The Hoover Company - Henry Dreyfuss and Hoover

Henry Dreyfuss and Hoover

In the early 1930s the company retained the services of Henry Dreyfuss, an up and coming industrial designer, to give the Hoover line up a much needed update. Prior to Dreyfuss's involvement with the company, the majority of the machines manufactured consisted of a black motor and an aluminum base; this was the norm for more than twenty years. When Hoover introduced the 'Hedlite' in 1932, it was rather awkward and unattractive. Dreyfuss integrated this feature into the housing of the cleaner, making the machine more aesthetically pleasing and echoing the trends of streamline design. Of Dreyfuss's designs before 1936, he was able to update the basic Hoover machine and keep the company's products relevant with the times. In 1935, he was commissioned to completely redesign the Hoover cleaner. In 1936, for a fee of 25,000 USD, Dreyfuss sold Hoover the design which would become the Model 150 cleaner. For the first time since the introduction of the Hoover vacuum cleaner, the mechanical workings were completely concealed from sight by a Bakelite cover. This cover was a tear-drop styled shell, which seamlessly incorporated the headlight. Also, he totally revamped the base of the machine. Since the release of this design, all Hoover cleaners consisted of a fluid base and a hood to cover the electric motor. These designs suggested efficiency, cleanliness, and speed. Dreyfuss brought excitement and style to an otherwise mundane household appliance. His final design for the Hoover Company was the 1957 Convertible.