Our radiator covers were manufactured by the Hart & Hutchinson Company of New Britain, Connecticut.  They offered a full complement of cabinet radiators covers, bathroom cabinet and recessed radiators and covers.  The heat carrying units were designed using a copper fin design and advertised that the cabinets and fin mechanism were 15% smaller than the cast iron version popular at the time. With removable top and an enclosed unit, these new models were advertised to be cleaner and more efficient than the current technology. In the 1931 catalog, the cabinet was presented as, “…The design is of modern type, yet not intrusive. Note the ribbed front and new patterned front grill, also the neatly molded top and legs.”

The Type W Concealed Radiator units that are installed on the first floor of our homes were a departure from typical methods of heating. Able to be installed in 4” or 6”, interior or exterior walls, personal comfort was no longer a deterrent to residential aesthetics. The catalog indicates that covers can be had with a grate design at the top and bottom or with an open bottom, like that which are on our covers.

Today, in a world of forced-air heating, it is difficult to understand the relevance of advances in steam heat. It is difficult to appreciate that we have what was then, state of the art heating. Regardless, they remain as useful and visually interesting as when they were installed