From Popular Science...

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donnie
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From Popular Science...

Post by donnie »

I thought I would make a thread for this, as I come across some interesting items in my collection of old ones occasionally.

I love this photo from an article on fans in the June 1948 issue.
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Kitty
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Re: From Popular Science...

Post by Kitty »

Cool! (No pun intended) Arthur C. Miller.... Why do I know that name?

I'd like to read the rest of that article.
You trying to tell me you didn't hear that shriek? That was something trying to get out of its premature grave, and I don't want to be here when it does. - Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

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donnie
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Re: From Popular Science...

Post by donnie »

It sounds familiar to me, too, I guess from Arthur Miller, the famous playwright (though he wasn't a "C"). Here's the link to the issue. It's on p. 168. I'm glad you want to read it. :)
https://books.google.com/books?id=aicDA ... &q&f=false

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Kitty
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Re: From Popular Science...

Post by Kitty »

donnie wrote:
Tue Jun 25, 2019 8:55 pm
It sounds familiar to me, too, I guess from Arthur Miller, the famous playwright (though he wasn't a "C"). Here's the link to the issue. It's on p. 168. I'm glad you want to read it. :)
https://books.google.com/books?id=aicDA ... &q&f=false
Thanks for the link! I'll read it directly.
You trying to tell me you didn't hear that shriek? That was something trying to get out of its premature grave, and I don't want to be here when it does. - Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

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Kitty
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Re: From Popular Science...

Post by Kitty »

Have you read that article? I'm going to comment a few things about it.

First of all, it's always really interesting to read about something you wouldn't think there was much to. I mean, it's a fan. But now I realize, if it's a fan you're going to use every day, it's smart to put some thought into the one you choose to buy.
I like the advice about the 'objectional hum or rattle'. Many fans are annoying to me, so this would have been great advice to me in that time. I'd never heard the term 'knuckle duster' before. I like the term 'humid envelope'. This is what's happening in my state right now. I'm getting smothered by that envelope, and that's why I don't stay outside for longer than I have to anymore.
It might sound stupid, but I've never thought about what an attic fan does. It must have been essential for houses before central air was a common thing.
That was an interesting little article. Thanks for sharing!
You trying to tell me you didn't hear that shriek? That was something trying to get out of its premature grave, and I don't want to be here when it does. - Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

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donnie
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Re: From Popular Science...

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Yes, I've read it more than once. I'm glad you thought it was interesting, too. The humid envelope idea does make sense in explaining why moving air makes you feel cooler.

Yes, one thing that's interesting about the article is that it impresses what a major purchase a simple, everyday thing like a fan was back then. Today, they're inexpensive, plastic things you throw away when broken without much of a thought. But if you look up the prices mentioned there in today's currency...a little 10 inch portable fan, and that's a pretty small one, went for $20—that's $212 in today's money. And that fancy Mobilaire fan in the photo ran for about $70—$743 in today's money! :shock: No wonder they took appliances to repair shops back then instead of tossing them!

I used to have an old Wizard 16 inch fan here that once belonged to my father. I don't know where he got it, but it was from about that era when the article was published. I think it was once used in the office where he worked. It still ran, and you wouldn't believe how heavy that fan was—probably weighed 20 pounds—and when you turned it on high, it would plaster you against the wall.

It was a cool fan ( 8-) ) but I really didn't have any use for it, and it needed some work done on it (incredibly noisy). Last summer, as a part of my decluttering, I made contact with a member of an antique fan club (yes, it's a thing :)) and donated it them to be restored. I wanted to get it into the hands of someone who would appreciate it. I also had one of those floor fans like the one pictured in the article, and gave that to them, too.

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Kitty
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Re: From Popular Science...

Post by Kitty »

Interesting! I guess there's a club for everything. Tell me, was this fan of fans older or younger? Just curious what kind of person might be in a 'fan' club. 🙂
You trying to tell me you didn't hear that shriek? That was something trying to get out of its premature grave, and I don't want to be here when it does. - Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

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donnie
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Re: From Popular Science...

Post by donnie »

Kitty wrote:
Wed Jun 26, 2019 7:39 pm
Interesting! I guess there's a club for everything. Tell me, was this fan of fans older or younger? Just curious what kind of person might be in a 'fan' club. 🙂
The nice thing is that the fans of fans seemed to be a whole range of ages. The collector I first contacted was an older man. He arranged a friend of his in my area to get the fans from me—this person was probably in his '30's or so. And the two fans I donated were going to a teenage boy who had got bitten by the vintage fan bug and needed some to learn on in the process of restoration (the older collector had taken him under his wing to mentor him). So that's kind of nice.

I don't know how many members there are in this particular group (chapter? I believe it was a national organization), but they were going to hold an event in Augusta, GA. The guy I transferred them to invited me to it. I thanked him but wasn't really interested, and Augusta is a way from here at any rate. But it was nice to be asked.

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Kitty
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Re: From Popular Science...

Post by Kitty »

That's pretty cool! It's exciting that people of all ages are into antiques.
You trying to tell me you didn't hear that shriek? That was something trying to get out of its premature grave, and I don't want to be here when it does. - Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

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Kitty
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Re: From Popular Science...

Post by Kitty »

This is from Popular Science October 1931.
I never realized how huge dodo birds were.

https://books.google.com/books?id=CigDA ... do&f=false
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You trying to tell me you didn't hear that shriek? That was something trying to get out of its premature grave, and I don't want to be here when it does. - Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

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