Out of the Archives: Hydrant Sprinklers, Circa 1930

1934

Summer is not yet over and, as the heat turns up, people will be looking for relief. Most seek a pool or lake, but there is also an unconventional way to escape the heat.

Introducing the Bradley Fire Hydrant Sprinkler. This is a discontinued product for Bradley but Hydrant Sprinklers are actually still relevant today. Commonly thought to be illegal to open, there is a way to go about opening a fire hydrant and enjoying its cool water in a legal manner.

When opened illegally, a fire hydrant can release 1,000 gallons of water a minute. That waste of water can decrease water pressure drastically throughout a neighborhood and can also make it hard for firefighters to pump water out of other hydrants. Every city is different, but in New York City (where fire hydrant “sprinklers” are iconic) they have created a set of guidelines so citizens can use the fire hydrants legally and safely.

The first step is to call your local firehouse. In most cases they will then come down and open the hydrant for you and install a sprinkler cap. This sprinkler cap (much like the one Bradley use to offer) saves on water and keeps the water pressure in a neighborhood at a normal level. In New York City, the general rule is one fire hydrant per block may be opened.

Hope you enjoyed this peek into Bradley’s past. Stay tuned for more from the Archives!

1933

Source: Fertig, B. (2013, August 2). It’s OK to Open that Fire Hydrant… But Just a Little Bit. Retrieved August 12, 2014, from http://www.wnyc.org/story/309912-making-open-fire-hydrants-legal-and-safer/

 

Flashback Friday

Happy Friday! This weekend marks the first weekend of Summerfest here in Milwaukee and I am sure many of you are anxious to start the weekend with music and food down by the lake shore. However, before you take off for the weekend we want to show you a little bit of Bradley history. Like Summerfest, Bradley has been a part of Milwaukee tradition for decades. Pictured below you can see an old advertisement illustrating the versatility of Bradley products between different commercial settings.  From corporate buildings, factories, schools, hotels and even Summerfest, Bradley products can be found hard at work.

“What do all of them have in common?” – old Bradley advertisement

 

Washrooms at Summerfest featuring Bradley Corp. products

 

Bradley’s Flashback Friday

Each Friday, a little piece of Bradley Corporation’s history will be showcased on our blog. Most of these flashback features will be fun, historic advertisements and catalog covers of Bradley products. Stay tuned each week for something different!

The Bradley Survivor

Back in April of 2002 on a block between St. James Street and Mit Stegall Drive in Winnipeg, Canada, you would have stumbled upon a demolition scene that gave the feeling that you were in a post-apocalyptic time. However, on a gray day in April, amongst the rubble, a passerby found something rather interesting. A Bradley Washfountain was the lone survivor of the demolition of the Canada Metal Complex.

 

The original Washfountain dates back to 1921. This revolutionary product changed handwashing in many factories and commercial washrooms. Each Bradley Washfountain could replace eight china sinks saving water, space and break time spent in the washroom.  It is no surprise that Canada Metal installed a Bradley Washfountain in their complex, but the mystery is why was it saved? Where is it now?

Using pictures the passerby provided, it was easy to locate the address of the picture taken in 2002.  As you can tell by the picture below there is a business named “Best West Pet Foods” near the location of the Fountain. A search provided an address and thanks to Google Earth a picture of the area 10 years later is also shown below. The rubble is gone and in its place is a large parking lot serving a “Real Canadian Superstore”. The Bradley Washfountain is since gone but the small blue box on the 2012 picture gives you an idea of where it would have been located 10 years ago.

April 13th, 2002

 

May 2012, Google Earth

 

Did someone think it was too unique destroy? Was it going to be recycled? Or, did the construction guys just become too lazy to move it the last 20 yards to the dumpster? Why the fountain was sitting there amongst the destruction we might never know. However, this picture illustrates the craftsmanship, innovation and quality Bradley invests into every one of its products. Even amid chaos, Bradley products stand strong.

Where in the World are the Bradvans?

If you are not already familiar with Bradley’s Bradvans, you are soon sure to be.  Bradvans are on-the-go showrooms displaying selected Bradley products. Recently, Bradley updated their three-van fleet and put together an architectural sales blitz.  To help carry out this effort, Bradley has hired three summer sales interns. These interns have quite the summer ahead of them as they drive throughout the United States assisting Bradley’s Sales Reps and providing a seamless experience for customers. However, with the intense schedule of the three vans it can be difficult to stay connected with the locations they are visiting. If you want to stay up-to-date with the whereabouts of the Bradvans, make sure to follow the Bradley Bradvan Blog at http://bradvan.tumblr.com/. This page won’t just let you know where the Bradvans are, but will keep you updated on the cross-country adventures of the sales interns. Already this summer, you can take in the scenery with Patrick at the Eldorado Canyon State Park in Colorado, discover the animals at the Pittsburgh Zoo with Garrett and explore Chicago with Luke. There is more to come so don’t miss a beat. Follow the Bradley Bradvan Blog and keep your eyes peeled for a Bradvan out on the road.

 

Bradley group showers still standing strong at UW-Whitewater

Bradley’s 6-person column showers have withstood years of use and abuse.  These showers accommodate moderate to heavy traffic throughout the academic year.  The largest user of these showers is the UW-Whitewater Swim and Dive Team, NCAA Div III.  The women’s team consists of roughly 30 swimmers/divers that utilize the shower facility every Monday through Saturday during their season (late September to mid March).  The local Club swim team, intramural water polo, and patrons of the Williams Center are also among the users of this particular locker room.

Bradley’s 6-person Column Shower, UW-Whitewater Women’s Locker Room, Williams Center Athletic Complex

 

 

 

Where in the World is Bradley: Pepperdine University

 

Pepperdine University, in Malibu, California, had lockers that had seen better days. The old metal lockers that were in the water sports locker rooms, as well as in the general locker rooms were outdated, and due to high traffic and water, they were very worn down. Pepperdine’s solution to their problem was installing Bradley’s Lenox Lockers.

 

Lenox Lockers are made out of highly durable materials that can stand up to the harshest environments and damage.

Heetland explained that his goal during the renovation was to use quality products as well as adding some “pizzazz” to the design. “From a recruitment perspective, it’s important that our locker rooms are furnished with quality materials and products. They also need to be clean and well-maintained and stand the test of time.”

Another perk about Bradley’s Lockers is that they are ‘green‘. “We’ve been making an effort to ‘color’ our facilities green, so when we learned that Lenox Lockers are comprised of recycled material that’s also very durable, we knew it would be a positive choice” explained Dave Heetland of Pepperdine University.

Pepperdine University is very happy with their Lenox Lockers. Since installation they have had only positive feedback from maintenance and students alike.

Flashback Friday: Bradley sinks

Flashback Friday: The Bradley sinks.
Happy Friday to you all! Check out this week’s flashback Friday photo! Tweet us @bradleycorp and let us know if you recognize anyone in these photos.

Hope you all had a good week. Enjoy the long weekend!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bradley’s Flashback Friday

Each Friday, a little piece of Bradley Corporation’s history will be showcased on our blog. Most of these flashback features will be fun, historic advertisements and catalog covers of Bradley products. Stay tuned each week for something different!

Flashback Friday: Preparing for summer

Happy Friday all! Check out this week’s flashback Friday photo. Those fun fixtures reminded me of all the fun that summer will bring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bradley’s Flashback Friday
Each Friday, a little piece of Bradley Corporation’s history will be showcased on our blog. Most of these flashback features will be fun, historic advertisements and catalog covers of Bradley products. Stay tuned each week for something different!

Flashback Friday: Bradley and Barbie

Happy Friday everyone! This week’s photo features Barbie. Yes, Mattel’s Barbie! The ad, from the early 1960s, uses the different styles and looks that Barbie had to help depict the differences between Bradley’s showers. Having Barbie as a “spokesperson,” how cool is that?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bradley’s Flashback Friday
Each Friday, a little piece of Bradley Corporation’s history will be showcased on our blog. Most of these flashback features will be fun, historic advertisements and catalog covers of Bradley products. Stay tuned each week for something different!

Flashback Friday: School Days

Happy Friday to you all! Hope you had an amazing week. This Flashback Friday, we took it back to the 70’s, when knee high socks and bell-bottom pants were a big hit in high schools across the country. And the Bradley washfountain was the groovy place to meet and make plans for the upcoming dance. The good old days.

Bradley’s Flashback Friday
Each Friday, a little piece of Bradley Corporation’s history will be showcased on our blog. Most of these flashback features will be fun, historic advertisements and catalog covers of Bradley products. Stay tuned each week for something different!