They used hand irons for pressing their clothes, they could be put straight onto gas flame, stove plate heat, or in this case the modern iron by electricity.  Henry W Seely palented the electric iron in 1882.

The Electric iron 

 Henry W Seely of NYC patented the electric iron, on June the 6th 1882 then it was called the electric flat iron.  This iron used a carbon arc to make heat but was not safe.  In 1892 they introduced electrical resistance by Crompton &Co, and the General Electric Company. In the early 1950's electric stream irons were introduced.

Mrs Potts Sad Irons inventedPotts Removable Handle Iron.

Antique Pressing Irons

Smoothing stones has been used since the 8th & 9th century these were known as the earliest westerern ironing devices, they looked like large mushroons

Fluting & Gas pressing Irons

Also there were gas pressing Irons which I will put on my photo page.