

History

WAS PURCHASED AND USED BY DONOR'S FAMILY. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *UPDATE* IN 2018, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF PERSONAL ARTIFACTS, INCLUDING A PAIR OF ICE SKATES DONATED BY BURTON CRABB COURTESY OF HIS SON, KEN CRABB. A GENEALOGY DOCUMENT WAS PROVIDED BY THE DONOR AT THE TIME OF DONATION, WHICH STATES JOHN CRABB (D. 1893) AND MARY EMILY PYATT (D. 1898) WERE MARRIED IN PLYMOUTH, ENGLAND ON JANUARY 17, 1864. THEY HAD THEIR FIRST THREE CHILDREN, RICHARD (1866-1922), JOHN KNIGHT (1868-1917), AND FRED (B. 1870) IN ENGLAND BEFORE IMMIGRATING TO CANADA, WHERE THEY FIRST LANDED IN THE OTTAWA AREA. THEIR REMAINING CHILDREN – EMMA (B. 1872), JENNIE (B. 1873), WILLIAM THOMAS (1875-1878), GEORGE (1876-1878), HENRY (B. 1878), CHARLES PYATT (B. 1881), AND EVANGELINE (1891-1891) – WERE BORN THERE. THE ELDEST IN THE FAMILY, RICHARD CRABB, WAS IN THE PHOTOGRAPHIC BUSINESS. UPON HIS RETURN TO CANADA AFTER WORKING FOR A PERIOD IN THE WEST INDIES, HE TRAVELLED THROUGHOUT THE WEST, WHERE HE TOOK PHOTOGRAPHS FOR STEELING COMPANIES. HE CAME TO LETHBRIDGE AND MET HIS WIFE, CHARLOTTE E. YOUNG (1874-1944), IN FORT MACLEOD. THE COUPLE WERE MARRIED ON JULY 8, 1902. THEIR CHILDREN WERE JOHN PERRY (1902-2000), RICHARD HENRY (1904-1987), BURTON GRENVILLE (1905-1997), REGINALD ERNEST (1907-1983), MARY ELIZABETH (1910-1911), EDITH BAXTER (1911-1913), EMILY MAY (1911-1913), AND EDWIN ROBERT (CRABBE) ( 1914-1987). RICHARD CRABB WAS LETHBRIDGE’S FIRST RESIDENT PHOTOGRAPHER. ACCORDING TO A LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLE PUBLISHED ON APRIL 29, 1978, “[HE WAS] A PROFESSIONAL WHOSE SHOTS CATALOGED AN ERA FROM 1880S TO 1915.” HE BUILT A STUDIO ON 3RD AVENUE SOUTH, EAST OF 7TH STREET. BUSINESS FOR PHOTOGRAPHY BECAME POOR WITH THE ONSET OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR, SO RICHARD WENT TO WORK IN THE CITY OF LETHBRIDGE’S ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT LETHBRIDGE IN 1915. HE PASSED AWAY IN THE CITY IN 1922. THE COLLECTION’S DONOR, BURTON GRENVILLE CRABB, WAS BORN IN LETHBRIDGE ON NOVEMBER 28, 1905 AND DIED IN THE CITY OF MARCH 14, 1997. HE MARRIED JEANNETTE ALICE THIBODEAU (1905-1986) IN PINCHER CREEK ON SEPTEMBER 16, 1935. THE COUPLE HAD TWO CHILDREN: KENNETH BURTON CRABB AND FRANCES MARIE GULLEKSON (1939-1997). KENNETH BURTON CRABB WAS BORN ON DECEMBER 9, 1936 IN LETHBRIDGE. HE MARRIED CLARA JEAN FRASER (B. JANUARY 3, 1939) IN LETHBRIDGE ON FEBRUARY 11, 1961. THEY HAD FOUR CHILDREN: RICHARD ALLEN (B. AUGUST 20, 1961), ROBERT DOUGLAS (B. OCTOBER 10, 1962), CATHERINE LOUISE (OCTOBER 31, 1964 – NOVEMBER 1, 1964), AND CHERYL MARIE (B. MAY 23, 1968). KENNETH BURTON CRABB PASSED AWAY IN LETHBRIDGE ON JULY 23, 2013. IN 1977, BURTON CRABB WAS INTERVIEWED AS PART OF THE PIONEER RESEARCHERS’ ASSOCIATION ORAL HISTORY PROJECT, WHERE HE SHARED HIS FAMILY. THAT INTERVIEW IS PRESERVED IN THE GALT ARCHIVES, RECORD 19921008008. AS PART OF THE AUDIT RESEARCH, PUNDYK WAS ABLE TO CONTACT THE DONORS’ DESCENDANTS. NO FURTHER INFORMATION WAS ESTABLISHED REGARDING THE ARTIFACTS. PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Catalogue Number

P19940023001

Acquisition Date

1994-07

Collection

Museum

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