1938 Electrical catalogue

[1100 man]

Brown Brothers would appear to have been a national wholesaler to the trade. They had outlets in most parts of the country.

I was lucky to find this catalogue from 1938. It's in three parts. The first is for the electrician/ contractor and lists all the parts you would expect for installation work. There is an extensive section on lighting with some very 'art deco' fittings and a section on domestic appliances.

It's fascinating to see what was available at a time when WW2 was only a vague blur on the horizon. All those new labour saving gadgets for the new electrical system that was being rapidly rolled out across the country. Mind you it would not be until the 1950's that many rural areas finally got electricity!

Unfortunately, I don't have scanning facilities, so photo's are the best I can do, but I thought they might be of interest.

Cheers
Nick

[m0cemdave]

They also did a radio catalogue, I wonder if you have that too?
Mine is dated 1927 and is very useful for looking up vintage components of the period.

[Herald1360]

Interesting to see " Junior" and "Senior" models as Vactric machines. Did Vactric become Hoover or part of Hoover later?

[IanBland]

There was switchgear like that still in use in the West End theatres I worked in in the 1980s!

[MurphyNut]

Absolutely fascinating, old catalogues like this don't seem to turn up very often, I have a wonderful 1930's catalogue of fireplaces, many with strong Art Deco designs.

[Craig Sawyers]

Some of that brings back early memories. Our house at the time (built in mid 30s) had mains sockets and switches just like those, before the house was rewired in the late 60's, mainly to get rid of the rubber wiring that was crumbling.

Vacuum cleaner and cooker were the same sort, again before replacement in the 60's.

Thanks for posting those!

Craig

[Dave Moll]

And when I moved into my current house in 1988, the consumer units were those self same ones in cast iron cases with the flip-down covers - locked in place while the power switch was in the "on" position - and with a mixture of rubber- and lead-sheathed wiring. Needless to say, a total rewire was a top priority when I moved in.

[Herald1360]

Originally Posted by Craig Sawyers

Some of that brings back early memories. Our house at the time (built in mid 30s) had mains sockets and switches just like those, before the house was rewired in the late 60's, mainly to get rid of the rubber wiring that was crumbling.

Craig

Same here except most of the lighting wiring (house built around 1820) was rather older and still in better condition (it was individual wires insulated in some compound that was by then slightly sticky with a cotton covering and laid in individual channels in wooden trunking) than the lead sheathed stuff used for power socket wiring.

Both main power metal clad two pole switch fuses (original installation probably dc) had one pole burnt out and had been " fixed" by routing line through the remaining pole and linking the neutral straight through.

'Twas still all there when we moved in 1966.

[PaulR]

Very interesting. When did refrigerators first become available? They often appear in pre-war American films and the Downton Abbey series shows one fitted in the 1920s (not Gospel truth I realise). I know they were widely available in the 1950s but when would the well to do first have got one here?

[Sinewave]

Originally Posted by IanBland

There was switchgear like that still in use in the West End theatres I worked in in the 1980s!

I remember seeing switch gear like that in the radio rooms on RAF bases, even in the 2000's it was still there. These were rooms with equipment in it, that no one really spent much time in.

The switch gear had date of manufacture on it, on the mains there was a mixture from the 30s to 50s, feeding modern fuse boards.

[ex 2 Base]

That wooden "trunking" was known as capping and casing, and some of it was really ornate, even French polished type especially in country houses.

[barrymagrec]

Originally Posted by PaulR

Very interesting. When did refrigerators first become available? They often appear in pre-war American films and the Downton Abbey series shows one fitted in the 1920s (not Gospel truth I realise). I know they were widely available in the 1950s but when would the well to do first have got one here?

My Grandmother had an Electrolux fridge in the fifties that had been converted from gas to electricity - it probably dated originally from the late thirties.

[1100 man]

Originally Posted by IanBland

There was switchgear like that still in use in the West End theatres I worked in in the 1980s!

There's plenty still in use now!!

It always amazes me that considering how much electronic technology has changed over the last 100 years, electrical installation materials are very much the same as they always were!

Obviously there is a much greater use of plastic now, but I still pull single cables through screwed metal conduit and connect it to very similar switchgear. None of the fundamentals have changed!

One of my customers has a big guillotine which will cut 10 foot lengths of 8mm steel. It was made just before or just after the war. It still has its original motor which is twice the size of the modern equivalent. It's about 10kW, runs all day every day and has never been rebuilt. It's controlled by a rather lovely mechanical star delta starter with a lever on the front. Centre position off then turn to the left to start, then all the way to the right to run. Made by Allen Bradley I think.

Brown Brothers must have been huge, I was interested to see the Radio catalogue in post #2.

I'll post some more pictures later of toasters, washing machines & fridges!

The fridges are all American made, by Crosley, Alba & Sparton

Thanks for all the interesting comments & stories- keep them coming!

Cheers
Nick

[McMurdo]

Brown Brothers are still going, you sometimes see their vans. Till recently they did wholesale car parts to the garage trade; we had a trade counter in Stoke; and now appear to specialise in car paint and finishing products

[matthewhouse]

Still see some of the items show in use! complete with perishing wiring insulation. I have a number of those sockets and switchfuses pictured home here. I'll post some photos when I get time.

[Lancs Lad]

Absolutely loving this thread! Thanks so much for the photos, Nick.

Looking forward to the washing machines

[Gridiron]

The house I live in now had old switch boxes when I moved here in 2008, including a Crabtree no22 box as pictured on one of the pages of the catalogue (since replaced but I still have the box).
Mike.

[Tractorfan]

Hi,
I love those old catalogues too.
I have a 1931 'Sunco' catalogue which makes fascinating reading. It's interesting (and scary) to note that earthing of appliances such as washing machines or irons was sometimes an optional extra, for another 2 shillings or so. Some fittings have changed little in the intervening years, I notice.
Also on my shelf of dusty tomes is the catchy titled: 'Rules Regulations And Specifications Affecting The supply And Distribution Of Electricity' (1929).
'Electrical Practice In Collieries' (1909).
Modern Practical Electricity (vols, 1 to 4) - not dated, but I think the 20s.
Not forgetting: 'The Modern Practical Plumber' from around the turn of the last century.
Cheers, Pete.

[1100 man]

Originally Posted by McMurdo

Brown Brothers are still going, you sometimes see their vans. Till recently they did wholesale car parts to the garage trade; we had a trade counter in Stoke; and now appear to specialise in car paint and finishing products

Indeed, they deliver bodyshop supplies to our workshop. Surely this is not an evolution of the same company though?

Absolutely loving this thread! Thanks so much for the photos

Glad you're enjoying it, Peter! These old catalogues seem to be a bit thin on the ground- I suppose they were just disposable at the time. I was lucky to find it.

A couple more pictures showing the delights of the washing machines, toasters, medical appliances and fridges

I wonder if the fridges were the heating (absorbtion?) type or compressor? I note each model is separately available for use on AC or DC mains. They are of American manufacture.

It makes you realise how expensive these things were- a 6 cubic feet one is about £60 and that was a trade price!

There was a nice little public information film on one of the BVWS dvd's instructing people on what a fridge was and how to use it!

Cheers
Nick

[Panrock]

Originally Posted by m0cemdave

They also did a radio catalogue, I wonder if you have that too?
Mine is dated 1927 and is very useful for looking up vintage components of the period.

Does it include any mechanical television components?

Steve