Not on display

Corinthian 3kw electric fire

Electric Fire
1963 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

In 1912, Charles Belling (1884-1965) started his own business in Lancaster Road, Enfield, manufacturing electric heaters. Belling revolutionised electric fire design with the creation of the Firebar in 1912 and was soon supporting the war effort by producing heating equipment for submarines. In 1913 he acquired additional factory space at Derby Road, Edmonton. The range of products widened to include electric water heaters (1913) electric cookers (1919) and immersion heaters (1920). In 1931 Belling launched the first 100 per cent enamelled cooker onto the market, unveiled the new and improved No.40 Baby Belling Cooker and became the first manufacturer to introduce glass doors to its ovens. By the 1950s soaring sales persuaded the company to purchase a new 30 acre site in Burnley in 1955. The new site was used solely for the production of all fires, allowing the Enfield factory to concentrate on the production of electric cookers of all shapes and sizes. In 1955 Belling continued to expand their operation with the purchase of a second manufacturing site in Burnley. By the time of the company's Golden Jubilee in 1962 Belling & Co owned 70 acres of freehold property with more than a million square feet of production space and was manufacturing one heater or cooker every six seconds. The company had over 3,000 employees. In 1962 the Belling 'Forty-seven' was Britain's most popular cooker and in 1965 Charles Belling died. In 1992, Belling was acquired by Glen Dimplex. It remains one of the major manufacturers of cookers in Britain today.

Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleCorinthian 3kw electric fire (manufacturer's title)
Materials and techniques
Anodised aluminium reflector and cast aluminium surround and frame.
Brief description
Corinthian 3kw electric fire, designed by David Brunton, manufactured by Belling & Co, 1963. Winner of the Design Council Award 1963.
Physical description
Corinthian 3kw electric fire, anodised aluminium reflector and cast aluminium rectangular surround and frame. The front with a protective wire grille. The unit is operated by three rocker switches in the lower right hand corner.
Dimensions
  • Height: 17 1/4in (Note: Taken from the register.)
  • Width: 15 7/8in (Note: Taken from the register.)
  • Depth: 4 3/8in (Note: Taken from the register.)
Style
Production typeMass produced
Credit line
Gift of the manufacturer
Object history
Historical significance: Winner of the Design Council Award in 1963.
Summary
In 1912, Charles Belling (1884-1965) started his own business in Lancaster Road, Enfield, manufacturing electric heaters. Belling revolutionised electric fire design with the creation of the Firebar in 1912 and was soon supporting the war effort by producing heating equipment for submarines. In 1913 he acquired additional factory space at Derby Road, Edmonton. The range of products widened to include electric water heaters (1913) electric cookers (1919) and immersion heaters (1920). In 1931 Belling launched the first 100 per cent enamelled cooker onto the market, unveiled the new and improved No.40 Baby Belling Cooker and became the first manufacturer to introduce glass doors to its ovens. By the 1950s soaring sales persuaded the company to purchase a new 30 acre site in Burnley in 1955. The new site was used solely for the production of all fires, allowing the Enfield factory to concentrate on the production of electric cookers of all shapes and sizes. In 1955 Belling continued to expand their operation with the purchase of a second manufacturing site in Burnley. By the time of the company's Golden Jubilee in 1962 Belling & Co owned 70 acres of freehold property with more than a million square feet of production space and was manufacturing one heater or cooker every six seconds. The company had over 3,000 employees. In 1962 the Belling 'Forty-seven' was Britain's most popular cooker and in 1965 Charles Belling died. In 1992, Belling was acquired by Glen Dimplex. It remains one of the major manufacturers of cookers in Britain today.
Collection
Accession number
CIRC.129-1965

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Record createdApril 26, 2011
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