YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Today in Flashback, Brooke Testa, curatorial assistant for the Mahoning Valley Historical Society, shows us a Wardway Electric Gyrator washing machine — an innovative appliance that eased the burden of laundry for domestic servants in the early 20th century.

On display in the “Behind the Scenes: The Servants of Wick Avenue” exhibit at the Arms Family Museum, the machine featured a six- to eight-sheet capacity, agitator and soft rubber rollers to wring out water.