I igure 90. — Grant Brothers sewing machine, 

 1867. This machine was one of several styles that 

 utilized Raymond's 1861 patented chainstitch method. 

 This machine, however, used an under feed rather 

 than a top feed. 



Neither a name nor a date appears on the machine. 

 In the June 25, 1907, issue of the Sewing Machine 

 Times it was called the Common Sense machine, but 

 detailed research has turned up no evidence to sub- 

 stantiate this name. However, a dated brochure 

 advertising the Grant Brothers machine and showing 

 a model identical to that illustrated in the & 

 Machine limes has been found. The brochure states 

 that the machine made an elastic lockstitch; this was 

 not a true lockstitch, however, but was in fact a 

 simple chainstitch. 



Grant Brothers sold their machine, which had silver- 

 plated mountings, for $18; the price included hemmer, 

 Barnum's self-sewer, oilcan, screwdriver, clamp, 

 gauge, and four silver needles. An additional charge 

 of $\ 2 was made for a table and treadle. Compared to 

 other chainstitch machines the price was high, and 

 the company was short-lived. (Smithsonian photo 

 60794-E.) 



Figure 91. — Greenma.n and True sewing machine. 

 This lockstitch machine based on S. H. Roper's patent 

 of 1857 was manufactured at Norwich, Connecticut, 

 from 1859 to 1861 by Cyrus B. True, the inventor, 

 and Jared F. Greenman, True's financial partner. 

 Licensed by the "Combination" and carrying the 

 Howe patent date, the machine had obvious merit: it 

 was strong, well made — a good family machine. 

 Exhibited at the Ninth Exhibition of the Massachu- 

 setts Charitable Mechanics Association in September 

 1860, it received a bronze medal. (At this time the 

 company was listed as Morse and True — the inventor 

 had obviously taken on a second financial backer.) 

 Unfortunately, the best market for the machine lay 

 in the South, and the outbreak of the Civil War made 

 collections impossible. This greatly retarded business 

 and finally drove the firm into bankruptcy. In all, it is 

 doubtful that more than one thousand machines were 

 produced in the three years of manufacture. 



The machine illustrated is marked "Greenman and 

 True" and bears the serial number 402; it was prob- 

 ably manufactured early in 1860. (Smithsonian photo 

 48216-N.) 



