Figure 121. — Singer "Traverse Shuttle 

 Machine — Letter A." (Smithsonian 

 photo 58984. J 



Figures 121 and 122. — Singer sewing machines. From 

 1850 to 1858 the Singer company produced heavy manu- 

 facturing-type sewing machines similar to the patent model 

 shown earlier (fig. 28). The first machine for family use, 

 Singer's new "Family" sewing machine (fig. 33) was 

 manufactured from 1858-1861. Their second-style family 

 machine was called the "Traverse Shuttle Machine — Letter 

 A;" it was manufactured from 1859 to 1865, when they 

 introduced their third family machine and called it the 

 "New Family" sewing machine. This style machine con- 

 tinued until about 1883 when the "Improved Family" 

 machine appeared. In addition to the lockstitch machines. 

 Singer also manufactured chainstitch machines, and many 

 highly specialized manufacturing machines. 



From 1857 through the 1880s, the Singer machines were 

 marked with two serial numbers. It is possible that the 

 numbers were related to the "Combination" royalties paid 

 by the Singer company. Until about 1873 there was a 

 difference of exactly 4,000 in the two numbers, thus one 

 machine would be marked 12163 and directly below it 

 would be marked 16163. From 1873 the last three digits of 

 the two numbers continued to be the same but the lower 

 number might be much lower in value than either number 

 used in earlier years. The larger number is believed to have 

 been a record of total production while the lower number 

 may have referred to a machine of a particular style. The 

 Singer company records can shed no light on the meaning of 

 the top (or lower of the two) serial numbers. Generally, in 

 the earlier machines, the difference in the two numbers will 

 not affect the dating of a machine by more than one year. 



Mine dating l>\ serial number can only be estimated, the 

 two numbers do not add an appreciable variable prior to 

 1873. Only the larger number, however, should be con- 

 sidered in dating machines after 1873. 



Since records of annual production from 1877 to the turn 

 of the century are not complete, it is difficult to establish 

 yearly approximations. Using the machines submitted as 

 patent models, and thus known to have been manufactured 

 before the date of deposit, however, has provided us with 

 the following date guides. By 1877 there had been 2 million 

 machines manufactured. 3 million by 1880, 4 million by 

 1882. 5 million by 1884, 6 million by 1886, 7 million by 

 1888. 8 million by 1889, 9 million by 1890, and 10 million 

 by 1891. 



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