1916 General Electric desk fan

[RetroToday]

Hi all,

I picked up this GE oscillating fan in the middle of the summer for a very reasonable price. It can be used as a desk fan or wall mounted.

I've been able to date it to about 1916.

Recently I got up the nerve to strip the green paint off the blades and the GE logo plate because I learned they were once a brass colour (and were more attractive). The logo plate is actually brass, so that polished up nicely, but the fan blades are steel that were originally painted gold.

The fan looks a lot better now. I will have to get up some more nerve to strip and paint the main body of the fan - that will require a larger effort than the blades. Lots of disassembly in that job.

I'm still on the fence on whether or not to paint the body green or black, and what colour to paint the cage. Any thoughts?

I'd love to also get it working, if possible, but there's a hitch
It's DC power, not AC.

110 volts is listed on the builder's plate, but there's no AMP or Cycle rating.

Does anybody here have a DC power fan somewhat like this?
Do you have the power cord plugged into something to work off your AC house outlet? Maybe someone out there can tell me how to do that properly?

Thanks in advance for any help offered,
If you can't help, I hope you just enjoyed the pics.

Photo taken the day I brought it home. You can see some of the brass poking through on the logo plate.

After the stripping and gold repaint.

On the desk above my computer with some of my other old stuff

 

[RetroToday]

Bumpity bump bump bump.

 

[PrettySquareGal]

It's a beauty!

 

[ScionPI2005]

That is one gorgeous fan! While I can't help as to the DC/AC issue, I shall put in my two cents to paint it black. Just a personal preference though, but I think black would look better.

 

[Josephine]

You need an AC to DC Converter. Do a Google search, you'll get a few hits on places to get one.

ps sweet fan.

 

[RetroToday]

Thanks PrettySquareGal, ScionPI2005, and Josephine for the coments.

I am currently leaning towards black as the colour of the body. I think it would be more authentic to that time period. It seems that almost every manufacturer's opinion was like that of Henry Ford cars of that time period "You can have it in any color, as long as it's black!"

As far as a DC to AC converter.... I'm sure there's one out there that has the specs I need, it's just that I don't have the amp or cycle rating for the fan. If I can find a common rating out there in cyberland, I may just have to go with that.

I always will take precautions before I do so, I don't want to kill myself or burn out the motor.

Thanks again.

 

[MK]

.

Looks great! I have a vintage desk fan....that usually is too powerful to be used.

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Cool fan,...pun unintentional.
Also cool radio and camera, the height of technology.
But are you 100 percent certain that the fan is DC?
I ask because the plug looks to be your basic AC type, and 110 volts is the standard for AC current. Also, I think DC had been abandoned by the turn of the century due to transmission difficulties.
Some historical info here,...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternating_current#History
Maybe the only thing it needs is a new cord with a plug.

 

[SamMarlowPI]

BLACK!!! btw, whats the date on your radio? very nice

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Maybe DC it is. I just found some more history that says DC was used, albeit rarely, well into the 20th century. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_Currents

 

[SamMarlowPI]

Maybe DC it is. I just found some more history that says DC was used, albeit rarely, well into the 20th century. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_Currents

perhaps looking up GE's history would reveal if they used DC in some of their early products...[huh]

 

[Forgotten Man]

GE for a long time during and post WWI used a very dark green… kind of a dark olive green, at first look, it looks black but, you see a green tint to it… I like it. So, if I were you, I’d repaint it dark olive with a brush, because, the originals I’ve seen had brush strokes.

Also, GE was a Thomas Edison company, and we all know Edison was pro DC. This example could be pretty rare in that it’s marked DC. You may want to have it checked by an electrician and he could tell you if it’s safe to use on an modern AC current. Myself, I wouldn’t change the plug or the cord if there are no frays in it, most of the time, they’re safe to use if there isn’t any serious deterioration. You do not want to replace the cord and plug with modern plastic… it will take away from the authentic appearance of your old appliance. Polish up the prongs on the plug, and the bakelite plug it’s self, and also clean the connections on the inside of the plug. It would be fine to use, you just need to find out if it’s a true DC or can be used on an AC current.

Good luck with the fan.

FM~

PS. The radio looks to me to be a 1935 Philco model 60... beautiful set!

 

[RetroToday]

BLACK!!! btw, whats the date on your radio? very nice

Thanks Sam,

It's a 1934 Philco, model 366-A. This model is the Canadian-built equivalent to the USA's model 90. I've collected vintage items for a while, but the radio collecting has recently got out of hand, I have about 30 now.

The 366-A in operation

1934 Toronto newspaper advertisement featuring the 366-A

There's a link under my signature to my Flickr gallery featuring my entire radio collection. I update it when I get new ones. Have a look sometime.
I really love those 1930s radios, their design style, and listening to OTR and big band music on them when possible. I'm also slowly on my way to learning how to fix their electronics.

Thanks again.

 

[Forgotten Man]

Not to hi-jack this thread about fans into a radio thread, I just wanted to make mention the date on the bottom of that ad is October 9th 1934.
Philco was known to introduce it's new models for 1935 mid year in many cases. So, it is a 1935 set.

FM~

 

[SamMarlowPI]

Thanks Sam,

It's a 1934 Philco, model 366-A. This model is the Canadian-built equivalent to the USA's model 90. I've collected vintage items for a while, but the radio collecting has recently got out of hand, I have about 30 now.

The 366-A in operation

1934 Toronto newspaper advertisement featuring the 366-A

There's a link under my signature to my Flickr gallery featuring my entire radio collection. I update it when I get new ones. Have a look sometime.
I really love those 1930s radios, their design style, and listening to OTR and big band music on them when possible. I'm also slowly on my way to learning how to fix their electronics.

Thanks again.

that sure is a slick set...i would like to get into 30's sets but my budget can only really let me afford 40's sets that sell for around $40...i think thats pretty inexpensive considering how they will accrue value over the next so-many years...unless of course you'd care to sell one of your older sets to me

and so i dont get too off subject, i have a 1946 Mastercraft desk fan that im restoring...its a job and a half too...got to have something to do...

 

[twobarbreak]

amazing Fan...I have a house full of Fans that my roommate has collected and some he also restored. Nice!

 

[Flivver]

Not to hi-jack this thread about fans into a radio thread, I just wanted to make mention the date on the bottom of that ad is October 9th 1934.
Philco was known to introduce it's new models for 1935 mid year in many cases. So, it is a 1935 set.

FM~

Right you are!

In the 1930s, most radio manufacturers introduced their "next year's" models at the RMA (Radio Manufacturers Association) Trade Show which was usually held in June.

BTW, that Canadian Philco 366-A looks identical to a U.S. Philco Model 60. I got my Model 60 back in 1968. I paid $5 for it at the local Salvation Army Store...a lot of money for an old radio back then.

 

[RetroToday]

Right you are!

In the 1930s, most radio manufacturers introduced their "next year's" models at the RMA (Radio Manufacturers Association) Trade Show which was usually held in June.

BTW, that Canadian Philco 366-A looks identical to a U.S. Philco Model 60. I got my Model 60 back in 1968. I paid $5 for it at the local Salvation Army Store...a lot of money for an old radio back then.

Flivver and FM, I presume that you guys are both right - most radio companies did introduce their next year's model to the public near the fall of the previous year. In dating my radios I have usually taken the year that they were or available to the public because I thought If it existed in 1934, shouldn't it be a 1934 radio?

I have seen a lot of collectors date their radios using (eg: 1934-35) instead of just choosing one year.

If the popular concensus of dating a radio is by the year it was intended to be brought out, I guess I will have to revise my dates.
I've just been saying that I have had a 1934 Philco cathedral for so long it will be hard to change that old habit!

Thanks

 

[Flivver]

Flivver and FM, I presume that you guys are both right - most radio companies did introduce their next year's model to the public near the fall of the previous year. In dating my radios I have usually taken the year that they were or available to the public because I thought If it existed in 1934, shouldn't it be a 1934 radio?

I have seen a lot of collectors date their radios using (eg: 1934-35) instead of just choosing one year.

If the popular concensus of dating a radio is by the year it was intended to be brought out, I guess I will have to revise my dates.
I've just been saying that I have had a 1934 Philco cathedral for so long it will be hard to change that old habit!

Thanks

I think either approach is fine. I work in the auto industry where everyone thinks in "model years" so I'm afraid I've transferred that thinking to radios.

Actually, I've always found it interesting to compare marketing practices in both the radio and auto industries. Early on, the auto industry discovered the concept of planned obsolescence, which led to new models on an annual basis. By 1924, the radio industry was starting to adopt the annual model as well. Since both cars and radios conferred status upon their owners, the concept of planned obsolescence worked quite well for manufacturers.

 

[Forgotten Man]

One last thing about the Philco Radio:

I have a few and I looked up the model numbers at: http://www.philcoradio.com/

They have a great list with photos of Philco radios. The model you own was introduced as a 1935 Model… and in Canada, it went by a different model number, here in the States, it was introduced at the same time but, as a model 60; same radio but, different model numbers.

I go by the dates that the model was sold as. My model 60 is the first of the 60’s, it’s a 1934 model which came out late 1933. Has a round speaker grill with what I’d call a streamlined peace symbol like this stock photo of the same model:

Now, what I want to know is how is that fan doing? Have ya started to strip off the ill green to paint it the correct green? Or, are ya waiting for first snow fall? I know that fan would make a great project during the winters you guys up north are notorious for!

By the way, here's a photo of a 1922 Emerson 29646... I own the same model, works perfect but, it isn't as sharp as this one... I hope to get mine looking like this some day.

By the way, anyone here know how to fix a slightly bent cage?


FM~