14.03-1: Renfrew 1935 Electric Simulated Fireplace
| HHCC Accession No. 2003.084 | HHCC Classification Code: 14.03-1 |
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Description:
A quite remarkable piece of early 20th century styling and engineering of an electrical, room heating appliance by a small, uniquely Ontario, foundry company, branching out into the electric, home equipment business. Canadians, it is said, value their quintessential, winter, fireside, experience above all, So the electric, simulated fireside, with electric heating coils and flickering lights, filtered through amber chunks of glass was seen as a market winner in the early1930’s, Renfrew Electric Products, Renfrew Ont, 1935
Image Gallery (2 Images)
Group:
14.03 Electric Heating Equipment - Space Heating
Make:
Renfrew
Manufacturer:
Renfrew Electric Products ltd., Renfrew Ont,
Model:
65B
Serial No.:
88686
Size:
20x16x20’h
Weight:
45 lbs.
Circa:
1935
Rating:
Exhibit, education, and research quality, illustrating the design concepts, construction and styling of early Ontario manufactured electric fireside baskets, appealing to Canadian’s need for modern electric enabled living, but not at the cost of the quintessential, winter, fire side experience.
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Provenance:
From York County (York Region) Ontario, once a rich agricultural hinterlands, attracting early settlement in the last years of the 18th century. Located on the north slopes of the Oak Ridges Moraine, within 20 miles of Toronto, the County would also attract early ex-urban development, to be come a wealthy market place for the emerging household and consumer technologies of the early and mid 20th century.
This artifact was discovered in the 1950’s in the used stock of T. H. Oliver, Refrigeration and Electric Sales and Service, Aurora, Ontario, an early worker in the field of agricultural, industrial and consumer technology.
Type and Design:
steel casing with gun metal finish cast bronze front grill in guilt large copper heat reflecting hood twin open coil electric heaters on porcelain tubes twin, original light bulbs twin, gravity air operated, feather light, rotating fans over light bulbs simulate flickering fire front light filtered through chunked amber glass to simulate flames top light filtered through bark glss chunks to fimulate burning coal 3 single hole mount toggle switches control heat and light
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Donor:
G. Leslie Oliver, The T. H. Oliver HVACR Collection
