This 1906 Landers, Frary, & Clark electric toaster has two flaps that fold down so that you can turn pieces of bread over by hand to toast both sides. (From the Wythe County Historical Society collections)
Prior to 1905, fire was the main way to toast bread, but engineer Albert Marsh figured out a way to toast bread using nickel and chromium. He called it the Nichrome. The invention was easily shaped into wires or strips and was low in electrical conductivity. Soon after, General Electric produced the D-12 model toaster consisting of a cage-like design with a single heating element. Many homes at this time had limited access to electrical power, so the toaster was only used in restaurants. Due to limited electricity, toasters were not available during daylight hours! I guess that meant no toast with butter and jam at breakfast!