Vacuum cleaners

06/10/21 • 25 min

Household chores are an unavoidable part of everyday life. For thousands of years a broom was enough, but by using the humble vacuum cleaner we changed our homes forever.

In this episode, carpet sweeper expert Laura Humphreys takes us on a journey through the remarkable history of the vacuum cleaner, while conservator Kate Perks describes the care taken to clean delicate items on display at the Science Museum.

Hear how the first vacuum cleaner was invented, why we should call them Spanglers not Hoovers, how the spring clean began and what housework can tell us about the world around us.

This episode was inspired by Booth’s red trolley vacuum cleaner and the Hoover constellation in the Science Museum Group Collection. Our incredible collection contains more than 7 million items which illustrate the impact of science, technology, engineering and medicine on all our lives.

A Brief History of Stuff is a Storythings and Science Museum Group production. Find out more about the items in this episode on our website. You can also discover more stories about the everyday objects around you, including on vacuum cleaners.

Follow the Science Museum on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for more insights into the collection and use #ABriefHistoryOfStuff to join the conversation on social media.

You can follow Laura Humphreys on Twitter and find out more about Globalising Housework, her fascinating book on housework.

Subscribe to A Brief History of Stuff wherever you listen to podcasts to be the first to hear new episodes. To help others discover A Brief History of Stuff, please rate our podcast. You can support this podcast and our museums by donating online.

If you have an idea for a future episode or want to share your thoughts on our podcast, please email us via [email protected].

Household chores are an unavoidable part of everyday life. For thousands of years a broom was enough, but by using the humble vacuum cleaner we changed our homes forever.

Hear how the first vacuum cleaner was invented, why we should call them Spanglers not Hoovers, how the spring clean began and what housework can tell us about the world around us.

Follow the Science Museum on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for more insights into the collection and use #ABriefHistoryOfStuff to join the conversation on social media.

You can follow Laura Humphreys on Twitter and find out more about Globalising Housework, her fascinating book on housework.

If you have an idea for a future episode or want to share your thoughts on our podcast, please email us via [email protected].

Previous Episode

Microphones

Microphones have changed the way we hear the world. From the experiments of Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Alva Edison, through the birth of rock and roll to the explosion of podcasts and video conferencing during the COVID-19 pandemic, microphones have become integral to our modern lives.

In this episode, National Science and Media Museum curator Annie Jamieson takes us on a journey through the surprising story of the microphone, while host Nihal Arthanayake and air traffic controller Adam Spink reveal how microphones are essential to their working lives.

Listen and discover how microphones changed the direction of pop music and amplified political voices, why smaller is not always better, and how spider silk might be used in the microphones of the future.

This episode was inspired by the BBC Marconi AXBT ribbon microphone in the Science Museum Group Collection. The episode also features a carbon granule microphone and lip microphone. Our incredible collection contains more than 7 million items which illustrate the impact of science, technology, engineering and medicine on all our lives.

If you would like to uncover more about how sound is created, how it moves and how we hear it, explore the National Science and Media Museum’s Sound Season this summer.

A Brief History of Stuff is a Storythings and Science Museum Group production. Find out more about the items in this episode and read the transcript on our website, you can also discover more stories about the everyday objects around you. You can support this podcast and our museums by donating online.

Follow the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for more insights into the collection and use #ABriefHistoryOfStuff to join the conversation on social media.

Follow @NATS or visit www.nats.aero to find out more about the work of air traffic controllers.

Subscribe to A Brief History of Stuff wherever you listen to podcasts to be the first to hear new episodes. To help others discover A Brief History of Stuff, please rate our podcast.

If you have an idea for a future episode or want to share your thoughts on our podcast, please email us via [email protected].

Next Episode

Menstruation products

Around 800 million people across the world are menstruating right now, using a variety of products and methods to deal with their blood. But accessing these products can be a challenge, even today.

In this episode, host Nihal Arthanayake speaks to curator Rebecca Raven about the fascinating stories behind the menstruation products many of us use, while Dr Suba Thiyagalingam discusses period poverty, taboos and why we should talk more about periods.

From the Roman empire to the first world war and from sanitary belts to modern mooncups, you’ll learn how people dealt with periods in the past, discover the impact of disposable products on the environment and hear about the possibilities of a more sustainable future.

This episode was inspired by a mooncup and tampon in the Science Museum Group Collection. Our incredible collection contains more than 7 million items which illustrate the impact of science, technology, engineering and medicine on all our lives.

A Brief History of Stuff is a Storythings and Science Museum Group production.

Find out more about this episode on our website. You can discover more stories about the everyday objects around you, including menstruation products. Read about the sustainable items recently added to our collection and the life of sanitary belt pioneer Mary Kenner on our blog.

Follow the Science Museum on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for more insights into the collection and use #ABriefHistoryOfStuff to join the conversation on social media.

You can follow Dr Suba on Instagram and listen to her wonderful podcast In Hysterics.

If you have an idea for a future episode or want to share your thoughts on our podcast, please email us via [email protected].