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The critical period in matrimony is breakfastime.

-- Sir Alan Patrick Herbert

[T]he unwritten law of wedded bliss is plain for all to read: Don't tempt masculine tempers with burnt toast!

-- 1940 TOASTMASTER Advertisement

This time period was probably the most active for toaster innovation and design. Unfortunately, the Great Depression eliminated many of the smaller manufacturers.

Some of the toasters pictured here are identified by type: Percher, Pincher, Swinger, Flopper, Dropper, Tipper, Pop-up, etc. These names have been applied to toasters by collectors to help classify them.

Over the years competing companies came up with lots of designs for toasters to try to appeal to the consuming public (and to avoid infringing on patents. Some toasters had spring-loaded doors to hold the bread tightly - "Pinchers"; some had baskets to hold the bread slice that could be swung around - "Swingers"; others had doors that flopped open - "Floppers"; tipped out - "Tippers"; or dropped the toast out ("Droppers").

The design that eventually won out and became the most common was the "Pop-up." The first automatic pop-up toaster sold for home use was made in 1926 - the Toastmaster 1-A-1, but it was an expensive luxury for most people and manual toasters continued to be manufactured and sold in the U.S. well into the 1950s.

Interesting facts from Curt Wohleber, Invention & Technology Magazine:

Toaster sales grew from 400,000 units in 1922 to 1.2 million in 1930.
In the late 1920s many bakeries began selling loaves of presliced bread, marketed by one company as Wonder-Cut Bread, which was later changed to Wonder Bread.

Manufacturer: Landers, Frary & Clark
Brand Name: Universal
Model Number: E947

Toaster type: Swinger
Details:
George Curtiss was granted a design patent on this elegant swinger toaster in 1922.

Click to view additional photo.

Manufacturer: A. Mecky Co.
Brand Name: Ledig
Model Number: 500

Toaster type: Reflector Dish
Details:
The Twin Bowl Triple Purpose Toaster - an unusual toaster from the 1920s that uses reflector dishes to concentrate the heat to toast bread and cook other foods.

From a 1923 ad (linked to below):
The Twin Bowl cooks by concentrated reflected heat - toasts both sides of bread simultaneaously and uniformly. You can watch both sides toasting.

Not only does the Twin Bowl Triple Purpose Toaster make better toast, but it "boils" eggs without water, or fires them, if you prefer.

In addition, ot toasts marshmallows, cooks frankfurters, and has many other uses that will suggest themselves.

Click to view vintage ad.

Manufacturer: Armstrong Electric Co.
Brand Name: Perc-O-Toaster
Model Number: Perc-O-Toaster


Toaster type: Combo Appliance
Details:
The Perc-O-Toaster from the 1920s-30s allows one to make coffee and toast in one appliance.

The Perc-O-Toaster came in a variety of finishes: black enamel (shown here), white enamel (additional photo), and nickel plated.

Click to view additional photo.
Click to view vintage ad.

Manufacturer: Beardsley Wolcott Mfg Co
Brand Name: Torrid
Model Number: none on toaster

Toaster type: Swinger
Details:
This toaster has a great brand name: Torrid - and the type of toaster it is gives it the wonderful moniker of Torrid Swinger. A successful model that took its design inspiration from the Universal E947.

Manufacturer: Bersted Manufacturing
Brand Name: Auto-Toastmaker
Model Number: 73


Toaster type: Tipper
Details:
Interesting single-slice tipper toaster made by Bersted with a two-tone metal finish and a timer in the base - the middle panel is matte and the rest of the surface is polished. This example is rusted but you can still see the effect.

Manufacturer: Chicago Flexible Shaft Co
Brand Name: Sunbeam
Model Number: Model B


Toaster type: Flatbed
Details:
Because heat rises Chicago Flexible Shaft Co. decided to make the Sunbeam Flat Toaster - Flat toasting is 50% quicker claimed their ad. This was a successful toaster, well made, and was redesigned with a more Art Deco look in the 1930s.

Click to view vintage ad.

Manufacturer: Dominion Electrical Mfg Co
Brand Name: Dominion
Model Number: Style 50

Toaster type: Flopper
Details:
Interestingly styled manual flip-flop toaster by Dominion.

Click to view additional photo.

Manufacturer: Electro Weld Co.
Brand Name: Electro Weld
Model Number: none on toaster

Toaster type: Swinger
Details:
Electro Weld swinger toaster. The baskets that hold the bread sit a bit of a distance from the body of the toaster.

Click to view additional photo.

Manufacturer: Excel Electric Co
Brand Name: Excel Toastoy
Model Number: none on toaster


Toaster type: Flopper
Details:
Electric toaster "toy" that actually heats up. Designed to toast a half-slice of bread.

The example pictured here is in rough shape and a full size piece of toast is show for scale.

Click to view additional photo.
Click to view vintage ad. | Click to view another vintage ad.

Manufacturer: Frank E. Wolcott Mfg. Co.
Brand Name: Torrid
Model Number: Push-O-Matic

Toaster type: Swinger
Details:
Another Torrid Swinger toaster - but this one is the deluxe version: the Push-O-Matic. It offers the option of using push buttons on the end to swing the baskets around rather than turning the baskets with their handles.

Click to view vintage ad.

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