Parade of Maytag Supermatics

A friend recently obtained a quantity of photographic negatives from an antique shop going out of business in Des Moines. Most were somewhat mundane, yet some of great interest and certainly of historical significance.

I was privileged to look through a box, and noted one 4x5 negative with a long line of trucks on a highway. I could see the words “Maytag” on a truck. As I have a scanner, I borrowed the negative and obtained a positive image with a clarity of 1600 dots per inch.

This allowed an enlargement of the photo positive from its original size to fit the entire computer screen. With that, I was able to read every sign on the lead trucks, including license plates, interstate commerce and IDOT identification.

Once enlarged, 20 semi-tractors and trailers can be seen to the horizon, most equally spaced, enroute to some unknown destination. All were as a single group, and one can only surmise there were trucks on the highway beyond the far hill top. All the trucks are marked  “Western Trucking Company,” and apparently retained by the Maytag Company for this unprecedented media event. A large sign on the front of the lead trailer above the tractor cab states, Watch The Parade Of NEW Maytag Supermatics. On the side of each trailer in the caravan is a huge sign identifying, New Maytag Supermatics. World’s Largest Truck Shipment Of Automatic Washers.

I was able to find a company brochure on the internet that described the Supermatic Washer as having: Safety Lid, Exclusive Gyrofoam Action, Exclusive Double Spin Tubs. Scientific Balancing, Uses Less Water, and Takes Less Time. The brochure is surely descriptive, for it details use instructions as, Lift the lid, drop in the clothes. Add detergent, set the water level control dial to correspond to the size of the load, close the lid, set the water temperature, set the timer, and pull out the dial. Certainly thorough, to say the least!

The beauty of this negative, or any for that matter, is that a photographer (unknown) was present with their camera to stop the action of the event for a millisecond, with said image being magically recorded on a piece of plastic. That image identifies to the viewer every physical appearance of the landscape for that very brief moment, which happens to be 62 years ago (Oct. 9, 1954). Most likely, the purpose of the photo was to provide a visual description of the event to a newspaper reader, or perhaps commissioned by the company itself to visually enhance the media blitz that was being made nationwide in prompting consumer demands for this new innovation, known as the SUPERMATIC.

A high resolution of the scan of this historic occurrence will be made available to the Jasper County Historical Society. From that scan, and if they so desire, a large photo can be made for the Maytag Exhibit. As for the negative, my understanding is it will soon be listed on eBay. And for the complete story of the event itself, I would surmise it could be found in the archives of the Newton Daily News at the Newton Public Library.