Jim Kovar Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 Ever since the "fan bug" bit me, I've been enamored by three early figural fans. All of which embody fanciful or mythical creatures. Two of which were made by Fort Wayne Electric Works and the other by Menominee Electric. The FWEW fans display vicious dragons. One being a telephone booth bracket fan and the other is depicted in the ad below. The Menominee Electric made fan has a pair of heraldic dolphins supporting a fan. I am certain that FWEW did not manufacture anything aside from the fan and slip-ring ball as shown in the ad above. Now to my speculation... Menominee Electric did not make that base, but rather adapted it to their purpose. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Kovar Posted July 31 Author Share Posted July 31 The weight of motor and its "high center of mass" above the base, and the small footprint of the base, just doesn't quite look like a good idea to me. Not that I wouldn't like to have one!! Also, that pivot looks to be the weakest link, especially with that much weight on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Kovar Posted July 31 Author Share Posted July 31 Dragons,... when they were still young... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ Huber Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 22 minutes ago, Jim Kovar said: The weight of motor and its "high center of mass" above the base, and the small footprint of the base, just doesn't quite look like a good idea to me. Not that I wouldn't like to have one!! Also, that pivot looks to be the weakest link, especially with that much weight on it. There is an actual small image of the full nickel plate Noxall/American (trade name) Menominee fan in electrical trade. It was posted in past, maybe by you? Menominee CEO Joseph Fleshiem commit suicide with a pistol to the head in 1900 as the Menominee concern went into receivership and bankruptcy. It is stated in electrical trade late 90s that moving the plant from Menominee was being considered. Tideman had to pull an Ace from his sleeve to help save the sinking ship. That fan was his Ace up the sleeve with little doubt. I believe the entire fan was manufactured in Menominee. Just how Tideman may have reinforced that pivot if he did remains a mystery. 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicholas Denney Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 But what fan is that? Tab base, yoke mount... if it didn't have a badge it would look somewhat like a Fidelity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ Huber Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 Noxall fan motor through the east coast agency and marketed American fan motor through the Chicago Midwest agency. Sold in 12", 14", and 16" models for sure 1898 and 1899 fan motor seasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Rockwell Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 Some pretty thorough descriptions in the articles... "Manufactured by the Vance Electric" may not be entirely accurate, and we've seen that language used elsewhere where the firm is actually an agency, but that language is used consistently in the 1898 mentions, and it could be...? ... Staghorn bracketing above figural dolphins? Jim, is there an attribution for the revolving dragon desk fan, is it Chas. Coffin's office? I'm thinking those dragon brackets were more than telephone fans, what booth required a ten- or twelve-inch fan? By the way... GE Staghorn Ceiling Fan: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ Huber Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 (edited) 41 minutes ago, Steve Rockwell said: Some pretty thorough descriptions in the articles... "Manufactured by the Vance Electric" may not be entirely accurate, and we've seen that language used elsewhere where the firm is actually an agency, but that language is used consistently in the 1898 mentions, and it could be...? It is not at all accurate. Vance was an established east coast early electrical contractor, and east coast agency for Menominee. East coast businesses who could afford the early electrical contracting go to Vance Electric for their electrical needs. No Google back then. People on the east coast are familiar with Vance for their electrical needs. Who to hell is Menominee Electrical & Mechanical Co. on the east coast in 1898? CONSUMER CONFIDENCE. Edited July 31 by Russ Huber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ Huber Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 Cool. Louis Luu could make some CF nuts happy with this one. 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Rockwell Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 People on the east coast are familiar with Vance for their electrical needs. Who to hell is Menominee Electrical & Mechanical Co. on the east coast in 1898? ... Good point, Russ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ Huber Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 3 hours ago, Steve Rockwell said: People on the east coast are familiar with Vance for their electrical needs. Who to hell is Menominee Electrical & Mechanical Co. on the east coast in 1898? ... Good point, Russ... There were telephones, telegraph, newspapers, periodic electrical trade journals, electrical contractors, and electrical exchange buildings full of offices for agencies to market the manufacturer's product and get them on the map. Once the manufacturer gained reputation through the agencies, the world was their oyster. 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ Huber Posted August 1 Share Posted August 1 (edited) Chicago based Roth who bought out Eck's share in the business in late winter of 95 went a step further. In 97 Roth brought forth their own fan motor exempt from Eck's engineering and established their own agency (The New York Dynamo & Motor Company) on the east coast not only offering their fan motor, they offered to set up for the customer the DC dynamo to run the Roth fan motor. 🙂 Roth had agency of all places in Des Moines and Sioux City, IA. I would not be surprised a Roth Bipolar surfaced in Iowa. Edited August 1 by Russ Huber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel Lagarde Posted August 1 Share Posted August 1 Jim This is an excellent post. I did not realize the dragon lamp was not made by Wood Systems. I know the revolver can be used with any lamp but the dragon lamp I thought could be ordered as an option with the fan. I guess the wood system dragon wall mount had me figuring wrong. I think I have the motor of the noxall (Menominee) dolphin figural fan in my collection An excellent post and educational. Thank you 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Kovar Posted August 1 Author Share Posted August 1 Here's another example of marrying a lamp base to a fan motor... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Rockwell Posted August 1 Share Posted August 1 My bad regarding Coffin--- a dragon fan, not dragon lamp... Here's a century-old account touching on GE's (really Fort Wayne's i.e. Wood's) developments, to be taken with a grain of salt... hmmmmm... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ Huber Posted August 2 Share Posted August 2 41 minutes ago, Steve Rockwell said: hmmmmm... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Trier Posted August 2 Share Posted August 2 (edited) 7 hours ago, Jim Kovar said: Here's another example of marrying a lamp base to a fan motor... Jim, that’s not a marriage to a lamp base. Mike Breedlove sold high quality frame able line drawings of rare fans about 50 years ago. This is one is an Imperial. Same base. Edited August 2 by John Trier 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Trier Posted August 2 Share Posted August 2 This little add shows there were different sizes of Imperial fans. Maybe the 14” is the line drawing above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ Huber Posted August 2 Share Posted August 2 (edited) 1894 Edited August 2 by Russ Huber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ Huber Posted August 2 Share Posted August 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ Huber Posted August 2 Share Posted August 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ Huber Posted August 2 Share Posted August 2 (edited) Wright Factory at 140 Washington St. New York 1893 becomes the M & M Electric Co. in 1894 and in 1897 Imperial merges with M & M. The M & M/ Imperial fan motor design is based on the conceived in the early 1880s English motor design from Charles Cuttriss. Edited August 2 by Russ Huber 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ Huber Posted August 2 Share Posted August 2 (edited) This I am fairly confident this model was known as the No. 4 outfit. Edited August 2 by Russ Huber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ Huber Posted August 2 Share Posted August 2 So, 1893-1898 140 Washington Street New York went from Wright (1893) to M & M (1894-96) to The Imperial 1897-98. BTW....in 98 Imperial was marketing small motors. They must have dissolved shortly after. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ Huber Posted August 2 Share Posted August 2 11 hours ago, Mel Lagarde said: Jim This is an excellent post. I did not realize the dragon lamp was not made by Wood Systems. I know the revolver can be used with any lamp but the dragon lamp I thought could be ordered as an option with the fan. I guess the wood system dragon wall mount had me figuring wrong. I think I have the motor of the noxall (Menominee) dolphin figural fan in my collection An excellent post and educational. Thank you On 7/30/2024 at 9:03 PM, Jim Kovar said: Ever since the "fan bug" bit me, I've been enamored by three early figural fans. All of which embody fanciful or mythical creatures. Two of which were made by Fort Wayne Electric Works and the other by Menominee Electric. Mel, it appears based on Mr. Kovar's extreme infatuation with this Menominee fan motor, if you would be so kind to share a peak of your example, at your convenience, I am sure he would be overwhelmed with joy. 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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