Gone were the days of sweating by the wood fire stove in summer while waiting for a flat iron to heat. In the 1930s, this Coleman Self Heating Iron Model No 4A, with ‘Cool Blue’ enamel was the state-of-the-art ironing aid that every home needed. Heated with a gasoline fuel burner, which lit instantly and […]
The introduction of electricity into the home created a boom in labour saving devices. From the start of the twentieth century, these devices were marketed strongly towards women, who did the majority of work in the home. Electric washing machines, like the machine shown here, along with vacuums, hair dryers and clothing irons all entered […]
Mention an Australian summer and ice-cold drinks, ice creams, icy poles and ice cubes all spring to mind. But, this hasn’t always been the case. Before 1857, ice was shipped to Australia from America. After then, it was manufactured in Melbourne and shipped all around the Australian colonies. An ice works was eventually constructed and […]
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