History of the Kirby Vacuum
The Kirby Vacuum is invented by Jim Kirby in 1907. Kirby vacuums became a direct sales item in the 1920s with door-to-door salesmen.
The First 20 Years
The Kirby Vauette was the first series, sold from 1919 to 1935. In 1925, convertible vacuums with detachable hoses were produced.
The Longest Series
The Model 500 series was produced from 1935 to 1957 with 15 different models. This would be the longest running series of Kirby vacuum.
From 1965 to 1981
The Duel-Sanitronic was the next notable series produced from 1965 to 1970. This was followed by the Kirby Classic sold from 1970 to 1981. The first disposable paper bag filters also arrived at this time.
The 1980s and 1990s
The Heritage vacuum started production in 1981, but was renamed "Legend II" in 1989. The G Series replaced it with a self-glide module for ease of control and a HEPA filter.
Into the 21st Century
The G series was replaced by the Diamond edition in 2003. The Sentria replaced the Diamond in 2006. These last two series use the HEPA filter technology.