The beginnings of industrial production

In the early years of the last century, the electric fan was a costly and not very practical item that relatively few could afford; nonetheless, it soon found a market, and became one of the symbols of technological progress.

And it was during this same period in the early 1900s that the fan took on its now instantly recognizable appearance. The protective cage in particular, with its curvilinear brass wire ribs, quickly became a primary visual feature of the product. The typical table fan of this period comprised a heavy base, fashioned generally in cast iron, a rotor with metal blades, and a protective grille. This soon became the archetypal design against which all future generations of electric fans would be measured.

At the beginning of the 20th Century, the electric fan was considered one of the symbols of technological progress. A luxury that few people could possess. Not only was it an expensive item: it was also heavy, noisy and not very practical. Even so, there was soon a healthy market: offices, public buildings, workplaces, and the homes of the well-to-do.