FAQ
Lurelle Guild (American, 1898–1986). Vacuum Cleaner, circa 1937. Electrolux Corporation. Dover, Delaware. Chromed, polished, and enameled steel, cast aluminum, vinyl, rubber, 8 1/2 x 23 x 7 3/4 in. (21.6 x 58.4 x 19.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Fifty/50, 86.15a-f
In the period between the world wars, American manufacturers often hired freelance industrial designers to enhance the images of their products. Electrolux hired Lurelle Guild to redesign their vacuum cleaner. He produced an iconic design that embodies the era's fascination with speed and efficiency and incorporated new materials such as rubber and chrome to make Electrolux appear more innovative. This design, with variations such as the substitution of wheels for the gliders, remained in production for over twenty years.
Eastern Parkway/Brooklyn Museum