Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Early 20th Century Street Sweeping Machine

Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Loretta reports:

Following up on my last post
The World's Work, Vol 31, 1916
The search for street sweeping improvements continued, and produced some interesting approaches to the job, like this one, which uses a motorcycle.


Alert readers will note that, despite the Victorian era advances in street sweeping, the crossing sweeps were still at work through the 19th century, and men with push carts and brooms were still doing the job in 1916.



Street Sweeper & Handcart c 1896

Image at right courtesy Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Please click on captions to view (and enlarge) at online source.

3 comments:

Elizabeth Varadan, Author said...

This was so interesting! What is used today in London to keep the streets clean?

Gloria said...

As a child NYC in the 1940's, I remember the street sweepers using a broom to clean near the curb. Can't recall where they put it!

Unknown said...

A fascinating glimpse at past methods and equipments. It puts street sweeping to a more compelling perspective, one which emphasizes its worth and the demands and strains to keep to it. Though some of which can still be used nowadays, there are modern variations of them that can get the work done faster.

Haaker

 
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