WPA Singer 31-15

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10-27-2011, 02:56 AM

ndnchf

Junior Member

Thread Starter

Join Date: Aug 2011

Location: Virginia

Posts: 111

I thought I'd share a few photos of an unusual Singer 31-15 I recently found. It was clearly owned by the US governement Works Progress Administration (WPA). The WPA was a depression era federal organization designed to help put people back to work. It included many sewing projects. This machine was apparently used for that purpose. It has a brass tag soldered to the bed that says "WPA in Iowa" and a serial number. It is also clearly identifed as governement property by a rather blurry yellow stencil. I found it in a thrift shop in Virginia, but have no idea how it got here from Iowa. It is only the head, but it is all complete. It should clean up nicely.

The old WPA Singer 31-15 made in 1939.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]277704[/ATTACH]

The stencil appears to read "US Govt. Property WPA In Iowa"

[ATTACH=CONFIG]277705[/ATTACH]

The brass ID tag

[ATTACH=CONFIG]277706[/ATTACH]

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10-27-2011, 02:58 AM

Murphy

Super Member

Join Date: Oct 2010

Location: Iowa

Posts: 8,816

What a lovely, historical find. Thanks for sharing.

10-27-2011, 03:19 AM

miriam

Power Poster

Join Date: Mar 2011

Location: Somewhere

Posts: 15,506

those are nice taylor's machines - hook that up to an industrial motor and you have some serious sewing going on.

10-27-2011, 04:53 AM

Quilt Mom

Super Member

Join Date: Feb 2007

Location: Headed home

Posts: 2,372

Great find!!

Editted: I was just on another thread, and noticed there is another member with a 31-15. If you want to talk to another owner about the particular model, PM shelrox.