Super Vent Fan and Manufacturing Company, Incorporated, Chicago Illinois 1930 to 1932

[Mike Kearns]

Certainly the most successful zeppelin ever built, LZ-127 was christened “Graf Zeppelin” by the daughter of Zeppelin airship company founder Count Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin on July 8, 1928, which would have been the late count’s 90th birthday.

In 1929, the airship Graf Zeppelin made perhaps its most famous flight; a round-the-world voyage covering 21,2500 miles in five legs from Lakehurst to Friedrichshafen, Friedrichshafen to Tokyo, Tokyo to Los Angeles, Los Angeles to Lakehurst, and then Lakehurt to Friedrichshafen again.

It was the first passenger-carrying flight around the world and received massive coverage in the world’s press.

The flight was partly sponsored by American newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst, who paid for about half the cost of the flight in return for exclusive media rights in the United States and Britain. The Round-the-World flight carried 60 men and one woman, Hearst newspaper reporter Lady Grace Hay-Drummond-Hay, whose presence and reporting greatly increased the public’s interest in the journey.  Other passengers included journalists from several countries, American naval officers Charles Rosendahl and Jack C. Richardson, polar explorer and pilot Sir Hubert Wilkins, young American millionaire Bill Leeds, and representatives of Japan and the Soviet Union. Hearst was a sponsor of the flight, footing the bill for half the cost in exchange for media rights for the voyage in England and the United States. The international makeup of the passengers included people from Germany, Spain, Russia, Japan, Australia and France and two American Navy officers, one of whom was previously a Los Angeles resident and whose parents reunited with him. Of the crew, the youngest was a 15-year old cabin boy.

By the time of Graf Zeppelin’s last flight, nine years later, the ship had flown over a million miles, on 590 flights, carrying thousands of passengers and hundreds of thousands of pounds of freight and mail, with safety and speed.  Graf Zeppelin circled the globe and was famous throughout the world, and inspired an international zeppelin fever in the late 1920s and early 1930's..                                              

Edited June 29, 2023 by Mike Kearns

[Mike Kearns]

1930 - To capitalize on the excitement and public positive momentum, businessman and designer James Karageorge files and receives a design patent for a zeppelin styled circulator fan:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Members Collection: Factory decal, "Super Vent Fan and Manufacturing Co., INC., Chicago, Illinois   "Patented by James Karageorge"                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Edited April 24, 2022 by Mike Kearns

[Mike Kearns]

Correct, factory ceiling mounted Karageorge Super Vent Fan in superb condition, images kindly provided by Jim Kovar:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Motor made by Leland Electric:                         

Edited April 24, 2022 by Mike Kearns

[Mike Kearns]

Karageorge's blade patent, as used on his circulators:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Edited April 24, 2022 by Mike Kearns

[Mike Kearns]

Almost like they were made by the same factory? I believe they were. Look carefully. Make comparisons of Karageorge's Super Vent Fan and the "Windberg" Chicago Aero-Fan paint and construction:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Edited April 24, 2022 by Mike Kearns

[Mike Kearns]

Another related anomaly, the "Air-King" airplane circulator, which unfortunately has no data-plate, nor is there any period literature regarding it (until there is, of course). Nonetheless, I feel very strongly it is connected to Karageorge production trying to cash in on the airplane fan craze of the time. Images courtesy of Carlton Ward:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Edited April 24, 2022 by Mike Kearns

[Mike Kearns]

[James Davenport]

On 4/23/2022 at 10:07 PM, Mike Kearns said:

Another related anomaly, the "Air-King" airplane circulator, which unfortunately has no data-plate, nor is there any period literature regarding it (until there is, of course). Nonetheless, I feel very strongly it is connected to Karageorge production trying to cash in on the airplane fan craze of the time. Images courtesy of Carlton Ward:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

 

[James Davenport]

This blade looks identical to a Fresh Nd Aire Junior I have. An older model with an ornate base and "floating" motor mount.

[Mike Kearns]

On 5/24/2022 at 12:35 AM, James Davenport said:

This blade looks identical to a Fresh Nd Aire Junior I have. An older model with an ornate base and "floating" motor mount.

Unless someone replaced your aluminum Fresh'ND-Aire blade with an genuine factory Air-King blade, there are distinct differences, James. Similarities: Three-wings and aluminum. Differences: The Air-King has exclusively and Fresh'ND-Aire does not have: Stepped blade thicknesses, thinner near the hub and thicker towards the blade tips.