23 January 1915 “The New Electric Home”

I found this interesting newsreel from 1915 America. World War I has started but the U.S. is not yet involved. In fact it is now called the “European War” as things are happening over there. It is interesting to see the new ideas for the home as far back as 1915 and with the bright promise electricity held. A very interesting thing to note is that the car they first arrive in is indeed electric.

At this point in time there are more electric cars on the road than gasoline. And the gas fired engines were considered more dangerous and called ‘gasoline explosive cars’. Even Henry Ford’ wife, Clara, refused to drive a gas car and instead had an electric one. She drove the 1914 model 47 You can see that the electric cars held more of the antique look of a horsed carriage as it didn’t need all the room in the front for a large engine and all the moving parts that are required for the internal combustion engine. I wouldn’t mind one of these for a nip about town or to do my marketing.

Also notice in the film reel that servants are still prevalent at a modest Middle Class home. It wont be until post WWI that the servant begins to dwindle. The increased amount of new taxation created for the War effort remains and effects the middle class. Many could no longer afford the cost of servants with added taxes and these ladies moved into factory production instead.

Have a lovely day and think of how much we take electricity for granted today. And I wonder if we are ever to have electric cars again if we could have some new model shapes that won’t have to copy the look of the internal combustion engine so we might, if we chose, have a more vintage or antique looking vehicle more equipped for day trips and to do our shopping in?