Item SH 890359 Refrigerator - HMV, Princess, Cream, late 1940s

Summary

Alternative Name(s): Fridge

Electric HMV Princess refrigerator. It is of standard size, with rounded shoulders and a 2/3 height door. It was made in England in the late 1940s and exported to Australia shortly thereafter.

Purchased by donor for 100 pounds in 1950 after waiting for over 12 months on Myer waiting list. Fridges were in short supply and so she bought it as soon as it appeared at her local shop. The door lock was a typical English gadget because many houses shared kitchens or had boarders. Cheap to run at only 8 pence a week and efficient: it has never had a mechanical problem. Not many HMV's were sold in Australia.

The donor used the Princess between 1950 and 1988 in Bentleigh East, Victoria.

Physical Description

This is a standard, electric, cream enamel, locking refrigerator. FRONT: a door 2/3 the height of the fridge sits above a removable panel, over an opening at floor level. DOOR: decorative logo upper right. HANDLE - middle-left, pull down, lever decorated with 4 incised vertical lines. Has a lock. BACK: exposed compressor unit and a black electrical cord with a white 3-pronged plug attached. INTERIOR: white enamel with metallic blue frame. Located upper centre is a blue Bakelite/ plastic temperature dial set on a white plastic panel. A mottled, clear glass, removable shelf resting on a removable wire frame sits below the freezer compartment. This wire and glass shelf is hooked over 4 pegs. The middle shelf is a full width, removable wire shelf hanging on 4 pegs. The bottom shelf comprises 2 x 1/2-width shelves and hangs from 6 pegs. Centre right is a white plastic, light release button. FREEZER COMPARTMENT - top centre, the white enamel door hinged at right. Silver metal interior with two compartments, created by 1 removable metal shelf. DOOR - white enamel with a black rubber seal. There are two white, rectangular tubs in the fridge. In one are the keys to the lock and a draw string bag for 2 ' "U" shaped shipping down saddles' which are also in the tub.