The Hoover Suction Sweeper Company started manufacturing the first upright vacuum cleaner in the early 1900s, and by the 1930s, the Singer Company had introduced its own streamlined, up-to-the-minute De Luxe model. Promoted as a "full-sized vacuum of modern design," the machine featured a two-speed motor, an aluminum casing, a built-in light, and an automatic control in the handle that kept the cord off the floor. The vacuum also boasted a specially designed glass lens that concentrated "the light rays in front to facilitate thorough cleaning."