Maker: General Electric Co. Measurements: H: 17.5cm W: 20.4cm D: 10.1 Materials: metal, ceramic, paint, mica Description: Toaster with rectangular ceramic base, splayed legs; it is decorated with gold trim along the edges & multicolored floral garlands sprays on top and sides, all on a white ground. One foot is chipped. Plug terminal found on narrow side. Secured onto the flat top are four vertical coils wrapped around thin layers of mica, and are attached at the top to ceramic discs. Surrounding the coils & forming slots on both sides are metal which are bent to shape and hooked together. Donor: Miss M. D. Ravenel
By James Alan Pool & Juliette Hotard
The General Electric D-12 Toaster, patented in 1908, became one of the first successful electric toasters in the United States. Through the innovation of electricity and “Ni Chrome” heating technology, the D-12 Toaster paved the way for modern cooking appliances. Given the nickname the “radiant” toaster, advertisements labeled the item as a must have for every modern household and a source of pride for every modern housewife.
The D-12 Toaster was able to toast bread through a new heating element called “Ni-Chrome”. This new heating element was invented by Albert L. Marsh in 1905 and the wire coils were constructed from the combination of elements nickel and chromium. In contrast with light bulbs, which failed in exposed oxygen, the Ni-chrome wire glowed red in open air without breaking. This would ultimately make the D-12 Toaster practical and manufacturers would start to use this technology in space heaters and other appliances.
A General Electric advertisement from 1908 taken from the Library of Congress depicts two well dressed women sitting at a table leisurely having breakfast with their D-12 toaster, complete with a floral design on the ceramic base, sitting beside them. Women were the main target for General Electric’s advertisements because they were seen as the consumers of the household. One major selling point was the ability to “get out of the messy kitchen” and be able to join your company in “the comfortable dining room.” This made the D12 toaster not only a more practical and efficient way to toast bread, but also a way to show off to others.
In 1909 the D-12 was sold for four dollars, which is about one hundred dollars today, and for the people who had the money to purchase this modern toaster, showing off to friends and neighbors was important. The floral design and gold trim communicate to the consumer that this appliance is a luxury item that should be displayed. General Electric was also clever with their 1911 advertisement, using the phrase “Begin Your Collection of this beautiful Thermo-Electric Ware with the General Electric Radiant Toaster” implying that the D-12 was not a singular purchase, and to be a truly modern household one would need the entire collection. General Electric’s D-12 “Radiant” Toaster shows the modern innovations of the early 20th century and demonstrates how American businesses were advertising to consumers of the time.
Sources
Finn, Bernard S., “Collectors and Museums,” in Exposing Electronics, (Harwood Academic Publishers, 2000).
Fisher, Charles P., Early Electric American Toasters, (self published: Framingham, MA, 1987).
Storeroom Stories: General Electric D-12 Toaster
Maker: General Electric Co.
Measurements:
H: 17.5cm
W: 20.4cm
D: 10.1
Materials: metal, ceramic, paint, mica
Description: Toaster with rectangular ceramic base, splayed legs; it is decorated with gold trim along the edges & multicolored floral garlands sprays on top and sides, all on a white ground. One foot is chipped. Plug terminal found on narrow side. Secured onto the flat top are four vertical coils wrapped around thin layers of mica, and are attached at the top to ceramic discs. Surrounding the coils & forming slots on both sides are metal which are bent to shape and hooked together.
Donor: Miss M. D. Ravenel
By James Alan Pool & Juliette Hotard
The General Electric D-12 Toaster, patented in 1908, became one of the first successful electric toasters in the United States. Through the innovation of electricity and “Ni Chrome” heating technology, the D-12 Toaster paved the way for modern cooking appliances. Given the nickname the “radiant” toaster, advertisements labeled the item as a must have for every modern household and a source of pride for every modern housewife.
The D-12 Toaster was able to toast bread through a new heating element called “Ni-Chrome”. This new heating element was invented by Albert L. Marsh in 1905 and the wire coils were constructed from the combination of elements nickel and chromium. In contrast with light bulbs, which failed in exposed oxygen, the Ni-chrome wire glowed red in open air without breaking. This would ultimately make the D-12 Toaster practical and manufacturers would start to use this technology in space heaters and other appliances.
A General Electric advertisement from 1908 taken from the Library of Congress depicts two well dressed women sitting at a table leisurely having breakfast with their D-12 toaster, complete with a floral design on the ceramic base, sitting beside them. Women were the main target for General Electric’s advertisements because they were seen as the consumers of the household. One major selling point was the ability to “get out of the messy kitchen” and be able to join your company in “the comfortable dining room.” This made the D12 toaster not only a more practical and efficient way to toast bread, but also a way to show off to others.
In 1909 the D-12 was sold for four dollars, which is about one hundred dollars today, and for the people who had the money to purchase this modern toaster, showing off to friends and neighbors was important. The floral design and gold trim communicate to the consumer that this appliance is a luxury item that should be displayed. General Electric was also clever with their 1911 advertisement, using the phrase “Begin Your Collection of this beautiful Thermo-Electric Ware with the General Electric Radiant Toaster” implying that the D-12 was not a singular purchase, and to be a truly modern household one would need the entire collection. General Electric’s D-12 “Radiant” Toaster shows the modern innovations of the early 20th century and demonstrates how American businesses were advertising to consumers of the time.
Finn, Bernard S., “Collectors and Museums,” in Exposing Electronics, (Harwood Academic Publishers, 2000).
Fisher, Charles P., Early Electric American Toasters, (self published: Framingham, MA, 1987).
http://www.toaster.org/1900.php
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/kitchen/toasters
http://www.fortmissoulamuseum.org/blog/?tag=toaster