Beach Foundry Ltd. "Buffet" Range

Current location:

Collection Storage Facility

Provenance:

This range was made by Beach Foundry of Ottawa, Ontario, and was donated to the Museum in 1976. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Beach sold gas, electric, and combination ranges across Canada.

Technical history:

This 1935 range was designed to fit a streamlined, modern kitchen. When closed, it served as a buffet and provided additional countertop space for food preparation.

History:

By the 1930s, many households in urban central Canada had access to the electrical grid and could furnish kitchens with electrical appliances. With its bright colours and decorative handles, this range — manufactured and used in Ottawa, Ontario — represents a high-end appliance that only an upper-class household could afford. Aside from the main oven and four cooktop elements, the range also has a warming oven and two storage drawers for cooking utensils. These design elements were hailed as ushering in a new standard of living for the Canadian housewife.