Good Housekeeping Tests (1956)

M/S of Reg Winkley at the Good Housekeeping Institute in London; he is timing a strange contraption on the bench in front of him in a laboratory. The machine has revolving wooden sand-papered blocks that repeatedly rub over a square of carpet to test the durability; Reg takes the carpet section out to check it and replaces it. These tests take place for products that have applied for the Good Housekeeping Certificate and Seal of Guarantee.



M/Ss and C/Us of Brenda Pleasance and Ann Bargeman in blue overalls; Brenda sprinkles some dust onto strips of the same carpet and they use upright vacuum cleaners to hoover it up. This is to test performance of the vacuum cleaners: the women weigh the vacuum bags to see how much dust they have picked up.



Pamela Couch is seen testing two electric food mixers; one is trundling round while she puts some jelly into another and starts it up. M/S of a woman opening an oven and taking some little sponge cakes out; she puts them on a wire rack with some others to cool. This is to test the oven for even heat distribution.



The same woman is seen serving some pink blancmange or rice pudding to a group of people sitting around a table; the food testing panel. Several shots of these people (including Mr Couch and Mrs Albeny-Ward) tasting the food, looking thoughtful and making notes. One woman lets lumps of the pud drop from her spoon into the bowl, apparently checking the consistency. Reg Winkley, sitting beside her, takes a couple of spoonfuls and wrinkles up his nose, purses his lips, then has a sip of water.



Note: on file are details about the Good Housekeeping Certificate and Seal of Guarantee and an article from John Bull magazine about cake (and cake mix) testing by rival manufacturers which presumably inspired this tasting and testing story.
FILM ID:41.14

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