Most people have no idea what’s the name and purpose of the object in the photo- Can you guess it?

Technology advances over time, increasingly easing our everyday life. This constant progress often leaves out many machines and gadgets that were once very important in every household. This is why we often don’t know the purpose of certain weird-looking objects that were commonly used back then. The following photo is a similar challenge- it is said that an estimated percentage of 99% of the people on social media don’t know what this is (ok, maybe, this is an exaggeration?) and the rest 1% who do, are older people. Some of them may have seen it in the homes of their grandparents. Take a closer look! Do you have any idea?

I believe most of you weren’t successful. If you don’t know it the moment you look at the picture, chances are you are not going to figure out anyway. However, if you look carefully, you’d see that it’s partially made of crocodile skin. CROCODILE SKIN! Its name is Hercules Vacuum Cleaner and it has been very popular in the 1930s. In fact, it was one of the “most precious” home possessions anyone could have. It was very expensive and only the rich people could afford it, as it was sold during the Great Depression.

The product had a big cylindrical tube with a hole on top where the suction pipe was placed. It had sled-like boughs underneath, so it can stand when not in use. It also had a leather handle and was partially made of crocodile skin. Interesting! Yet, those who recognized this strange object were happy to comment and share the experience with others:
“My nana had one. Hard as hell to maneuver around the house.” Another wrote: “I had a couple of them. Super good cleaners!!” There are not many known facts available online about the Hercules vacuum cleaner. It was a manually-operated machine, and it did not need electricity. Maybe the name “Hercules” was given to highlight the idea that it could clean “the impossible”!

People confirmed it was outstanding at swiping dirt, although it was difficult to move around. Similar to many older models of vacuum cleaners, this thing had to be pumped by hand.
Well, that’s a tricky one! It looks harder than sweeping with a broom and I believe it was used only from time to time, probably when people wanted to clean their homes for special occasions. Most of us were lucky to have a modern vacuum cleaner at home since we were kids. Yet, their technology was subjected to numerous changes over the decades, since their invention in the 1800s. The first vacuum cleaner was invented by Daniel Hess of West Union, Iowa, in 1860. It used a rotating brush to swirl up dirt.

Back in 1869, Ives W. McGaffey upgraded the model and created the ”Whirlwind. This model needed cranking before it was able to start working. It had a fan that was driven by a belt, but it was huge and hard to use. The first powered vacuum cleaner came to the scene in 1898 and was invented by John S. Thurman.

Ever since, vacuum cleaners have become very modern and mass-produced. Nowadays, there is a vacuum in every household, and they are very handy when it comes to cleaning around the house.