Sunbeam Coffeemaster

Object Details

Chicago Flexible Shaft Company

Sunbeam Corporation

Description

Vacuum coffee maker. Metal body (A & B), chrome-plated, double-bulb-shaped. Lower pot (A) has molded plastic handle, black, arched with pointed top. Metal lid (C), circular, stacked, with thin openings, molded plastic knob at top, black, flange to sit into upper “brew pot”, which has interior circular metal filter holder at bottom (fabric filter still in place) and is held on top of lower pot with black rubber gasket. Lower pot has out-turned lip and spout (opposite handle) at top, engraved art deco style line motif at front and back of metal body, which has an attached molded plastic base, black, with four small legs, streamlined. Detachable black rubber two-prong electric cord (D) with metal coiled spring attaches under handle.

Designed by Alfonso Ianelli (1888-1965), a designer in the early to mid-twentieth century best known for his consumer product design and collaboration with Frank Lloyd Wright on his 1914 Midway Gardens project early in his career. He also taught industrial design at the Art Institute of Chicago.

“HIGH/LOW” switch embossed and printed at front bottom of lower pot.

Printed on bottom: “Sunbeam/COFFEEMASTER/MODEL C20-B/FOR A.C. ONLY/MADE IN UNITED STATES OF AMERICA/CHICAGO FLEXIBLE SHAFT CO./CHICAGO/110-120 V. 1000 W./U.S. PAT. 1994323, 2223450/ OTHER PATS. APPLD. FOR/DES. 113,512 113,513, 113,514/CAUTION/USE WITH WALL RECEPTACLE ONLY/DO NOT IMMERSE VESSEL IN WATER/KEEP SWITCH/DRY”

Patents:

US 1994323 S, Mar 12, 1935, Inez H. Pierce, for “Coffee extracting device”

US 2223450 S, Dec 3, 1940, for “Coffee maker”

113512, February 28, 1939; 113513, February 28, 1939, for “Design for a coffee pot”; 113514, February 28, 1939, for “Design for a coffee maker bowl”, Alfonso Iannelli

Maker is Chicago Flexible Shaft Co., Chicago, Illinois and Sunbeam Corporation, Chicago, Illinois. All patents are held by assignors to Chicago Flexible Shaft Co., founded in the early 1890s by John K. Stewart and Thomas J. Clark, primarily manufacturing mechanical horse clippers and sheep shearers. In 1946 Chicago Flexible Shaft Co. became Sunbeam Corporation.

Location

Currently not on view

Credit Line

Gift of Edgar Wolf, Jr.

ca 1946

ID Number

1988.3012.05

nonaccession number

1988.3012

catalog number

1988.3012.05

Object Name

maker, coffee, electric

Physical Description

metal, chrome-plated (overall material)

plastic (handle; base material)

metal, chrome-plated (cover material)

plastic (cover material)

fabric (filter material)

Measurements

overall, coffee maker: 12 5/8 in x 8 1/4 in x 6 1/2 in; 32.0675 cm x 20.955 cm x 16.51 cm

overall, filter and packaging: 5 1/4 in x 5 5/8 in; 13.335 cm x 14.2875 cm

place made

United States: Illinois, Chicago

See more items in

Home and Community Life: Domestic Life

Domestic Furnishings

National Museum of American History

Record ID

nmah_324377

Metadata Usage (text)

CC0

GUID (Link to Original Record)

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746b2-60f2-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa