Contents 



Preface vii 



Acknowledgments viii 



1. Early Efforts 1 



2. Elements of a Successful Machine. . . . 17 



3. The "Sewing-Machine Combination" 39 



4. Less Expensive Machines 43 



Appendixes 55 



I. Notes on the Development and Commercial Use of the Sewing 



Machine 57 



II. American Sewing-Machine Companies of the 19th Century 65 



III. Chronological List of U.S. Sewing-Machine Patent Models in the 



Smithsonian Collections 125 



IV. 19th-century Sewing Machine Leaflets in the Smithsonian Collec- 



tions 134 



V. A Brief History of Cotton Thread . . . ... 135 



VI. Biographical Sketches 137 



Bibliography 1 44 



Indexes 147 



Geographical Index to Companies Listed in Appendix II 149 



Alphabetical Index to Patentees Listed in Appendix III 151 



General Index to Chapters 1-4 155 



