My appearances and events
Curiosity, BBC One – April 2019
Me and a selection of my vintage vacuum cleaners featured in Collector’s Corner on BBC One show Curiosity, with Paul Martin.
The One Show, BBC One – 100 Years of Hoover, June 2008
In June 2008, I filmed with BBC One’s The One Show to celebrate the Hoover Company’s centenary. Along with Carol Thatcher, I took some of my Hoover vacuums back to The Hoover Building in Perivale, Middlesex, West London, where many of them were manufactured, to take a look back over the company’s history.
Hoover 1923 – 70 at The Lightbox, Woking
From November 2009 – February 2010, a portion of my vintage Hoover floorcare collection was exhibited at The Lightbox gallery and museum in Woking, Surrey.
ITN London Tonight news
Press cuttings
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are you?
Hi, I’m Jack.
Erm – why do you collect vacuum cleaners?
As a child I was obsessed with appliances and gadgets, and as soon as I was old enough I was dismantling anything I could get my hands on – vacuums, radios, other small appliances. I loved learning more about how things worked, why they had been designed in a certain way, and how the technology had evolved over time. People would bring me their vacuums to fix when they broke. Sometimes when friends or family bought a new vacuum, I’d be gifted the old one.
Before long I had a collection, and over the years the machines have multiplied from the tens into the hundreds!
How many vacuum cleaners do you own?
I’ve lost count, but I would estimate around 150. That’s not including the other small appliances that I sometimes acquire – toasters, mixers, hair dryers, irons, radios, ciné cameras, fans…
If you had to pick a favourite vintage vacuum cleaner, which one would it be?
I’m torn between the 1933 Hoover Model 800 and the 1933 General Electric Model 111. Two striking examples of machine-age Art Deco styling being applied to high quality, high-performance domestic appliances. Some of the early Electrolux vacuums are also beautifully-designed, sophisticated machines.
Would you say your hobby really sucks?
Try and make a joke I haven’t heard before. Go ahead, I’ll wait! 😉
I bet your house is super-clean?
I do my best. I don’t really have an excuse, do I?
Where do you keep your collection?
Some live at home with me, others are currently in storage. Many are used on a daily basis! Hopefully at some point in future I’ll have enough space to keep the whole collection in one location.
What do your friends and family think about your hobby?
They’re used to it by now!
What do you do for a living?
I work full time for a technology company in Wiltshire. I try to find time to keep my website and other vintage projects updated as often as I can!
Can I visit your collection?
My ultimate goal is to have a space to display my collection in public, but unfortunately I’m not currently in a position to offer viewings.
I’ve found an old vacuum cleaner. Can you tell me what it’s worth?
Sorry, but I’m not able to offer valuations. Put simply, your machine is worth what someone is willing to pay you for it. Value depends on the rarity and condition of your particular example – if your machine has a replacement outer bag, power cord, hand grip or other non-original parts, this is likely to limit its appeal. Some models are highly sought-after, but in most cases it’s unlikely you’re sat on a goldmine as the vacuum collecting community is not large!