Beatty Bros. Electric Washing Machine
DimensionsOverall: 130 × 66 × 50 cm (1.3 × 0.66 × 0.5 m)
Credit LineCollection of Museum London, 2007
Object number2007.002.001
Label TextAll the moving parts, such as gears and wringers, of this 1933 patent machine are in a protective housing, making it both safer and more attractive. The machine also features a stamped nickel-copper tub and the new style agitator, which Beatty Brothers Limited introduced. The company is credited with popularizing washing machines with agitators in Canada. In 1874, brothers George and Matthew Beatty founded the company in Fergus, Ontario. In its earliest years the company primarily manufactured agricultural machinery, barn equipment, and household appliances. In 1912, they acquired Wortman and Ward, a London-based manufacturer of water pumps and washing machines. Between the two locations in Fergus and London, Beatty Brothers employed 600 people. A further 800 were on the payroll in company branches in Great Britain. In 1969, Beatty Brothers with General Steel Wares in 1969, and ceased to exist as a standalone business.
NameWasher, Clothes
c. 1930
c. 1937
