Black & Decker Vacuum Cleaner (VM1880-B5)

Under its original name—the Black & Decker Manufacturing Company—the Black & Decker Corporation was founded in September 1910 when S. Duncan Black and Alonzo G. Decker joined forces to set up a machine shop in a rented warehouse in Baltimore, Maryland. After several years of contract manufacturing such products as a milk bottle cap machine and a cotton picker, Black and Decker began to design and manufacture their own electric powered tools in 1916. Black and Decker designed a universal motor—the first for electric tool use—which used either alternating or direct current, and also a trigger switch modeled after the mechanism in the Colt revolver. The first tool incorporating these innovative elements was a 1/2–inch portable drill with the innovative "pistol grip and trigger switch" that have remained standard for electric drills ever since. In 1917 the company was awarded patents for its pistol grip and trigger switch and it constructed a factory on the outskirts of Towson, Maryland. By 1918 sales surpassed $1 million. Immediately after World War I (1914–1918), additional portable electric tools were introduced, including a 3/8–inch drill, a grinder, and a screwdriver. Black & Decker used aggressive salesmanship and product services to build its client base. The company's first service centers were opened in Boston and New York in 1918. Black & Decker also organized clinics to teach distributors how to use and sell the tools. The firm began its first mass media campaign in the Saturday Evening Post in 1921. Despite significant layoffs, Black & Decker nearly went bankrupt during the Great Depression. Only loyal employees, some of whom worked without pay, and a large influx of capital from outside investors kept the company afloat. During World War II (1939–1945) Black & Decker switched to the production of fuses, shells, and other products that contributed to the war effort.