Name/Title
Folding Bench WringerEntry/Object ID
2021.2.3.5Description
Manufactured by the Lovell Manufacturing Company during the 1910s, this Anchor wooden bench mangle has two fold down sides. Today, many people think a machine like this was used to wring water from newly washed clothing and household materials but it actually had an additional use. According to the Sears and Roebuck 1897 catalog, a mangle would reduce regular ironing to one sixth of the time it would take using a traditional heated sad iron. One drawback to using a mangle was that it could chip or break buttons on clothing so sometimes fabric or removable buttons were used instead. Sheets, blankets, curtains, and towels could all fit through a mangle when the space between the rollers was adjusted.
This model number of this mangle is 770B. This vintage wringer and double stand is stamped with the Good Housekeeping Institute testing approval and brand number 341 which helps date this piece to early 1911.Context
The first installment of the "Approved" list appeared in the December 1909 issue and featured the inauguration of the "Good Housekeeping Tested and Approved Seal by the Good Housekeeping Institute conducted by Good Housekeeping Magazine." Twenty-one consumer products were listed in the issue and included various household appliances, such as a washing machine, refrigerator, gas range, and electric iron. By the end of 1910, almost 200 products were qualified to carry the "Seal of Approval."
Marked: Anchor Brand Folding Bench Wringer
Steel Bearings Pat June 25th 1898 Oil here
No.770 B Bicycle
Improved Anchor Brand Lovell Manufacturing co Erie, PA, USA
3 years warranted for family useLocation
Building
Antique Barn and Nature CenterOhio State Park
Barkcamp State Park
