Figure 21. — Blodgett & Lerow sewing machine. 

 1850, stamped with the legend "Goddard. Rice & 

 Co.. Makers, Worcester, Mass." and the serial 

 number 37. Below: An original brass plate marked 

 "No. 38"; this plate fits the machine perfei tly. 

 (Smithsonian photo 48440 E; brass plate: 

 48440-J.) 



machines was greatly increased at home and abroad. 

 Elias took this opportunity to gain entry into the 

 manufacturing business by persuading Amasa to 

 let him build a factory at Bridgeport, Connecticut, 

 and manufacture the (Amasa) Howe machines. 

 Two years passed before the factory was completed, 

 and Amasa's agents were discouraged. The loss 

 could have been regained, but the machines produced 

 at Bridgeport were not of the quality of the earlier 

 machines. Amasa attempted to rebuild the Bridge- 

 port machines, but finally abandoned them and 

 resumed manufacturing machines in Xew York 

 under his own immediate supervision. 45 Elias formed 

 his own company and continued to manufacture 

 sewing machines. In 1867 he requested a second 

 extension of his patent, but the request was refused. 

 Elias Howe died in October of the same year. 



Meanwhile, another important sewing machine 

 of a different principle had also been patented in 

 1849. This was the machine of Sherburne G. 



Blodgett, a tailor by trade, who was supported 

 financially by John A. Lerow. United States patent 

 6,766 was issued to both men on October 2. 1849. 

 In the patent, the machine was termed as "our 

 new 'Rotary Sewing Machine'." The shuttle move- 

 ment was continuous, revolving in a circle, rather 

 than reciprocating as in the earlier machines. Auto- 

 matic tension was initiated, restraining the slick 

 thread from interference with the point of the needle. 

 The Blodgett and Lerow machine was built by 

 several shops. One of the earliest was the shop of 

 ( )rson C. Phelps on Harvard Place in Boston. Phelps 

 took the Blodgett and Lerow machine to the sixth 

 exhibition of the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanics 

 Association in September 1850 and won a silver 

 medal and this praise, "This machine performed 

 admirably; it is an exceedingly ingenious and com- 

 pact machine, able to perform tailor's sewing beauti- 

 fullv and thoroughly." 4a Although Phelps had 



Sewing Machine Journal (July 1887), pp. 93-94. 



46 Report of the Sixth Exhibition of the Massachusetts Charitable 



Mechanics Association, in t/ie City of Boston, September 1850 (Boston, 

 1850). 



25 



