Household appliances and power tools at the beginning of the 20th century

At school we were told that large-scale electrification of the country began after the October Revolution of 1917. From the GOELRO plan, signed by V. I. Lenin. But according to some reports, this plan existed in some form (without a loud name) until 1914, which was promoted by European and Russian engineers.

According to history, we are told that electricity was present only in some of the houses of large cities. And in most cities of tsarist Russia, even the lighting was either from gas (generated in boilers) or household kerosene stoves. But from such photographs a certain dissonance arises:

1896 It is clear that they were preparing for such an event as the coronation and installed illumination on the Kremlin. But it is also clear that such a technical possibility already existed at that time. This means that there were kilometers of cables, lighting lamps and... household appliances. Got scans from the book "What you need to know to spend less on electricity" engineer V.A. Alexandrova. The first edition was published in 1912. with a circulation of 6000 copies. And the third (in 1918) had a circulation of 18,000 copies. The volume of the book is 96 pages.

The meaning of the book shows in figures how electrical devices that already existed at that time will make it easier to work, save and secure work and life. Everything in numbers, examples and calculations. I recommend that you familiarize yourself, at least to debunk the myth about the life of some cities in bast shoes of tsarist Russia of that time. I will highlight from there a few pages that most clearly emphasize the engineering thought existing at that time in the field of electrical appliances.

Various types of electric lamps already existed at the end of the 19th century, the beginning of the 20th century. There were also gas discharge ones for powerful searchlights. And we are told about Ilyich's light bulb, which appeared in large quantities only in 20g. XX century It is interesting that at that time they wrote not watts, but watts. And hectowatt hours were used along with the kilowatt hours that are now familiar. (1 kilo = 10 hecto).

At that time, the lamps were already used to make luminous advertising signs from letters (second slide). I think many of the solutions came from Europe (there is a drawing with an advertisement for AEG in the books).

The book says that even then there were different tariffs for electricity for enterprises and household needs of the population. And there were two-rate counters:

Two-tariff electricity meter with hours of switching to another tariff.

Electric hand drill and soldering iron of the time. Those. Technologically, many processes already then followed the same principles as now: it was possible to drill and riveted, soldered in a hard-to-reach place. The cost of the power tool is not indicated in the books. Only the cost of electricity costs is named.

The following devices:

Electric fan and heater, lamp holder with socket, electric coffee maker. Forceps warmer. And a Hair Dryer (it says FÖN on the device). This is a brand of electrical appliances in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century.

Fen - translated means dry, warm air blowing from the mountains into the valley. The word stuck and became a household word.

An electric sewing machine, an electric samovar, an iron will not surprise anyone - I will not give their pictures. All this was already at the beginning of the 20th century. Moreover, the samovar is a purely Russian device for tea. Electric wrinkle removers, hair dryers and hair curlers at the time were probably a fantasy for any woman at the time:

The second slide is electric floor polish. Rub hardwood floors until they shine. Well, and the most important of electrical appliances to make life easier is an electric washing machine:

Yes, made of wood. But such designs (but already with a stainless steel or plastic container) were produced in the USSR until the end of the 80s. 20c.

Many devices came to Russia from Europe. And most of the devices presented in the book were not manufactured in our country. But these devices are useless without electrical networks. This means that at that time, at least in Moscow, there was already a city power supply system. Where electricity was generated is a topic for a separate article.

The supplies of such devices and instruments from Europe stopped due to the First World War, then the revolution and the civil war in Russia. Well, during the transition of the USSR to an industrial way of the economy, there was no time for such a luxury. Then the second world war. In fact, ordinary residents of the USSR received these electrical appliances again in their everyday life only by the beginning of the 60s of the 20th century ...

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Photo taken from open sources, from Yandex. Pictures

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