Rakes and Sweepers

I ran across this today while rearranging some things and decided to write about it.

The box is 4-3/4" by 2-1/4 " and 3/4" deep.  The stamp is gone as well as the postmark, but I think it is from the 1930's.

This was inside.

This is about full size.

Here is the instruction sheet for the little rake.

And then there was this nice brochure wrapped around the rake.  (Why do I keep hearing Jerry Lewis?)

Enlarge this and check out what little Mary has been doing with her oversized scissors.  That is Rice Flakes all over the rug and she is making confetti of Mama's Good Housekeeping.  Looks more like a mess a boy would make.  Mama is practicing for her Lady Gaga tryouts.

I'm making this full-size so you can see the nice graphics.  They used real silver paint on the cover and some of the sweepers.

Look at that beautiful braided cord and rubber bumper.  I am going to have to try replicating that for myself.

And looky what else I have!

The top reads "If this toy gives satisfaction why not buy a full size Bissell at the same place"

And here is my full-size sweeper.

It's a Universal and is also stencilled with the name of the department store that sold it - "Winegar's, Michigan's Greatest Home Furnishings Store".  Since I live in Grand Rapids and I had never heard of Winegar's I went to the Kent County GenWeb site and did a search.  Here is a link to the bio of William Winegar, founder, and here is a link to a portrait of him (another bio is on the preceding and following pages).  William started the store and then brought in his sons, Frank, William, and Louis.  Here is a caricature and bio of Frank Winegar.

The above from "The Grand Rapids Furniture Record", 1919.  You had to be a pretty good salesman to sell refrigerators in January in Michigan!

But, back to the Bissell sweeper.  You can click to enlarge to read this.

The above is from:  Illustrated New York:  The Metropolis of Today, 1888, p 205

Anna Sutherland Bissell was the President of the Bissell Carpet Sweeper Company for 30 years, after the death of her husband, Melville.

You can still purchase this non-electric version of the Bissell Carpet Sweeper.