Figure 111. — N'ettleton & Raymond sewing machine. 

 One of the most ornate of the early, small, hand-turned 

 sewing machines was patented and manufactured by Will- 

 ford H. Nettleton and Charles Raymond whose first patent 

 was received on April 14, 1857. The patent model, believed 

 to be a commercial machine, is beautifully silver-plated. 

 Whether this was a special one-of-a-kind model, or whether 

 tin- inventors tried to make a commercial success of a silver- 

 plated machine is not known. The machine made a two- 

 thread chainstitch. taking both threads from commercial 

 spools. By October 1857, the inventors had received their 

 second patent. This time the machine was brass and gilt — 

 brighter, but less expensive. At the same time, Nettleton & 



Raymond began manufacturing sewing-shears machines 

 under the patent of J. E. Hendricks. 



By the latter half of 1858. Nettleton & Raymond had 

 moved from Bristol, Connecticut, to Brattleboro, Vermont. 

 The patented improvement of the two-thread chainstitch 

 machine received that year was in the name of "Raymond, 

 assignor to Nettleton." although the machines of this type 

 bear neither name nor patent date. No record of the price 

 for which they were sold has been found, but it would be 

 fair to estimate that it was probably about $25. This style of 

 machine was discontinued when the manufacture of the 

 simpler, more profitable New England model began, a 

 machine that Raymond had initiated just before the part- 

 ners left Bristol. (Smithsonian photo 45505-E.) 



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