"Swan Brand" aluminium ware and electrical specialities - catalogue issued by Bulpitt & Sons, Birmingham, c1935
This must count as one of the smallest catalogues (in terms of size) in my collection - and so as a scale it is scanned against a current UK penny! I recall the Birmingham company of Bulpitts for two reasons - firstly, we often drove past the factory, near Icknield St, and I recall a large "Swan Brand" sign on the exterior of the building. Secondly - many households had Swan Brand teapots and such like so they were a familiar part of domestic life. Bulpitts and been founded in 1868 as brassfounders, a good Birmingham trade, and became known for kettles and such. The company's real leap forward appears to have been two-fold - they helped pioneer the use of aluminium for household good (and I have a 'commemorative Swan Brand miniature teapot from the 1924 Empire Exhibition) and they also helped develop the 'submersible electric heating element' that pioneered modern electric kettles. They deserve a blue plaque for that I'd say!
The company eventually formed part of a local group of companies, BSR (Housewares) that included Judges, the well-known Black Country makers of enamel cookware - and the BSR stood for 'Birmingham Sound Reproduction' as that company had made record player turntables. In time the Bulpitt concern - and the brand name "Swan' - became part of the French concern Moulinex.
This page shows the famous 'electric kettles' along with percolators and electric saucepans. They may have been cutting edge but at 10 minutes to boil (I'd hope that was the six pint version) and no doubt with the house lights dimming as it did it perhaps we shoudl be thankfully for the evolution of the element!
"Swan Brand" aluminium ware and electrical specialities - catalogue issued by Bulpitt & Sons, Birmingham, c1935
This must count as one of the smallest catalogues (in terms of size) in my collection - and so as a scale it is scanned against a current UK penny! I recall the Birmingham company of Bulpitts for two reasons - firstly, we often drove past the factory, near Icknield St, and I recall a large "Swan Brand" sign on the exterior of the building. Secondly - many households had Swan Brand teapots and such like so they were a familiar part of domestic life. Bulpitts and been founded in 1868 as brassfounders, a good Birmingham trade, and became known for kettles and such. The company's real leap forward appears to have been two-fold - they helped pioneer the use of aluminium for household good (and I have a 'commemorative Swan Brand miniature teapot from the 1924 Empire Exhibition) and they also helped develop the 'submersible electric heating element' that pioneered modern electric kettles. They deserve a blue plaque for that I'd say!
The company eventually formed part of a local group of companies, BSR (Housewares) that included Judges, the well-known Black Country makers of enamel cookware - and the BSR stood for 'Birmingham Sound Reproduction' as that company had made record player turntables. In time the Bulpitt concern - and the brand name "Swan' - became part of the French concern Moulinex.
This page shows the famous 'electric kettles' along with percolators and electric saucepans. They may have been cutting edge but at 10 minutes to boil (I'd hope that was the six pint version) and no doubt with the house lights dimming as it did it perhaps we shoudl be thankfully for the evolution of the element!