Stepney 2,325 #1 Posted October 31, 2020 Just picked up this little time capsule yesterday.. figured some here may appreciate her. Let's take a little trip back in time, to the morning of August 5th, 1926.. and your new Robbins & Myers electric fan has just arrived via rail. You bought it from Wetmore & Savage Electrical Supply, of Boston, MA. (76 Pearl Street, Boston). She cost you $24.50, (Which translates to $372.92 in 2020 dollars.) An electric fan was quite a luxury at the time, even roughly 25 years after the first of them hit the market. You write out a secondary sheet of operators instructions (including to be sure to add vaseline to the transmission and to 'clean the oil cups and wicks with gasoline or kerosene oil yearly'). I'm unclear if the fan was sold to the Portsmouth Yacht Club as new, or the post card just so happened to be handy for storage. For that matter, why the original booklet AND a second set of instructions survived. And why would a outfit in Portsmouth buy it from Boston?? Oh, wait. Simply reference the handbook, and you'll find the only R&M Dealers local were Boston, and the next one was in New York.. so in fact this makes sense. Who knows.. but at a strong 94 years old, (Possibly older?? The handbook says 1923) this one still seems to run quite well. 3 5 9 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Tuul Crib 7,336 #2 Posted October 31, 2020 That is sooo cuuul!! And thats how they were shipped? nearly 100 years old and still runs eh? 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oliver2-44 9,696 #3 Posted October 31, 2020 Quite a time capsule. Even the cloth and rubber insulated electric cord looks to be in good shape. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
formariz 11,987 #4 Posted October 31, 2020 Great find.Sure the fan is great but its the provenance associated with it such as the hand written instructions, original packaging with labels that give it a special value and character . It tells the story about its life. Keep it all together for future generations to appreciate. 1 2 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stormin 9,981 #5 Posted October 31, 2020 I wonder how many of the remaining 3803 have survived? Superb find. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pullstart 62,799 #6 Posted October 31, 2020 Where did YOU find it Spencer? Awesome stuff! Not near as old, but we found this little guy in a storage unit and quite often fire up the heater to take a quick chill out of the room. 8 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peter lena 8,583 #7 Posted October 31, 2020 STEPNEY, good deal on that ,back in the day , there was no failure built into them , they represented what America was then , the best it could be. my grandmother was a seamstress , did most of her work on a singer pedal pad machine , there was nothing she could not make , from my childhood cowboy clothes , to grandpa's, new top on the model T touring car , that he rolled over on a turn. if you are ever in san Francisco, take the short drive to see the " Winchester house " its a living time capsule , with like new period house work , look it up , they even have a " tiffany work shop on site " , amazing stop , pete 2 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tractorhead 9,064 #8 Posted October 31, 2020 Fantastic, if the whole History came with it, that‘s definitely a great time capsule. even because it‘s a piece of Art, not only a „Fan“. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sparky-(Admin) 21,311 #9 Posted November 1, 2020 Love it! I’ve always been tempted to buy an old fan such as that....I just know that if I buy one that in a year I’ll have 6 of em, and in two years I’ll have a dozen fans ... 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
953 nut 55,091 #10 Posted November 1, 2020 22 hours ago, formariz said: provenance associated with it such as the hand written instructions, original packaging with labels that give it a special value and character . It tells the story about its life. Tells a lot about the pride people had in their workmanship a century ago. Things were built to last and no corners were cut. Quality was the goal and your reputation was key to your success. 3 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stepney 2,325 #11 Posted November 1, 2020 1 hour ago, Sparky said: Love it! I’ve always been tempted to buy an old fan such as that....I just know that if I buy one that in a year I’ll have 6 of em, and in two years I’ll have a dozen fans ... I've always struggled to find a place in the house big enough to take a group photo.. I can tell you that the number grows to 30+ after some years..... Dangit we never get hot here though! 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHNJ701 4,165 #12 Posted November 1, 2020 Reminds me... I pulled a real old fan out of dumpster many years ago. I will have to check it out again. I think it was brown painted Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Tuul Crib 7,336 #13 Posted November 1, 2020 22 minutes ago, Stepney said: Dangit we never get hot here though! We do here!! If you need space send a few my way! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tom2p 2,394 #14 Posted November 1, 2020 (edited) waiting for D_Mac to weigh in D_Mac finds a lot of neat things in his travels - possible he's found a neat fan or two ( @D_Mac ) maybe 5 or 10 years ago (can't recall - time flies !) a regular at a flea market I often hit found an old fan that apparently was designed to run on AC or DC power he listed the fan on eBay and got around $500 for it Edited November 1, 2020 by tom2p Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stepney 2,325 #15 Posted November 2, 2020 8 hours ago, tom2p said: maybe 5 or 10 years ago (can't recall - time flies !) a regular at a flea market I often hit found an old fan that apparently was designed to run on AC or DC power he listed the fan on eBay and got around $500 for it Yes, universal motors they called them.. built during the current wars when farms still often had DC light plants and the townhouses were all AC main power. Can even see a heading for Universal motors in the handbook picture. They were brushed but can on AC or DC without trouble. Inefficient to no end but it worked and cut costs. I have one that runs on 110v DC only.. would burn up instantly on a wall socket. EBay is always generally high but I've seen some much crazier numbers than 500 for some things.. I sold a 6 bladed Emerson for 950.00 once Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ebinmaine 67,288 #16 Posted November 2, 2020 Excellent find sir. Absolutely excellent. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
little red riding horse 223 #17 Posted November 2, 2020 Gotta love a good ol American fan.... here is my 1904 GE (General Electric) fan , called a pancake due to shape of the motor, weigh's a ton Robbins & Myers used a lot of pot metal on there fans but i think yours is earlier (luckily) nice find !! Phil 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
little red riding horse 223 #18 Posted November 2, 2020 Here is my Emerson 1500 , 1st 8" fan made by Emerson... sorry to be a fan bore ( i love American fans) !! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ebinmaine 67,288 #19 Posted November 2, 2020 11 minutes ago, little red riding horse said: fan bore I don't think you need to apologize to any of us..... Some of us may not be as 'blown away" but definitely love seeing older American quality pieces. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stormin 9,981 #20 Posted November 2, 2020 Hey Phil. What do you need fans for. Thought it would be cold and draughty enough, top end of the Highlands. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
little red riding horse 223 #21 Posted November 2, 2020 Im hot stuff Norm thought you knew that 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ebinmaine 67,288 #22 Posted November 2, 2020 7 minutes ago, little red riding horse said: Im hot stuff Norm thought you knew that Excellent return 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stormin 9,981 #23 Posted November 2, 2020 11 minutes ago, little red riding horse said: Im hot stuff Norm thought you knew that Just for the record. Phil and I have never met. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stepney 2,325 #24 Posted November 3, 2020 Love both of those.. especially that Cake! I'll find one some day. She cleaned up pretty respectable for an original.. may have gotten more out of it but was too afraid to damage what remained of the pinstripes. Next to this lady.. best I've got is a mangled GE All Brass 8".. brass from top to bottom. Needs a LOT of love.. but it runs just fine. Have various post 30's Emersons, GE, Westy.. but nothing particularly noteworthy. I would like a nice early Emerson in brass some day.. but I'd like to find one wild, and not pay obscene Epay numbers. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OldWorkHorse 3,045 #25 Posted November 3, 2020 Crazy how amazing old stuff it. The details the quality, just amazing to see old stuff from the past compaired to stuff nowadays. Why I love old stuff and saving all I can. I purchased a desk top fan this spring.... it broke in half as I took it out to storage this fall.... . 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
