In the early 1900's, as electricity began to power the world's cities, all kinds of machines started popping up with new electric motors to make our lives a little better - and make a few dollars for the savvy entrepreneur.

Axel Lennart Wenner-Gren, the grandfather of Electrolux, was one such man. One day while strolling down a street in Vienna, Austria, he saw a curious machine in a shop window. It was a rather bulky looking contraption, but one in which he saw a big future.

You guessed it- it was a vacuum cleaner. But I bet you didn't guess, as fate would have it, that this machine he saw was American made (a Hoover, perhaps?).

Axel brought his idea to AB Lux of Sweden, who gave him 1 year to prove that his new idea - a smaller, better machine than what he had seen that day - could turn a profit.

With such a short time and little funding for any advertising, Axel decided to demonstrate his machine in the home - A sales tactic that worked and worked very well, selling over 16,000 cleaners in that first year.

With these new 'little tin cans with a motor' came a selection of four nozzles. A large nozzle for carpets and rugs, a large brush for floors, a duster, and a small nozzle for furniture were among the first accessories offered.

As time marched on, a wider variety of purpose-specific tools were made available, both out of necessity and desire.

Most of these new tools were adaptations of existing tools, and in making these new ones, the old designs got much needed improvements. The late 1920's and early 30's saw the dawning of the streamlined era - perfect shapes for vacuum cleaners and accessories.

It wasn't until the late 1930's, when the Electrolux Model XXX hit the streets, that the simple wooden tools have all been replaced with the new, streamlined metal accessories.

A s was mentioned before, the simple, elegant form followed function very nicely. Here are some of the early Electrolux accessory tools for cleaning around the home.

The 1920's saw the first multi-purpose tool, the rug nozzle, evolve from a simple 'squashed funnel' into a graceful accessory - a true work of machine art. By redesigning the wand connection and placing it on the back of the nozzle, a new swiveling collar could be introduced that allowed the nozzle to flip over without disconnecting it.

The 2 top left photos show Electrolux's most stylish rug nozzle, introduced in the late 30's/early 40's for the Model XXX. It is this design that is (in my opinion) the most elegant and useful of any that Electrolux- or any other brand- have ever produced. Of interest is the elongated High Speed shoe built into the top of the nozzle, for deep cleaning carpets.

While the bottom shoe has a wider opening for slower airflow, the narrower opening on the top increased the airspeed and thus provided stronger suction to remove ground in dirt.

It is a very simple and easy to use design, as all you need to do is just flip the nozzle over. I've used a nozzle like this one at the store where I work and the other staff  who were around found themselves amazed at how well it worked.

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The third picture down shows two variations of this rug nozzle: the bottom one is from a late 1940's Model XXX, while the one on top is from a late Model LX.

On either variation, the top part of the nozzle has a smaller opening and a series of channels radiating outward. This design is meant to be used on low pile rugs and other smooth surfaces, with the channels preventing the nozzle from sticking to the surface.

Also debuting with this new rug nozzle is the 'gleaner'. The Gleaner first appears on an Electrolux suction nozzle designed by G. H. Cranmer, which received its patent on Christmas Eve in 1935.

The Gleaner is a thin bar on the bottom of the nozzle with a comb cut into one side. With a small lever you can rotate the bar so the Gleaner is either on or off, depending on the type of carpet and mess you're cleaning up.

The patent's stated purposes for the gleaner appear to relate to preventing the nozzle from sticking to smooth surfaces by allowing the passage of air though its comb-like slots and for the purpose of engaging the nap of the carpet without cutting the fibers.

It is also stated that it will aid in the removal of loose cotton threads lying on the surface of the carpet. I bet he didn't consider the removal of pet hair, though that seems to be the best use of the invention. I've used this at my folk's house, who have a cat with long white fur who has taken shedding to record highs - I must report that the Gleaner did indeed help pick up the fur.

The floor nozzle is absolutely gorgeous with it's gentile curves and simple lines, and has a swivel collar that allows it to be easily maneuvered around furniture legs.

Unlike the rug nozzle, this accessory has but one purpose and lacks any special features. This design sticks around all the way into the mid 1950's, when it is finally replaced by the combination rug/floor tool that debuts with the Model E.

This floor nozzle does have a sister- a wall brush with softer, white bristles and a larger opening for a more gentile airflow. I guess they didn't want it to strip the wallpaper off.

The basic small nozzle is probably designed for plush furniture and drapery as it has no bumpers. An interesting design element is the tiny hole in the middle of the bottom, with two angled channels radiating out to the nozzle's edge.

I've been looking though the Electrolux patents for this nozzle, to find out exactly what the purpose of this feature is, but have yet to find it.

My feeling is that this allowed a tiny amount of airflow through the nozzle when pressed against a surface, making it easier to slide around while vacuuming. The channels might also help airflow through the nozzle and elbow by giving it a spin, like a tornado.

The white bristled brush was for delicate items, like lampshades, while the brown one was for regular dusting.

Both nozzles have a soft plastic cushion on the inside to protect your items from scuffs and scratches - a feature missing on today's dusters.

What, exactly, can be said about the crevice tool? Well, for one its concentrated suction and narrow design has gotten us out of - or rather, into - a lot of tight places.

Touted as a tool for cleaning the old steam radiators, many of us found many more uses for this handy tool. If it can be found, that it is. I've heard that the crevice tool is number one when it comes to missing vacuum accessories. Anyone check the sofa cushions lately?

This example is probably from a 1940's model XXX, though I have no way to verify it's age. It came to me in rather poor shape, with lots of scratches and dings -but no cracks in it anywhere.

I've painted the Electrolux logo to make it stand out for the photos, and cleaned it up with some Nova Clean pipe fitters' solvent (If you want to try this technique, please email me before you do- you could end up with a gooey blob of plastic!) The end result is a much nicer product that will hopefully last another 50 years.

A Specialized Upholstery Tool

Here we have a very unique upholstery tool made by Electrolux circa 1932. These photos were donated by a friend and fellow enthusiast of vintage Americana pop-culture. This accessory is very tiny - just under 3 inches long! It is essentially an elongated duster top, but with a specialized shoe instead of bristles.

The suction for this attachment is concentrated in the pointed front - a nice feature for getting into tight corners. This tear-drop tool was especially designed for cleaning in confined spaces as well as on curved or irregular surfaces, like the padded armrest of a Victorian arm chair. This is because the shape of the shoe allows any part of the nozzle sufficient air flow to remove dirt- front or back or sides.

The patent claim notes another special feature: The shape and design of the inner chamber and the shoe together act to prevent unwanted noise that would normally occur when rushing air passes over or through such a tiny hole, like a flute (Whistle while you work, anyone?). Here's how it works -

If you look at the last picture on the left, you will notice a couple of horse-shoe shaped channels and a thicker hump in the middle.

The outer channel is directly connected to the suction opening and distributes a fair amount of airflow evenly. The inner channel, however, is a lot more interesting. This channel is open at the back of the tool and the inside shoe tilts up into the airflow- creating a tiny venturi (like a tornado, upside-down).

That hump in the middle- well, that prevents the nozzle from attaching itself to a smooth or hard surface by ensuring that some point of the nozzle will always be raised up. It also depresses softer surfaces, like a padded armrest, massaging the material to release more dirt. Neat, huh?!

Miniature Tools for those tiny jobs

Many specialized attachments were developed for use with the modern canister vacuum. A lot of these were - and still are - made by companies that don't make vacuums themselves.

Of the entries into the accessory wars, the "mini-attachment" is probably the most common and perhaps, the most useful. Originally introduced for the hobbyist, this attachment set has been recently resurrected for cleaning computer keyboards and peripherals.

Other attachments that fit the unusual or highly specific attachment bill are ceiling fan dusters and magnetically charged wands for dusting under things like the refrigerator.