The Invention of the Sewing Machine Part 13

Williams & Orvis Williams & Orvis Sewing ca. 1859 after 1860 Machine Co., Boston, Ma.s.s.

Wilson (fig. 89) Wilson (W.G.) Sewing ca.1867 after 1885 (_see_ Buckeye) Machine Co., Cleveland, Ohio

Windsor (one thread) Vermont Arms Co., 1856 1858 Windsor, Vt.

Windsor Lamson, Goodnow & Yale, 1859 1861 (_see_ Clark's Windsor, Vt.

Revolving Looper)

Name Unknown John W. Beane 1853 --

" Henry Brind 1860 --

" Garfield Sewing Machine 1881 -- Co.

" Geneva Sewing Machine 1880 -- Co.

" Gove & Howard 1855 --

" Charles W. Howland, ca. 1860 -- Wilmington, Del.

" Miles Greenwood & Co., ca. 1861 -- Cincinnati, Ohio

" Hood, Batelle & Co. 1854 1854

" Wells & Haynes 1854 1854

" Wilson H. Smith, ca. 1860 -- Birmingham, Conn.

[A] Still in existence.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 68.--AMERICAN b.u.t.tONHOLE, Overseaming & Sewing Machine of about 1870. Using serial numbers, these machines can be dated approximately as follows: 1-7792, 1869; 7793-22366, 1870; 22367-42488, 1871; 42489-61419, 1872; 61420-75602, 1873; 75603-89132, 1874; 89133-103539, 1875; and 103540-121477, 1876. Figures are not available for the years from 1877 to 1886. (Smithsonian photo 46953-E.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 69.--(NEW) AMERICAN SEWING MACHINE of about 1874.

Ill.u.s.tration is from a contemporary advertising brochure. (Smithsonian photo 33507.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 70.--AMERICAN MAGNETIC SEWING MACHINE, 1854.

Machines of this type were manufactured for only two years under the patent of Thomas C. Thompson, March 29, 1853, and later under the patents of Samuel J. Parker, April 11, 1854, and Simon c.o.o.n, May 9, 1854. On September 30, 1853, Elias Howe listed receipts of $1000 from the American Magnetic Sewing Machine Co. for patent infringement. The machines manufactured after that date carry the Howe name and 1846 patent date to show proper licensing. Judging by Howe's usual license fee of $25 per machine, about 40 machines were manufactured prior to September 1853. The company was reported to have made about 600 machines in 1854 before it went out of business. The only American Magnetic machine known to be in existence is in the collection of the Northern Indiana Historical Society at South Bend, Indiana. (_Photo courtesy of the Northern Indiana Historical Society._)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 71.--ATLANTIC SEWING MACHINE, 1869. This machine is typical of the many varieties manufactured for a very short time in the 1860s and 1870s. It is about the size of the average hand-turned variety, 8 by 10 inches, but lighter in weight. The frame design was the patent of L. Porter, May 11, 1869, and the mechanism was patented by Alonzo Porter, February 8, 1870. The latter patent model bears the painted legend "Atlantic" and is stamped "Aprl 1, 69," indicating that it was probably already in commercial production. This date possibly may refer also to L. Porter's design patent, since actual date of issue was usually later than date of application. (Smithsonian photo 48329-A.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 72.--A. BARTHOLF SEWING MACHINE, 1853. Abraham Bartholf of New York began manufacturing Blodgett & Lerow machines (see fig. 20) about 1850; the style and mechanics of these machines, however, were primarily those of the Blodgett & Lerow patent as manufactured by O. C. Phelps and G.o.ddard, Rice & Co. For this reason they are considered Blodgett & Lerow--not Bartholf--machines.

The true Bartholf machine evolved when the manufacturer subst.i.tuted Howe's reciprocating shuttle for the rotary shuttle of the Blodgett & Lerow machine, continuing to manufacture the machine in his own adapted style. Bartholf manufactured reciprocating-shuttle machines as early as 1853, and his was one of the first companies licensed by Howe.

All Bartholf machines licensed under Howe's patent carry the Howe name and patent date. They are sometimes mistakenly referred to as Howe machines, but they are no more Howe machines than those manufactured by Wheeler & Wilson, Singer, or many others.

On April 6, 1858, Bartholf was granted a patent for an improvement of the shuttle carrier. He continued to manufacture sewing machines under the name "Bartholf Sewing Machine Co." until about 1865.

Using serial numbers, Bartholf machines can be dated approximately as follows:

_Serial Number_ _Year_

1-20 1850 21-50 1851 51-100 1852 101-235 1853 236-290 1854 291-321 1855 322-356 1856 357-387 1857 388-590 1858 591-1337 1859

No record of the number of machines produced by Bartholf after 1859 is available.

The Bartholf machine ill.u.s.trated bears the serial number 128 and the inscription "A. Bartholf Manfr., NY--Patented Sept. 1846 E. Howe, Jr."

This machine is in the collection of the Baltimore County Historical Society. Note the close similarity between it and the 1850 Blodgett & Lerow machine manufactured by Bartholf. (_Photo courtesy of the Baltimore County Historical Society._)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 73.--BARTLETT SEWING MACHINE, 1867. The Bartlett machine was first manufactured in 1866 under the January 31, 1865, and October 10, 1865, patents of Joseph W. Bartlett. The machines were made by Goodspeed & Wyman for the Bartlett Co. and were so marked. The inventor received another patent on April 7, 1868, and later machines carry this third date also. Although the first few hundred machines did not bear the dates of patents held by the "Combination," before the end of the first year of production Bartlett was paying royalties. He continued to manufacture sewing machines until the early seventies when he converted to the manufacturing of street lamps.

Using serial numbers, Bartlett's machines can be dated approximately as follows: 1-1000, 1866; 1001-3126, 1867; 3127-?, 1868. There is no record of serial numbers for the succeeding years. (Smithsonian photo 45524-G.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 74.--BARTRAM & FANTON SEWING MACHINE, 1867. These machines were first manufactured in 1867 under the patents of W. B.

Bartram, notably his patent of January 1, 1867. Three machines were exhibited at The Eleventh Exhibition of the Ma.s.sachusetts Charitable Mechanics a.s.sociation in 1869 where they were awarded a bronze medal.

They were compared favorably to the Willc.o.x & Gibbs machine (see fig.

39), which they resembled. Bartram received additional patents in the early seventies and also manufactured lockst.i.tch machines.

Using serial numbers, machines may be approximately dated as follows: 1-2958, 1867; 2959-3958, 1868; 3959-4958, 1869; 4959-5958, 1870; 5959-6962, 1871; 6963-7961, 1872; 7962-8961, 1873; and 8962-9211, 1874.

(Smithsonian photo P63198.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 75.--BECKWITH SEWING MACHINE, 1871. Among the inventors whose patent claims were "to produce a cheap and effective sewing machine" was William G. Beckwith. His machine was first manufactured by Barlow & Son, and it realized considerable success in the few years of its production. The earliest model was operated like a pair of scissors or with a cord and ring as ill.u.s.trated. Beckwith later added a hand crank. The machine was purchased in Crewe, Ches.h.i.+re, England; it is stamped "Pat. April 18, 71 by Wm. G. Beckwith, Foreign Pats. Secured, Barlow & Son Manuf. N.Y., [serial number] 706." By 1874 the machines were marked "Beckwith S.M. Co." and two 1872 patent dates were added.

Using serial numbers, machines may be dated approximately as follows: 1-3500, 1871; 3501-7500, 1872; 7501-12500, 1873; 12501-18000, 1874; 18001-23000, 1875; 23001-?, 1876. (Smithsonian photo 46953-C.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 76.--BOUDOIR SEWING MACHINE, 1858. This machine, a single-thread, chainst.i.tch model was based on the patents of Daniel Harris, dated June 9, 1857, June 16, 1857, and October 5, 1858.

Manufactured primarily by Bennett in Chicago in 1859, it also may have been produced in the East, although no manufacturer's name can be found.

In 1860, the Boudoir, also called Harris's Patent sewing machine, was exhibited at the Ma.s.sachusetts Charitable Mechanics a.s.sociation Exhibition where it won a silver medal for "its combination of parts, its beauty and simplicity, together with its ease of operation." At this time the machine was described as making a "double lock st.i.tch" (another name for the double chainst.i.tch). It was also described as having been before the public for some time and combining "the improvements of others for which the parties pay license." The machine head was positioned on the stand similarly to that of the West & Willson (fig.

127) and st.i.tched from left to right.

It is not known exactly how many of these machines were made or how long they were in vogue. Manufacture, although probably ceasing in the 1860s, is known to have been discontinued before 1881, when a list of obsolete sewing machines was published in _The Sewing Machine News_. (Smithsonian photo P63199.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 77.--(NEW) BUCKEYE SEWING MACHINE of about 1875.

The Buckeye machine was one of several manufactured by W. G. Wilson of Cleveland, Ohio. It was licensed under Johnson's extended patent of April 18, 1867. Although it was small and hand turned, it used two threads and a shuttle to form a lockst.i.tch. The machine was sufficiently popular for Wilson to introduce an improved model in the early 1870s, which he called the New Buckeye. W. G. Wilson continued to manufacture sewing machines until about the mid-eighties, although the Buckeye machines were discontinued in the seventies. (Smithsonian photo 45524-A.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 78.--CENTENNIAL SEWING MACHINE, 1876. The Centennial machine was basically a McLean and Hooper sewing machine which was renamed to take advantage of the coming Centennial celebration. It was based on the patents of J. N. McLean, March 30, 1869, and August 2, 1870, and made a two-thread chainst.i.tch. Only about five hundred Centennial machines were manufactured in 1873, but by 1876 over three thousand had been constructed. The machines were advertised on white circulars which were printed in red and blue, and engraved with two women sewing, one by hand, labeled "Sewing in 1776," and one at a Centennial sewing machine, labeled "Sewing in 1876." There is no record that the machines were made after 1876. (Smithsonian photo 48216-T.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 79.--CLARK'S Revolving-Looper double-thread sewing machine, 1860. This machine was manufactured by Lamson, Goodnow, & Yale of Windsor, Vermont. It was an attempt to improve on the combined ideas of the Grover and Baker machine, the Nettleton & Raymond machine, and the earlier single-thread Windsor machine. The improvements were made and patented by Edwin Clark on December 6, 1859. Widely advertised, the machines sold for $35 with a foot-power table. They could also be operated by hand. Over three thousand were manufactured and sold, and preparations were being made to continue manufacture of the earlier single-thread Windsor, originally made by the company's predecessor, Vermont Arms Co., when the Civil War broke out. A flood of arms orders arrived, and the sewing-machine manufacture was discontinued early in the summer of 1861. The sewing-machine equipment and business was sold to Grout & White of Ma.s.sachusetts. (Smithsonian photo 48216.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 80.--DU LANEY SEWING MACHINE of about 1872. Most of the small, simple, chainst.i.tch sewing machines of this period were constructed so that they could either be turned by hand or set into a treadle-powered table. Du Laney's Little Monitor, manufactured for only a few years, was based on the patents of G.L. Du Laney, July 3, 1866, and May 2, 1871. It was a two-thread, chainst.i.tch machine powered only by a foot treadle. By simple adjustment, the machine could also make the cablest.i.tch and the lockst.i.tch. (Smithsonian photo 48221-C.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 81.--EUREKA SEWING MACHINE, 1859. An example of the many short-lived types of which no written record can be found, this particular machine was used as a patent model for certain minor improvements in 1859. It has the name "Eureka" painted on the top and the following inscription incised on the baster plate: "Eureka Shuttle S. M. Co. 469 Broadway, N.Y." Although it is a shuttle machine, it carries no patent dates and was not included in the Howe royalty records. Neither is it listed in the obsolescence list published in 1881. The company probably could not pay its royalty fees and was forced out of business almost immediately. If this machine had not been used as a patent model, no record of the company's existence might remain. It should be noted that as in most shuttle machines the head was meant to be set into a treadle-powered table. Since most tables are very similar, they are not required for identification. (Smithsonian photo 48328-C.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 82.--M. FINKLE SEWING MACHINE, 1857. The M. Finkle machines were manufactured in 1856 and 1857. Sometime before or about 1859, the inventor, Milton Finkle, formed a partners.h.i.+p and the machines were subsequently called M. Finkle & Lyon and later simply Finkle & Lyon. In 1859 the machine was awarded a silver medal by the American Inst.i.tute for producing superior manufacturing and family lockst.i.tch sewing machines. It also won a silver medal in Boston in 1860 at the Ma.s.sachusetts Charitable Mechanics a.s.sociation Exhibition. Although the name of the machine was changed to Victor in 1867, the company name remained Finkle & Lyon until about 1872 when it was changed to Victor also. Victor machines were manufactured until about 1890.

Machines can be dated by their serial number approximately as follows:

_Serial Number_ _Year_