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Classic vacuum ads that might make you miss the 20th century

These ads had almost as much style as the vacuum cleaners they sold.

Leslie Gornstein
Leslie Gornstein is a senior editor with CBS Interactive. For the past two decades, she's covered consumer and B-to-B tech; biotech; entertainment and various other subjects that seemed interesting at the time. She's the author of The A-List Playbook (Skyhorse) and she lives in Los Angeles.
Leslie Gornstein
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1 of 16 Bissell

Dream in pink

In the 1960s, mothers and daughters always dreamed of pink vacuum cleaners. Obviously it's a true fact.

Here are the best vacuums of 2015.

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2 of 16 Electrolux

Hipster clean

The hip kids craved radio-like vacs circa 1968.

Read CNET's vacuum cleaner buying guide.

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3 of 16 Black & Decker

Busting dust

Dustbusters debuted around 1979, along with these festive ads.

Here are the best vacuums of 2015.

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4 of 16 Hoover

Holiday vac

Many ads of the 1950s had a recurring theme: housewives craving a shiny vacuum cleaner for Christmas.

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5 of 16 Hoover

Depression era

Babies always sell –- a tenet that has worked well for advertisers since at least the Depression Era.

Here are the best vacuums of 2015.

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6 of 16 Electrolux

Mad for vacuums

"Mad Men" fans might see Betty and little Sally Draper in this ad from the early 1960s.

Read CNET's vacuum cleaner buying guide.

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7 of 16 Frantz Premier

Early ad

The early 20th century was all about getting work done before 10 a.m., apparently.

Here are the best vacuums of 2015.

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8 of 16 Hoover

Clean lines

The stripped-down aesthetics of 1950s hepcat fashion seeped in vacuum cleaner ads of the same era.

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9 of 16 Eureka

Ads meet propaganda

Hitler was no match for Eureka in 1943.

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10 of 16 Hoover

Pops of color

Psychedelic colors found their way into this ad from the mid-1960s.

Here are the best vacuums of 2015.

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11 of 16 Hamilton Beach

Jazz Age shine

The 1920s were all about making sure that dance floor stayed party-ready.

Read CNET's vacuum cleaner buying guide.

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12 of 16 Electrolux

It's a pleasure

This ad from the 1960s focused on ease of use.

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13 of 16 Eureka

Brave little vacuums

Wartime advertisers linked their products to the unbeatable American spirit.

Here are the best vacuums of 2015.

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14 of 16 Hoover

Sleek

This campaign from the mid-1940s looks more like a car ad.

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15 of 16 Hoover

Postwar relief

Once World War II ended, America was back to focusing on the home -- and, apparently, how clean it could get.

Here are the best vacuums of 2015.

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16 of 16 GE

Fashion-friendly

General Electric let America know their vacuums would complement the small-waisted Dior silhouette of the mid-1950s.

Read CNET's vacuum cleaner buying guide.

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