SteveH

So, when you make friends with folks who deal in the upper rare air of the sewing machine collection world, you have to expect to see some pretty amazing things. I really have seen some pretty amazing machines whose photos were shared with me over the last few years..... Many I was asked not to share because the new owners request it be that way.

Last night however, I got to see a piece of history and our knowledge of the past change before my eyes.

In 1851 Singer produced his first working lockstitch sewing machine, the #1
(mostly meant for commercial sales)

In 1858 Singer made the Family Machine later known as the "Turtleback" It was the FIRST sewing machine to be sold with an iron treadle base (IVY pattern) and the first intended specifically for the domestic market.

This machine was not a very good machine. It was expensive and difficult to operate. The legend is (because I cannot currently find documentation to prove it) that Singer knew this and to protect his future reputation, he offered a 100% trade-in value to owners when the new "Letter A" machine came out. Singer tried to collect all of them back and he destroyed them. Melted them down...

There are 4-5 of these left around the world in museums and there were THREE known to be in private collections.

Until last night...

NOW there are 4 in private collectors hands, because this previously not documented machine was just discovered in a mid-west collection and has been already sold (OH SO NOT TO ME) by my friend Mike!!!!

With permission from Wolfegangs Collectibles:

A 1858 Singer Family Machine (Turtleback) on Ivy Treadle.
(Made 5 years BEFORE Singer was incorporated as a company)

[ATTACH=CONFIG]534828[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]534829[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]534830[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]534831[/ATTACH]

Just wow..... I hope folks don't mind me sharing this.

J Miller

Oh my, we absolutely want you to share these pics. That might not have been a very good sewing machine, but as an example it's gorgeous.


Joe

Rodney

That's a beautiful machine! The condition is amazing too. I love the stand. It looks like it was a difficult casting to make. I can see why they didn't keep that design long. The machine does look pretty delicate with all the springs on top.
Singer's return policy made perfect sense from the standpoint of wanting to sell new machines but it is regrettable today.
Rodney

SteveH

details like:

the ends of the slide plate... yikes....
the little wood moldings around the base of the machine Yikes!

Mickey2

Sometimes I wish we could have some art nouveau floral cast iron and nice polished wood pieces made in 2015! I just can't see it in relation to my laptop or so called smart phone. Has to be in furniture, garden gate or something. 1858 is even pre art nouveau, a bit of historisism maybe.

sewbeadit

What a specimen! Amazing how well it has been kept all of these years. So did it go into a museum? Wonder how this one was missed if it was in someone's collection. Love the pictures, for most of us down in the un rarified air without these cool pictures we would not ever be able to see such a fine piece, thank you for letting us see the pics.

Quincunx

So we started out centered on the needle, sewing front to back. . .wonder why it changed from sewing right to left, on some machines. Very interesting!

aronel

I agree with Joe and Rodney. Beautiful! Thanks for sharing!

SteveH

My research indicates that in the early days folks were striving for differentiation from their competitors. Since no body could say "this is the one true way" they were all trying to find a unique method that would let theirs out sell the competition. By the 1880's they had pretty much settled on what we have today for layout and if you wanted to compete you had to do it the "normal" way.

In the 1850's - 1870's sewing machines were still considered strange contraptions and the more a customer could look at a machine and feel familiar with it, the less salesmanship was needed to make a sale.

Companies like Grover & Baker were steadfast in the use of their two unique thread double chainstitch, even though almost no one else did, and it caused their downfall. Singer really figured out quickly that you needed to make custom machines for some uses and common and recognizable machines for most.

NJ Quilter

WOW! Sorry I can't add anything more than that. Amazing.