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@Steve Hankes Thanks for your help so far! All I have left to do is clean the front age and restore the badge. For the rear cage, I ended up using white edge banding around the circumference to mimic the original leathery "stuff". It took some elbow grease to put back on, but I eventually did it. I replaced the original resistor with a 25Ohm 100W resistor. And BOY does it get hot! What resistor are you using, and how hot does yours get? Thanks!

That's a piece of local history. Given where you found it, It likely started its service life on Virginia's Eastern Shore, which was off the grid until the mid 1930s. The only electricity before then was generated by privately owned light plants. If it were me, I'd be inclined to leave it original. It would look great next to a couple of period hand-carved duck decoys. As Steve said, Form W is generally accepted to be 1921. From my experience (others may vary), Form W is one of the lesser encountered form letters of the post-BMY era.

Yeah… that was kind of my fear. Thanks.

I don't recall the post. If it is on the new website, the search feature on the website does not hold a candle to the old website. I have not been able to get on to the old website in months. It is still present in cyber space as the post titles appear when I do Google search using key words. If I click on the post links the website will not allow access anymore. I have given a number of heads up on recent past posts of the importance of salvaging the old website if possible. The years of information and images compiled on it is priceless. It was my database go to when it was functional to pull fan images, electrical trade images, and information for posts of present. I could pull answers to questions and images within minutes using the old website. It appears salvaging it could either not be done, the cost to hire someone tech proficient to do it was out of the budget, or too much hassle to do it. I am sorry, but I can't help you or others anymore with any posts that date back to the old website unless by some miracle it allows access again.

Russ….rick Powell mentioned there used to be a post here about the Emerson’s at the Palmer house….any idea where that’s at? I realty have much luck searching. Not sure if that old post got scratched or if it made it over???

Chicago Hotels | Palmer House®, A Hilton Hotel (historichotels.org) The Palmer House Hilton - Wikipedia

I'm old enough to have had dinner there, took the wife. She and her Mom would venture from the western suburbs to Chicago every Christmas and have a mother daughter day. She loved it there. Property tag is Uber cool...

I bought mine under Lazy Susan.

Back to the Amish estate. Since they don't use electricity, what was it used for?

Agree. I like to buy things that are fun but not necessarily original. I appreciate original and well made recreations.

Russ, I went with your suggestion and did wet sand the bakelite parts to remove the paint. It worked very well. I started with 80 grit, then 100, and finished with 200. The majority of the paint came off. What paint that's left on it is so smooth that I can't even catch any with my nail. We'll see how it looks with the first two coats of primer. No bakelite was scratched or damaged during this process. Thanks !!!

Hi Marc Your Marelli is almost certainly the "AUSTRO" model. If you can locate the serial number, the first two digits refer to the year of production. Model name: from the Italian “austro” = hot wind that blows from the south Years: ~1910-1935 Type: Inclinable head Version: at least 2 versions identified (see below) Blades: 25 cm, blades with round ended blades and asymmetrical for later versions Cage: 9-spoke early style cage and 8-spoke cage for later versions Motor: ball head/brushed Electric current: DC (110, 130, 155, or 240V); AC (110, 130, 165 or 240V) & Universal Weight: 3.3 kg Description: All carried oilers placed above the armature shaft. All models had a ball head/brushed head with diamond shaped ventilation holes (some licensed models had oval holes). Models came in DC, AC as well as a Universal motor (AC/DC). Lever ON/OFF speed control (2 speeds). Brass/NPB oilers above the armature shaft. Serial numbers (typically 7 numbers) painted in gold to base. Pinstriping to base and head. All models carried tab feet and lever ON/OFF speed controls (2 speeds).

Jeeze Joey, I thought you lived up there... That said, and I am not saying a word about repop, to each their own, but once it's done to a pretty decent degree, I think it diminishes the value of an original. I doubt 75% of the current collectors give a crap about originality so they're not paying up for an original and you've lost uniqueness.

You can treat it as 1921, or close enough to that date... Sometimes these turn up having been adapted to AC use, but your tag gives no indication of it being other than you determined: a 16-inch D.C. G.E... so restore it, why not?

Nope

If I am home, I will leave them running, but they are turned off if I leave the house.

😪😥😭

Yes, if it's a fan I have inspected and reconditioned, it's no problem. I run them if there is a need, such as leaving a large fan going in the shop to help with humidity or paint fumes. If running a desktop fan I won't leave it running "for the sake of leaving it on" but won't turn it off if I happen to walk out for a while and plan to come back. If I had a need to keep one running longterm I would not have any concerns with running a fan 24/7 just because it is "antique." Seems lots less to burn if the fan were to fail in some manner, versus the plastic models sold today.

My first DC Emerson….and it looks like it was ivory (or white?) from the factory. This fan (1930) was from the Palmer House hotel in Chicago, a very large historic hotel, as there is a brass property/inventory tag riveted nicely to the back of a strut. So…it’s likely that the hotel special ordered several in this color (that’s just a guess but I could see an ivory color matching the elegant decor more so than black). It also was in the wall mount position…seemingly for a long time . But…it’s been painted blacK for a LONG time judging from the amount of grease and grime on it. I’m certain the ivory is original just because of some details….primarily the cage and cage badge. I know light linseed oil based paints darken and amber/yellow with age so I’m not yet sure if the exact original color. One flake/chip that come off the blade, the underside of the chip was pretty white compared to the rest of the exposed bits that def have an ivory look. So….its yet to be determined what the exact color was. Blade is brass btw. Was painted ivory under the black too. As far as the black goes, it’s pretty well done. Well except for the cage (badge was painted over). But the motor and everything else seems like it was painted black fairly competently. I almost wonder if Emerson authorized repair shops offered repainting?

Don’t you want paint down inside the letters? Or….i guess they wouldn’t have had paint in there originally….and any dark we see on a nice but unrestored fan is just dirt and grime from the decades?

Well, I got a model 23 freshy for nothing from work but it appears I actually have nothing. I took off the cone at the back to find all the wiring burnt. It appears none of the original components are saleable. I would post a picture of the mess but I can't seem to find a way to do that. I guess I got what I paid for as this thing is going to need everything which appears impossible to find....

Well, I don't know if its pregnant or not, but I DO know it is a badge over lead. 🙂 The fact is the lead dome on the etched badge is MORE prominent than the earlier style. I had the etched badge off to clean it. I tried to fit the earlier style badge (extra badge I have) on it. I would have to shave the lead dome down to get the earlier badge to seat properly. The brass guard with etched badge pictured below makes me question what direction Emerson was going with their guard before the steel guard was implemented.

I came across this 16" bb/sc non-oscillator from tidewater Va...rusty as all but nothing much pitted, it's brushed and is a DC motor by the tag. Unknown running condition but I'll get a rectifier, it seems decent inside and was wanting to date it so as to maybe cheer me up enough to do a restoration....any ideas?

Anthony don't let a few punches in the guts get you down. I am here for you fan brother. Mix a few of these up in the safety and comfort of your home, by the time you get to #3, you won't remember what a silly Simplex was. All you will experience is the bliss feeling of ......comfortably numb. 🙂

If it makes you feel any better, it was bought at a northern Indiana Amish estate sale. Meaning it was probably cheap, very cheap.