Morphy Richards Atlantic iron, late 1950s
This primrose yellow Morphy Richards Atlantic iron dates from the 1950s, when appliances were starting to be designed in a range of consumer-friendly colours, as well as in shiny chrome. This particular model also came in pale green, pale blue or bright red enamel, so it could be matched to interior colour schemes. It weighed a mere 2 ¾ lbs, which reduced the amount of elbow grease involved in ironing clothes, compared to earlier models. It had a dial for controlling the temperature and a handle moulded to fit the hand.
Morphy Richards was a British domestic appliance brand, which started in the 1930s and was known for their technical advances. They mostly manufactured small appliances such as irons, toasters, kettles and hairdryers in factories in Kent and Dundee. After a series of mergers and buyouts between the late 1960s and 1980s, the brand is now owned by the Irish company Glen Dimplex.
Listen to Breda McDonald talking about her parents buying their first electric iron in Waterford:
Breda McDonald interviewed by Eleanor Calnan at An Grianán, County Louth, April 2018
