Electric Toaster

Two-slice electric toaster. Chrome-plated sheet metal, square-shaped body, curved corners, with doors on either side that fold out to allow toast to be placed then held inside. Each door is engraved with a double wave line motif across bottom, stylized swan in the middle. Curved pink handles on either side, one handle has “TURN” printed with an arrow pointed to the right, when turned, both doors open. Mica heating element, wrapped in steel tape. Base is hollow, bent sheet metal, pink. Power cord attaches on side of body. Cord missing. Underside of base is stamped: “KWIK WAY/REG. U.S. PAT. OFF./KWIKWAY CO.ST.LOUIS,U.S.A./PATENTS PENDING/PAT. NOS. -1,756,784/2,005,364 2,029,575/115V 400W CAT NO. 21-404”; written on the underside in black marker: “TI5E/26135”. Minor discoloration.

Patents:

1,756,784: April 29, 1930, Ernest S. Johnson, assignor to Knapp-Monarch Company, Belleville, Illinois, for “Electric toaster”

2,005,364: June 18, 1935, Percy O. Derringer, assignor to Knapp-Monarch Company, Belleville, Illinois, for “Toaster construction”

2,029,575: February 4, 1936, William B. Kochner, assignor to Knapp-Monarch Company, Belleville, Illinois, for “Toaster base assembly”

This toaster is from the Hoover Company Sample collection, North Canton, Ohio, including samples by Knapp-Monarch Company, St. Louis (Missouri), which was bought by Hoover in 1969. It is noted: “Hoover Co. Coll. Tag: Sample No. 26135/Rec’d. Apr. 72/Model 21-4019(sic)/KWIK WAY Turnover Door Toaster”; another note references a “Kwik Way tag of Dealer Guarantee”, which states that the detachable power cord was sold separately. None of these tags are currently attached to the object, but the sample number referenced in written in ink on the underside.

Maker is the Knapp-Monarch Company for Kwikway Company, St. Louis, Missouri. The Knapp-Monarch Company, St. Louis, Missouri, was founded in 1925 as A.S. Knapp and Company, not as a manufacturer, but to sell products. The company merged with manufacturer Monarch Company of Webster City, Iowa, in 1928. A large portion of Knapp-Monarch’s business was the manufacturing of products for private brands. In 1969 the company was acquired by the Hoover Company.

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