My house was built it 1953. I describe it as mid-century/modern partly because of the year it was built, but also from the design and the features in the house. For an old house, it still has some of the modern elements from the ’50s.

I started discovering these easily when I came across plugs in the wall that had no modern equivalent. At first, I thought they were ‘foreign’ plugs because I know the original owners had a house in England that they lived in for 4 months of the year. My electrician was able to point out that some of the plugs were some type of antenna system that was wired into the attic. (Instead of putting at the antenna on the room, they wired cable through the attic to make the whole roof an antenna!) the plugs I’m still diagnosing, but I believe they are a combo phone/intercom system.

This brings me to the mid-century/modern item I want to talk about: the combination heat/vent fan in the bathroom. While these are standard today, I know they were first introduced in the 1950s. Was mine an original model?

Prior to the ’50s, bathrooms added additional heat by putting units in the walls. However this caused problems as items - think towels - could get in the way and catch fire. In the ’40s heater fan units were installed, but these were installed in lieu of vents, so you had heat only. The first combined heater/vent was patented in 1959.

After my unit was pulled, I researched the item, a Miami - Carrey, which was most likely sold at Sears. These were not the first editions, but they are close! They were built in 1963. This is a ‘first’ in some respect. It was the first unit that would provide heat immediately whereas other units needed to warm up before they would start blowing heat. In addition, this unit has two speeds, and it said to be much quieter than earlier editions.

So while my bathroom heat/fan isn’t the first edition, it is still a mid-century marvel. Prior to it being removed, it still worked! Almost 60 years later it still provides heat immediately on startup.