Collections Corner: Threading Through the Heat

“And so a number of soldiers are laying in wait for you in various places around the castle grounds. I will get them out of the way at least. Then you can sweep in and terrify us all with your sewing kit my lord.”

― Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales

Domestic Science (sewing) class at Lake Forest Park School, 1944
SHM Archives Photo 949

A common phrase is the "pen is mightier than the sword." However we can all attest the equal power of the thread and needle. 

Methods of textile production are found all across the globe from weaving to sewing. Figures like Arachne, Chih Nü, and Neith are powerful figures in world mythology that represent the power of joining threads to create textiles. 

Follow the needle forward to the 19th century and we have the creation of the Singer Corporation in 1851 that resulted in the popular treadle sewing machine.

Singer Sewing Machine, 1889-1891
SHM Permanent Collection

From SHM's collection we have our very own Singer Sewing Machine! Thanks to some dedicated research by our collection volunteer, Cindy Hadden, the machine is determined to be an VS2 (Vibrating Shuttle) mode manufactured between 1889-1891 in Elizabethport, New Jersey. 

Intricate Victorian designs swirl around both the machine and stand to additionally place the machine within this timeframe.

Despite the design being an visual indicator, the actual first clue to dating this sewing machine lies within the serial number, which can tell us information from both year and location of manufacture. Interestingly to note how this sewing machine made its way here!

--Robby Grillo, Collections Manager