Thread Number: 60936
/ Tag: Vintage Dryers
Vintage Drying Cabinets Still In Use - NYC! |
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Post# 835486   8/7/2015 at 00:09 (3,157 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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Post# 835493 , Reply# 1   8/7/2015 at 02:13 (3,157 days old) by askolover (South of Nash Vegas, TN)   |   | |
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Post# 835515 , Reply# 2   8/7/2015 at 06:54 (3,156 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)   |   | |
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Post# 835531 , Reply# 3   8/7/2015 at 08:45 (3,156 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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Upper West Side of Manhattan like the Upper East is filled with pre-war (term used for apartment buildings built pre-WWII) multi-family housing. As such it isn't surprising some of these behemoths are still lurking in basements or other laundry rooms. The link provided to the Astor Court apartments (a very grand full city block apartment house) shows they were there as well.
As mentioned in another thread started by someone seeking to sell one of these drying cabinets; the things were built in to order. Once in place you really cannot get them out without causing damage I shouldn't think. Replacement parts are surely nonexistent. As with the commentator who recalled things catching fire that subsequently tipped off the insurance company, would imagine many of these units were merely sealed off and walled over. For anyone considering a waling tour of Manhattan I highly recommend the Upper West Side. So much history and great old buildings to see. |
Post# 835544 , Reply# 4   8/7/2015 at 10:35 (3,156 days old) by scoots (Chattanooga TN)   |   | |
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Another drying closet, from about 1912.
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Post# 835630 , Reply# 5   8/8/2015 at 00:24 (3,156 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc)   |   | |
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Just heat--no fans or blowers in these?I have a book from 1941 showing "Household Equipment"In it they show one of these dryers but don't say how it works.The book I have also shows vacuums from that era.Good for vacuum collectors such as I. |
Post# 835642 , Reply# 7   8/8/2015 at 03:44 (3,156 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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books.google.com/booksQUESTIONMA...
and books.google.com/booksQUESTIONMA... and books.google.com/booksQUESTIONMA... Laundry drying cabinets like those shown in the OP link basically worked via convection. Air was drawn in via lower registers, heated (stove, steam or hot water pipes, etc...) then rose through the cabinet drying laundry. The steam, any smoke, fumes and so forth would exit at the top and vent out through piping either directly outdoors or to a chimney leading to same. Since hot air rises the whole system works by ventilation. Long as there is a heat source there will be a draft that brings in cold air, again it is heated, rises, and the moisture laden air exits above. This will go on just as with a fireplace, range or anything else that heats and vents out. Think some versions may have had small fans to create draft/draw air up and out, but most were very simple devices. Benefit of not using electricity (which wasn't available everywhere) was that these units could be installed anywhere. Long as there was access to venting or a chimney. Of course today's modern safety codes and worries over carbon monoxide would probably mean anything that burned oil, coal or gas would meet stricter standards. Common methods of extracting moisture in domestic laundries at the time (wringers, mangles, by hand) would equaled at best 400rpm spin speed. Thus laundry would have been quite wet when hung to dry in these contraptions. Heavy things like thick blankets or heavy muslin linens or clothing would have taken longer to dry than say sheer ladies blouses. For what it is worth you can still find modern versions of these drying cabinets. Asko among others made or still makes them. IIRC even Maytag had a version. Such appliances are used for drying things that cannot or should not be tumble dried, dried flat, and or for wet/damp things like raincoats, boots, and so forth. Modern Asko version: www.asko.co.nz/laundry/drying-cab... Finally we cannot let this go without a mention of Martha Stewart's Skyland estate. www.themarthablog.com/2011/12/... |
Post# 835646 , Reply# 8   8/8/2015 at 06:08 (3,156 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc)   |   | |
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The drying cabinet-simple how it works-natural convection.No fans or blowers-thus no power required.Just a burner then.Yes,could see that these would have to be carefully vented.Otherwise a simple idea. |
Post# 835648 , Reply# 9   8/8/2015 at 06:13 (3,156 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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