Toast-O-Lator

Check out our complete restoration of a Toast-O-Lator. Click here

"Flappers" from the 1920s

Early toasters were definitely NOT automatic -- all they did was substitute electrical resistance heat for the heat from a fire or stove -- you were responsible for turning the toast and taking it out when it was done. Most of these had some sort of door or lid that had to be opened to turn the slice of bread over so that it could be toasted. It is for this reason (and the fact that they were mostly sold in the 1920s) that I call this genre the "Flappers" -- you had to be on your toes to "flap" the door open.

This bare-boned toaster is owned by our friend "Acme Ron" in Phoenix. He comments, "... I don't think Underwriters Laboratories would approve. ..."

The Steelcraft "Coathanger" Toaster from the 1920s

This is a nice little toaster that looks like a modern sandwich grill -- the toast is prepared in a horizontal heating area.

 

Sunbeam No. 4 Toaster from the 1920s

Mr. Ernest Sjolin gets the credit for designing the Sunbeam No.4. He was issued patent Number 1,465,007 in August of 1922 for his creative efforts.

Mr. Sjolins Patent 1,465,007
Click here if you want to learn how to get Free Patent Drawings

This early toaster was made by the RUTENBER ELECTRIC CO, of Marion, Indiana. Rutenber is also well known in the antiques world for the Marion Fliptop Toaster. They coined the slogan "Make Toast Your Breakfast Food" Anything from the Rutenber company is VERY collectible and very well made.

Here is a Special Website all about the Rutenber Company that will give you all the details about their wonderful history and fabulous products.

This toaster begins to have the modern form -- the toast is prepared vertically and the sides of the appliance "flap" down to permit the user to rotate the bread. This one will make two slices of toast, sort of at the same time

 

Knapp-Monarch "Flapper" from the Early 1930s

This toaster was patented by Mr. Ernest Johnson in 1930

Knapp-Monarch Maker's Mark


Mr. Johnson's Patent 1,756,784
Click here if you want to learn how to get Free Patent Drawings

Here is a manual toaster made by the celebrated Manning-Bowman Company. This probably illustrates the widely cied axion, "The last days of old technology are better than the first days of new technology." This is a very nice chrome toaster that has the form of the new "pop-up" models that were quite the rage. However, it is just another variant of the "flapper"

Ad for a Manning Bowman Manual Toaster

At the other end of the quality scale is this four-slice version of the "flapper" that was made by the Bersted Company of Ohio. Bersted made low-cost appliances by cutting out "nonessentials" and using lower grades of materials. Their products were sold in high-volume retail outlets and are known as Drug Store toasters. They are rare because they did not last very long, hence people junked them and few are left for us to examine. This type of thing is for serious toaster collectors only. Alas, when Manning-Bowman went out of business, their designs were bought by Bersted and reissued in apallingly cheap versions. If Bersted was in the TV production business, they would be making reality shows. Nobody ever lost money underestimating American popular taste.

 


The Bersted "Victorian" (Model 66)

This is one of the most desirable toasters. It was made by General Electric under their "Hotpoint" brand. It is probably the ultimate in manual toasters and the lovely gazelle on the front is a major Art Deco Icon. Thanks to our friend "Acme Ron" in Phoenix for sending this in.

The GE Hotpoint "Gazelle" Toaster

"Toastmaster" is a registered brand name for the Walters-Gentner Corporation. It is a clever play of words, and since Walters-Gentner got there first, they prevented Sunbeam from offering a toaster in their "...master" line (i.e the Mixmaster","Ironmaster","shavemaster", etc, etc.

Toastmaster Model 1B3

This is the Toastmaster Model 1B3, a lovely toaster in heavy chrome. This is part of a whole class of toasters made by the Walters-Gentner Corporation using a clockwork mechanism that was patented by Murray Ireland in 1932. The toaster embodies all the classic elements that made "popup" toasting a cultural icon. Due to the size of the mechanism, these toasters were asymmetric -- there was a toasting side (i.e electrical resistance wires) and a popup side. Toast goes into the slots and a lever is depressed. This lowers the toast, switches on the heating element, and compresses the spring on the clockwork timer. Depending on the setting of a "doneness lever", the clockwork "ticks" off the fractions of a second, turning a small gear. When the gear reaches a particular point, it trips a lever and releases the toast basket. The compressed spring forces the basket upward, carrying the toast up and beyond the heating element. The sound of the release ("ka-ching") is part of the lore of popup toasting.

The Model 1B3 has an unusually quiet timing mechanism and you have to listen very closely to hear the clockwork operating.

More photos of the Toastmaster 1B3

Early Toastmaster Models are Asymmetric


Top View Highlights the Popup Mechanism Section on the Left


Murray Ireland's Patented Clockwork Popup Mechanism, Patent 1,866,808


"Toastmaster", the Trademark of the Walters-Gentner Corporation
On the Clockwork Side


The Non-Operating Lever on the Toast Side


The Footplate and Crumb Tray

Walters-Gentner also made a one-slice version of this toaster. Here are some photos of that particular variant:

 
Toastmaster Model 1A3, One-Slice Model

It turns out that the Model 1B3 traveled in pretty refined social circles. Apparently, the 1B3 was good enough to attract the attention of none other than Harry S Truman. Here is a photo of Harry toasting some whole wheat bread, possibly fantasizing that he was putting General MacArthur into the thing. Harry had great taste and style -- note that he also had a Fiesta pitcher and that he has used the very fashionable Half-Windsor knot for his tie. His wife Bess looks on, probably thinking: "Well he can't do anything about the steel strike or Korea, maybe he can make toast..."

Harry Truman Makes Toast with his Toastmaster 1B3

Frank Makes Toast with his Toastmaster 1B3
I Couldn't Resist Re-staging the photo. (See below for more on Harry Truman)


The Patent for the Collar Pin Being Worn by Both Toast-Makers
Designed by Joseph Shaulson of Providence, Rhode Island
Click here if you want to learn how to get Free Patent Drawings

1930s "Toastmaster"
Model 1B5 two-slice automatic pop-up

This is an absolutely wonderful early example of a pop-up toaster. This little gem works perfectly and it is absolutely immaculate --- not a scratch on it! I got it in Ellicott City; if you turn it over, you will see a serial number for the toaster. This is a dead giveaway to value --- in the very early years, the number of toasters being manufactured was low, so they could actually put an individual serial number on each machine. When these were mega-mega mass-produced, serial numbers became impractical.

Here's what Toaster Central has to say about the Model 1B5:

"'Cheek to Cheek' by Irving Berlin topped the charts and '42nd Street' was running on Broadway when Toastmaster produced this stunning architectural design with that could have been a Busby Berkeley set! It has a clockwork timer that ticks with settings from light to dark. Remove the bottom cover for crumb extraction. The Model 1B5 was produced from July 1934 until June 1936 by McGraw Electric Company. "

Here's the details from the Manufacurer's plate:

The Toastmaster Model 1B14

This is the toaster that set the standard for Toasters. This is the famous "Flying Toaster" of the "After Dark" screen saver that was the rage in the late 1980s. Think of a toaster and the Toastmaster comes into your mind. This is a particularly good example of the species because it is one of the very first models, made by McGraw Electric a predecessor of Sunbeam. These things were the definitive wedding gift of the 1940s and 1950s and are in good supply, although "First Editions" like this are scarce. These made a good wedding gift because they are made to last a lifetime! Appliances and marriages have declined in durability since the Toastmaster came on the scene.

The Toastmaster Model 1B14 is shown along with a novelty salt and pepper shaker that was inspired by its big brother. The white slice is salt and the whole wheat is pepper. They pop up, too...

Sunbeam Model T-1 Toaster

This is the Sunbeam T-1 D made in 1936. This two-slice toaster is automatic but not pop-up. When the toast is done, the toasting panels turn off automatically. It uses a bimetal timing mechanism rather than a clockworks hence the name "Silent Automatic." The beautiful chrome body with bakelite handles sits on an ornate bakelite base. It features a faceted glass jewel set in the front that glows orange when the toaster is in operation

This photo was sent to us by Ron, who also included a photo of the T-1 in his mother's kitchen, sometime in the 1950s. Ron writes: "...They are usually listed on Ebay as not working because people think they pop-up when they don't. It was like a waffle iron, when the red light went off, you raised the toast up by hand..."

The T-1 in Ron's Mom's Kitchen


Complete T-1 Presentation Set (with the Toaster)

Our friend "40sPhil" sent us two very nice photos of his model T-1-C variants

Phil's T1C Variants

The exterior of the Model T1C was designed Alfred F. Fukal of Chicago, Illinois. Mr. Fukal was an employee of the Chicago Flexible Shaft Co., the corporate parent of Sunbeam. Mr. Fukal applied for his design patent on November 19, 1935 and it was granted (as Des. 98,247) on January 21, 1936.

Mr. Fukal's Patent Des 98,247
Click here if you want to learn how to get Free Patent Drawings

Sunbeam Model T-9 Toaster

This is the very famous Sunbeam T-9 Toaster, possibly the most popular model ever made. The lines etched on the front and back of the toaster are symbolic of the 1939 New York World's Fair. The T-9 was issued in that year and used this device to tag onto the popularity of the event.

Click Here for the results of a poll in which appliance collectors rated the T-9 as the most desired antique toaster.

The T-9 was immortalized by Norman Rockwell in his October 30, 1948 cover for The Saturday Evening Post, as shown below

  
The October 30, 1948 cover of The Saturday Evening Post
Click Here to read about the Douglas "Kitchen-Master" Chairs
Click Here to read about the Silex Vacuum Coffee maker

We also have this in from the fabulous 40s Phil of Marion Indiana:

"... Here's a little known 'factoid' that only the 'toaster Geeks' are aware of: Turn the Sunbeam T-9 toaster upside down and you'll see that the fabulous Art Deco logo engraved on the side is the letter 'T' with a '9' superimposed on it!..."

By golly, he's right!

Sunbeam Model T-9 Toaster, Inverted

On the other hand, many people believe that this logo actually refers to the Trylon and Perisphere of the 1939 New York World's Fair. Here is an ad for the Sumbeam Model T-7 that has the same design on the side...

Ad for the Sunbeam T-7

Here is the ad that introduced the Model T-9, taken from the Saturday Evening Post in 1939. A gigantic T-9 is shown surrounded by a legion of housewives who marvel at its many new features. If you check out the patent diagrams below, you will certainly agree that the T-9 brought a whole new level of complexity to toaster design and manufacture.

Very First Ad for the Sunbeam T-9 (Thanks to "40s Phil")

 
Matching Ads that Ran on facing Pages
in the October 6, 1941 issue of LIFE Magazine

read About the Mixmaster on our Kitchen Mixers Page

In addition to this, 40s Phil shares with us his Neon T-9. Phil writes:

I had a [T-9] with a couple of bad elements so I decided to have it converted to Neon toast. (see attachment). I forgot to specify 'Neon Orange' (which is about the same color as a glowing toaster element) for a color preference so I ended up with yellow. If you want to see a fascinating sight - plug in the T-9, push the lever down, then turn out the lights and watch the 'sunrays' and the glowing 'jewel'.

Phil's Neon Toaster

In June of 2005, I walked past a yard sale and an unusual piece of glass struck my eye: it had the famous Sunbeam "Worlds Fair" (or T-9) Logo embossed in it. It turns out that this is the Tray Liner for the fancy presentation set for the T-9, as shown by the blue arrow in this ad:

The T-9 Presentation Set (Blue Arrow)
This Was Always in Good Taste for a Wedding or Anniversary


Tray Liner for the T-9 Presentation Set


Complete Tray for the T-9 Presentation Set


Complete T-9 Presentation Set (with the Toaster)


Alternate Versions of the T-9 Tray Set

Check our Kitchen Mixer Page for a 1947 Sunbeam Price List that includes the T-9 Tray Sets

The Sunbeam T-9 was engineered by Ludvik Koci of the Chicago Flexible Shaft Corporation (the corporate parent of Sunbeam). The exterior design was patented by George Scharfenberg, a noted designer and Sunbeam employee. Koci and Scharfenberg must have worked closely together because the following patent diagrams show that the semi-circle shape of the T-9's exterior is also an essential component of the mechanical design. Because the T-9 is such an important Toaster, we are reproducing ALL the patent diagrams. These should be enormously helpful in repairing or restoring one of these beautiful objects!

George Scharfenberg's Design Patent for the T-9


Side View, Popup Mechanism


Side View Toasting Mechanism and the "Sunrays"

 
Top and Bottom Views

 
End Views
Click here if you want to learn how to get Free Patent Drawings

Sunbeam Model T-20 Automatic Toaster

We found this for $4 in Manassas

The Toaster has a beautiful chrome body with incised deco design and bakelite base. It's automatic beyond belief! No levers to push -- no popping or banging. Just drop in the bread and the Sunbeam turns on the current and lowers the bread silently. When perfectly toasted, the current turns off and the toast comes up silently.

With "Radiant Control", the toasting is always the same no matter what kind of bread you use. The heat radiated from the surface of the bread activates the exclusive thermostat. That's why you always get the same uniform golden toast you want whether the slices or moist or dry, cold or warm, thick or thin.

Above, is an ad for the T-20 which appeared in the early 1950s.

These were very popular as wedding gifts when it debuted in 1949. Slots are a little wider than usual. Made in United States America, Sunbeam Corporation, Chicago, U.S.A. Toronto, Canada., 110-120 Volts, 1275 Watts

 
General Electric Toaster Catalog No. 149T77

Although the general design for the T77 and the T31 was patented by Gordon W. Florian in August of 1942, due to World War II and government restrictions on the production of consumer goods, these toasters are most associated with the immediate postwar period, 1946-1949.

G.W. Florian's Design patent for the GE T77 and T31, D-133,315
Click here if you want to learn how to get Free Patent Drawings

The "T77" (in brown Bakelite) and its close cousin the "T31" (in white Catalin) were sold by General Electric. They incorporate the vast bulk of knowledge about popup toasters that had been accumulated to date. They offer separate controls for lowering and keeping toast warm, but this feature was already on the T-9, so GE was not breaking any new ground.

 
Aliterative Art Advising Acquisition
Note the very distinctive "Wheat and Arrow" design on the T-77 (left)
and the "Ocean Wave Squiggles" on the T-31 (right)

Back in the Fifth Grade, Miss Boyd indoctrinated us in the Rule Against Aliteration. The GE copywriters would have spent some serious time in detention since their slogan for the period was "Toast To Your Taste - Every Time". These are very well-made toasters and should last a lifetime. They were about $19.00 in 1947, which would be roughly $380 in 2005 dollars; hence, they SHOULD last forever! (As an aside, Miss Boyd was quite the hot number -- and she drove a Nash Metropolitan. I don't think that anybody minded detention that much...)

 
General Electric Toaster Catalog No. 179T31

The T77 and T31 use a vast spectrum of toaster technology. For example, they use the Schlemm process for contolling the two toast lots independently of one another with both warming and toasting circuits.

 
Robert Schlemm Patent 1,923,590 August 22, 1933
Click here if you want to learn how to get Free Patent Drawings

Both toasters use an amalgam of all the best techniques for toast movement and automatic control.

 
Ireland (May 14, 1935)and Adams (June 22, 1937) Popup Controllers

 
Newell (October 8, 1940) and Graham (March 11, 1941)Popup Controllers
Click here if you want to learn how to get Free Patent Drawings

We must note that the ads for both GE Toasters make much ado about the new and unique crumb tray designed by Harry W. Uhlrig and patented on January 28, 1941. Mr. Uhlrig and Ms Adams are the only inventors associated with General Electric who contributed a patent to these toasters. All of the other inventors worked for McGraw-Edison, GE's big competitor.

Mr. Uhlrig's Patented Crumb Tray Patent 2,229,945
Click here if you want to learn how to get Free Patent Drawings

Now you know who invented the crumb tray...

On December 21, 2002, Connie Lausten and David Horne were married in Minneapolis. Connie owns a house in Frederick which she will be selling. She invited the whole vintage group over for a "Last Hurrah" and we, in turn, did a little celebrating of her marriage. Yes, I gave them a General Electric Toaster. BUT, this is not an ORDINARY toaster -- it is JUST LIKE the one in the Harry Truman Museum back in Missouri. This dates to the mid 1950s and probably was the replacement for the 1B5 shown above.

Connie, David, and their Truman-esque Toaster

 

The Fiesta Toaster

This is a very rare toaster enclosed in a beautiful Fiesta china case I want to thank my reader Pam very much for sending us these photos.

We want to thank our reader Neil Gould of Hong Kong who writes: "... thought you might like to know that this is the first Toast rack integrated into the toaster. I patented it 5 years ago..."

Here is Neil's Toaster-With-Toast-Rack

Remember, Toasters are for BREAD!. Read about the Flaming Pop Tart Experiment before you put any foreign substances into your beautiful T-9!!!

Here's a fellow who managed to put his entire computer inside a GE Toaster; The CD drawer comes out of the Toast slot...