Surly domestics never got our clothes this clean.

Unlike pesky human laborers who expect to receive a living wage and don’t take kindly to 18-hour workdays, these reliable machines from Seattle Electric Washer Co. didn’t get uppity and go on strike. The company exploited fears associated with the rise of labor unions for this 1920 advertisement that promised subservience from their “servants.” An excerpt from the copy:

“A real servant in the home is a rarity in these days of complex labor conditions. The 1900 Cataract Electric Washer is a real servant that never goes on strike, never demands more pay or never tires with extra work.

Let us put one in your home and solve your servant and laundry problem. We demonstrate this machine in your home at no expense to you. Phone us for demonstration.”