Scanning Around With Gene: My Mother’s Appliances
I recently lost my mother at the age of 90. She had a long and healthy life and died very much on her own terms, so I’m doing okay. But where to begin with a visual tribute to one’s mother? And how to avoid slipping into some Hitchcock-meets-Freud nightmare?
So I’ve decided to start someplace safe: my mother’s appliances. A woman of somewhat obsessive routine, my mother had a unique relationship with her appliances. They were very important to the proper functioning of her life, and very much extended members of our family. Click on any image for a larger version.
The most important appliance in the home was my mother’s dishwasher. Not because it saved her time from doing dishes manually, but because of its germ-fighting abilities. My mother was a nurse and knew that extremely hot water combined with good detergent and the highest drying cycle meant that family colds, flues, and other germs would not spread via dishes or utensils.
But of course for a dishwasher to function properly and kill the most germs, it must be loaded in precisely the right manner and run on a regular basis, whether full or not. My mother lost sleep at night if she knew there were dirty dishes sitting in the dishwasher.
When you live in a house for over 50 years as my mother did, you get to know the little sounds and vibrations that indicate all systems are functioning properly. This is especially true for appliances. My mother listened to her appliances the way a pilot listens to jet engines. One small change in tone was cause for concern.
Accordingly, it really wasn’t completely safe to leave an appliance unattended. My mother would never leave the house with a dishwasher or clothes washer running and she preferred, when possible, to stay in the same room as the appliance while it went through its cycles. You can never be too careful when water and electricity come together to get the job done.
For the last two decades my mother lived on a strange mix of cigarettes, Special K, chopped eggs, mayonnaise, and Almaden Chablis from a large box she kept in her closet. But there was a time when she cooked for her family, however reluctantly.
Most of this cooking took place in a large, square electric frying pan made by General Electric. These were popular fixtures in homes during the 1950s and ’60s, and in our house, anyway, was simply where dinner was cooked. It didn’t matter much what you were cooking, as long as it was fried in several inches of Wesson oil and burnt beyond recognition. My mother’s personal favorite was fried chicken gizzards, which we endured on a fairly regular basis. But they didn’t taste much worse than any other meat, fish, or pork that came out of that square pan.
On special occasions, like when we got invited to spend a week at the beach with a friend, my mother would get out the Black Angus rotisserie and cook one of her famous salt-encrusted roasts.
To think that my mother was famous for anything related to food is strange to me, but for some reason everyone loved her roasts. I don’t know if it was the butcher she frequented, the massive amount of salt, or the slow cooking of the rotisserie, but for some reason her roasts did come out pretty well. So I got invited to the beach a lot.
The Black Angus also came out when anyone died. While sending flowers seems wasteful, a quality roast is always welcomed by a grieving family.
A rotisserie is a versatile cooking platform. You can bake potatoes, fry eggs, even heat coffee. But my mother only used hers for making roasts. Everything else went into the frying pan to be drowned in some form of saturated fat.
The hardest part about dealing with my mother’s death will probably come when it’s time to have a garage sale and put a price tag on things like the Black Angus and her electric skillet. Right about now a plate full of fried chicken gizzards sounds pretty good.
I’m so sorry about your mom, Gene. I lost mine a little over 4 years ago, at 72, and it’s the ordinary, everyday things that I cherish the most, like the stainless steel mixing bowls that she used virtually every day of my life and her box of handwritten recipes. I remember when we got our first dishwasher (also because of germs!) and my mom also had an electric frying pan and used it frequently, right in the middle of the kitchen table. It made the best hamburgers.
Gene, of all the regular email postings I receive, I most look forward to your stories. Like you, I’m fascinated by the lifestyle of the 50’s and 60’s, and marvel to find my world completely different from what I expected it to be. Once again, you’ve produced a gem and my sympathies for the the loss of your mother. My mom is thankfully still alive and active. When I visit her, I love using her old kitchen appliances that are a direct connection to my younger self. I can’t wait to introduce her youngest great-grandson to the 1956 “beehive” Osterizer that still makes the best milkshakes.
What was it about electric skillets that endeared them to that generation? My mom cooked everything in hers, and kept it on top of her stove, whose burners were rarely used. I asked her many times what was so special about it, but she couldn’t point to anything that a pan on a burner couldn’t do just as well. I don’t know anyone in my generation who uses one. Must have been all the sparkles in those ads.
Sorry for the loss of your mother. I recently lost my dad at 90 as well. Yes, the garage sale part is hard.
My mother was only in love with two of her appliances: The dishwasher and the chest freezer. The freezer she adored because it allowed my parents to buy from the farmer’s co-op monthly, loading up on essentials like a 1/2 side of beef at a time.
The dishwasher she loved because it allowed her to keep her kitchen organized. She was the only person allowed to load it, but she had four boys trained to empty it daily. My mom never really enjoyed cooking. Feeding five males created havoc in her kitchen & offended her sense of neatness & having everything in its place. Her dishwasher was a tool for restoring order, & for that reason alone she cherished it.
I always like retro pictures and manuals (so hard to find too)
I recall selling a few items on e-Bay after first my Dad passed and my Mom wanted his “treasures” out! and She then passed
and both times (the first time was 1996-1997 and e-Bay was not what it is now with stores and power-sellers with 45,000 or more + sales) If You had the original box that added $$$(especially with 1930’s and 1940’s HO scale trains (some still in kit form yet to be built) and the manual $$ (with electronics etc) and kits for trains, we sold well over 150 wooden train cars , metal wheels, some even with metal springs (and I guess these were “Holy Grail” (somewhat) train cars (Metal Train car, with brass wheels and brass springs (I can not recall if the connector to the next car was brass or not) I do know I was very sophisticatedly “wripped off) as I broke the cardinal rule # 1 (no post office box’s) and I insured two cars that the same buyer bought (brass spings and wheel type) each over $200.00) and the person was not the least upset and guided me through the U.S Postal Claim Process (which took months) I insured the box for the sale price of each ) and no signature required (my fault) we discussed it and that person said that never lost a shipment yet (and had a shop) I could be completly wrong but do believe I was taken for a train ride (I never did P.O ) box’s again (unless it was the buyers only form of delivery ) and discussed first but after the experience it was no way
The money was refunded to myself and I paid that person for his purchase and switched to UPS or FED EX for over $50.00 items as got tracking and signature required (it was in the listing and only once did it cause a problem and that was the gated community issue) not buyer or delivery company (sorry for rambling)
Enjoyed Your Post Very Much!
We did though “goof” as we did sell the first time around (train cars and engines) without going through all of the storage and we sold some that we had the original box for (and could have increased the sale price (probably) at the end we did sell two or three “lots” of train car box’s and listed each by company that made the cars or engine and also the type of train car(caboose etc) and train line (there used to be so many, ) the oddest sale (to me) and I am so glad as I almost opened the deck of cards to play Rummy! ( was a beautiful set of playing cards (the box was open ) but the deck was wax paper covered with a wax seal and one extra card was included (with a corner slightly cut off) that depicted the front (8 of Hearts etc) and the back a twi-light wooded scene with a small brook running through the woods, I checked other auctions and did not expect very much (the card that was out of the wax sealed pack said either 1932 or 1933) and it sold (with starting bid 99 cents and no reserve) for over $135.00 ! (the buyer (he said he did the bidding and paying and his wife was a vintage card collector and upon receipt of the cards I asked (out of curiosity) was it for a high stakes game of poker etc and he said no, His Wife collects Playing cards and this pack was the first that she would not even let him touch! (and to think I almost opened the wax paper wrap and the wax seal) I have never seen a set like it and honestly have no idea whose it was as it was after both my parents had passed and I had put in a drawer.
Gene
I forgot to say the most important thing I am so sorry for Your Loss.
I am so sorry, I lost my Dad in 1996 (and The calling Hours were over Fathers Day weekend) and my Mom in 2001, its a very hard thing to go through.
(? and are the manuals all Your Mom’s?) wow
I have some sites with vintage manuals of Guitar Amplifiers and Guitars (actually here is one http://www.fender.com go to site map and manuals from the 1950’s on are present Leo Fender (of Fender Guitars, later George and Leo (G&L Guitars) George Fullerton and Leo Fender and ? also Music Man Guitars and Bass Guitars (I think) Leo Fender did not play guitar , he was a electronics genius and amplifier creator and developer and helped bring first The Fender BradKaster ? Broadcaster (though Gretsch Inc.(who made guitars and drums had a drum set called the BroadKaster ?Bradcaster (Leo though of radio and the name came from that idea) Gretsch issued a cease order which Leo Fender followed and a run of Fender NoCasters came out (quite rareand worth $$$$ now) then the Fender Telecaster name stuck(as Television was coming of age) and then The Fender Stratocaster (Buddy Holly played one) came next (of which it and The Telecaster have made many guitar players famous and are made now in The USA, Mexico (just across the border from Fenders California Factory , Japan (very High Quality) initially made for the Japanese Market Only but several Japanese Models are sold regulary in The USA, India, Indonesia , ? Vietnam
and Fender ‘s Squire Brand (has in the past two years has come up with a Vintage Modified and another series of The Telecaster, Stratocaster , Mustang and the quality (per reviews) approach or exceed the Mexican Factory Guitars and the prices are ? 50% to 60% lower a great starter guitar or a additional guitar as You can never have enough guitars!
Gene… your posts are always superb!!! I save them all… you never know when you will need a great retro idea… So sorry for your loss… your mom sounds like a great person!!! And you have so many great memories to look back on… I lost my mom when she was just 61 and I was pregnant with my first son. Three years later, when I was pregnant with my second son, we outgrew our starter house, put it on the market and unexpectedly sold it and quickly had to find a new one… it was a little stressful to say the least… when I walked into a house that had woodwork and plumbing fixtures that reminded me of my grandmother’s house AND turquoise blue Hotpoint appliances (built-in oven & stove top) just like my mom’s kitchen, I knew I was home!!!!
AND the electric frying pan was a must… I got one of my own as a wedding present and used it until the teflon lining wore out… then gave up and started cooking on the stove top with regular pots and pans… not sure what the whole appeal of the electric skillet was…except when cooking for a large family (I was one of four) it freed up a burner on the stove for something else.
sorry for your loss. lost my dad to lung cancer several years ago.
I received a Sunbeam Mixmaster similar to the one in the first picture. It belonged to my Grandmother and I got it when we had to clean out her house after her passing. I never had a manual and never could figure out how the juicer attachment worked, until now. Thanks Gene!
Dear Gene,
Found your post through a Twitter search; though I’m from a different generation, I am fascinated with the kitchen appliances and traditions of the mid-20th century, and focus my artwork painting them. My deepest sympathies on the loss of your mom, but what a fantastic tribute to her. I’m fortunate to be able to now share my 18 – month old son with my 64 year old mom.
Kind regards and warm memories,
Jennie
traillworks.com
A great article for Mother’s Day done in true Gene style. Best wishes for a healthy emotional transition.
Maybe this appliances are part of her life. this are the things makes her happy. Maybe this is her secret in life. this reminds me of my mother
Nice post..i like it
I recently acquired a Black Angus waffle iron and I have never heard of this brand before. Is anyone out there familiar with it?
love this sort the pictures are pretty classic but It has the eye appeal and the post is not boring ….for me the appliance becomes a part of the family when it started to be very convenient to use, useful almost in every cooking activity…
Was there an answer to #14 about Black Angus Waffle Iron?
I, too, have one. Model 950.
Is it in demand and does it have any worth? It seems to be in good working condition.
I have a black angus waffle/griddle maker that was my mothers from years ago. I was wonder if they are sold anymore or if it’s worth anything. It’s still in good shape and I still use it to this day. The series # is 950, thanks for your help!