Hubert Cecil Booth: the man who invented world's first powered vacuum cleaners.

Happy 148th birthday Hubert Cecil Booth!
At the top of the 20th century, cutting-edge floor-cleaning technology involved blowing air to push debris away. Booth, however, was intrigued by the inverse idea: cleaning by suction. After seeing a demonstration of the “pneumatic carpet renovator” blowing dirt out of railway cars, Booth tried an experiment. Laying his handkerchief on a restaurant chair, he put his mouth on the table cloth and sucked air through it. Inspired by the results, he set to work on his first design—nicknamed “Puffing Billy”—which was powered by an engine so big it had to be housed outside and pulled around by horses!

Booth started the British Vacuum Cleaner Company in 1903, and his flagship product—a somewhat smaller electric device—was soon embraced by fashionable households, including the British royal family. Watching the “Puffing Billy” suck dust out the window of your home even became a fun afternoon activity, lending housework a certain social cachet.

Although the vacuum cleaner is a critical component of Booth’s legacy, it didn’t stop there. He o built bridges,designed engines for Royal Navy battleships, and also contributed to the design of ferris wheels across England, France, and Austria.