Electrical Cataloge - N0 281 - Wiring Accessories Switchgear Appliances

Electrical Catalogue No. 281 – Wiring Accessories, Switchgear & Appliances (1952) by Samuel Gratrix Ltd

Publisher: Samuel Gratrix Ltd
ISBN: None
Condition: Good
Published: 1952
Offered by: Crappy Old Books

There was a time when electricity was considered a remarkable modern convenience, household wiring was an adventure in applied engineering, and the average British home contained enough Bakelite, porcelain and exposed metal fittings to make a contemporary health and safety inspector consider early retirement.

Welcome to Electrical Catalogue No. 281, published in 1952 by Samuel Gratrix Ltd, a splendidly comprehensive illustrated catalogue from the golden age of British electrical engineering, when switches were substantial, fuse boxes were formidable, and the prospect of rewiring a house involved rather more than ordering a collection of plastic accessories from the internet.

And what an extraordinary collection of electrical contraptions it contains!

Extending to approximately 177 pages, this fascinating volume offers an extensive illustrated selection of electrical equipment, complete with manufacturers’ names, technical specifications, product numbers and original prices in glorious pre-decimal currency.

Here are Wylex switch-fuse control units, cooker switches, Bakelite fittings, porcelain connectors, junction boxes, circuit breakers, fluorescent lighting, immersion heaters, electric fires, hairdryers, electric irons, toasters and all manner of domestic and industrial electrical apparatus.

There are heating elements, fire spirals, lamp holders, thermostats, electrical testing equipment and enough switches, plugs and sockets to equip a modest post-war housing estate.

The illustrations are particularly appealing, presenting the actual products available to electricians, contractors and householders during a period when Britain was enthusiastically embracing the electrical future.

One can almost smell the warm Bakelite.

The catalogue also provides a fascinating insight into historical electrical standards, including equipment designed for differing mains voltages and installations that would look distinctly unfamiliar to today’s electricians.

The original prices are another delightful feature. Listed in pounds, shillings and pence, they preserve a commercial world in which electrical equipment could cost 57/6, invoices required considerable arithmetic, and decimalisation remained a distant threat to national stability.

Published in 1952, during the post-war reconstruction period, this catalogue is more than a commercial publication. It is an illustrated historical record of British manufacturing, domestic technology and the practical business of bringing electricity into everyday life.

Condition: Good. A respectable vintage hardback showing the expected signs of age, handling and previous ownership. The original green cloth binding retains its understated industrial character, while the extensively illustrated interior offers a remarkable journey through the electrical technology of the early 1950s.

Naturally, there is no ISBN. In those days, manufacturers relied upon catalogue numbers, product codes and the revolutionary concept of knowing what they were selling.

Offered by Crappy Old Books, where obsolete electrical equipment is admired, Bakelite is treated with appropriate reverence, and customers are strongly discouraged from attempting to recreate 1952 wiring arrangements without professional assistance.

A splendid collectible for electrical engineers, industrial historians, vintage appliance enthusiasts and restorers of period properties.

A reminder that electricity may be invisible, but its history is wonderfully tangible.

Keep browsing: See more History books Other books by Samuel Gratix Ltd