1858 Patent
Williams & Orvis Treadle Sewing Machine
This Williams and Orvis antique
treadle
sewing machine was first patented in 1858. Williams & Orvis was a Boston-based
company that manufactured sewing machines for just a few short years from 1858
to the mid 1860's. The machine was produced in two models with this being
the first model.A patent from 1858 would date this machine as one of the first generation of sewing machine patented and produced in the US. This information can be found in the book on antique sewing machines by Grace Rogers Cooper published by the Smithsonian in the 70's. Additional info can be found in the book on antique sewing machines by Carter Bays.
Very few examples of this machine have survived and I would venture few in as nice condition as this one. This example has a serial # 2912. Carter bays in his book postulates that no more than 7,000 or so of both models were made and that fewer of the first model appear or have survived. This sewing machine body and bed still retains much of the gold gilt decoration that is so often worn off of these early
sewing machines. The black japanned finish is near 100%. The
manufacturer's name and location in the gold lettering are near complete on
the top of the bed. The stitch plate is clearly marked "Patent Applied
For" which I believe would date this from very early in the production period.
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The machines finish is in such nice condition due to the fact that the wooden hood or cover has remained intact with the machine. The cover and table are in original finish which is overall very nice. There are some scuffs and a cosmetic crack in the walnut top cover, but it is minor. There are also some minor scratches in the table top. This sewing machine has spent its life in a controlled climate, and not in an old barn in New England like so many machines that are found. This sewing machine features a fairly unique design that sews a chain stitch using two threads. Most other
machines
from this era sewed a single thread chain stitch, and machines that utilized
a bobbin and sewed a lock stitch had not yet been introduced. The
form is especially striking because of it's petite size.
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This antique treadle sewing machine is also unusual in that it is friction-driven, utilizing a large flywheel that is mounted underneath the table to drive the smaller wheel at the bottom of the machine. The flywheel presses against a rubber 0 ring that is fastened directly to the machine's small drive-wheel. (rubber 0 ring missing) Most other and later sewing machines were driven with a belt to a small flywheel above the table and attached to the end of the sewing machine.
The decorative cast iron treadle looks good, but has been refinished at some point in time. There is a casting crack in one lower leg that has been welded / braised and then was repainted. It looks great from the outside, but upon inspection the inside of this leg shows where the repair was made.
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This is a very rare and hard-to-find early American patented sewing machine in outstanding condition. Highly recommended and this opportunity will knock but once!!!
SSC-WOSM-1
Excellent . . . . . . $4950.00 SPECIAL SALE PRICE $4,200.00
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Now
Grey Patent 1857
"Ne Plus Ultra" Sewing Machine This
is the rarest sewing machine listed on these pages. It was patented in
1857 by Joshua Grey of Boston Mass.
The 1857 patent # 16566 can be
seen here.
Carter Bays has two later versions of this type
sewing machine pictured in his book on early American sewing machines,
but fails to identify the patentee or give much other information about it.
In
Grace Coopers book on early sewing machines there is a bit more info, but again speaks about later
sewing machines and mis-identifies the patent holder of the early machine she pictures as
having been patented by O. L. Reynolds because her machine is missing
the brass baster plate that has the patent info on it in front of the needle
that this sewing machine has. The sewing machine shown in her book is
serial # 110 and she says it was made before a later one she mentions that carries a later March
30th 1858 patent date. The 1858 patent shows machines w/ a different style
base, similar to those machines pictured in Bays' book.
This machine is
serial #21, and has the earlier, and correct patent info on the baster plate
that the sewing machine
Cooper pictures is missing. The patentees name and
date are earlier and different from any of the info she gives. Mr. Grey,
the patent holder of this machine, is not mentioned in either Bays or Cooper's book.
I assume Mr. Grey ran out of money and sold the rights to O. L. Reynolds, who
later re-submitted the patent with some small changes or "improvement" .
You can read
his 1858 patent # 19793 here.
That, I believe,
makes this the earliest known and one of but a handful of this rare patented
sewing machine
that has ever turned up.
The machine has almost no finish
on it, but is not heavily rusted or pitted. It actually looks quite nice .
One small piece of one paw foot has some damage as shown in the pics.
The main arm driving the needle bar in the rear has a proper and period looking
repair along the lenth of that.. The rear of the machine is
open by designs and is correct as shown. It has a
great action and sound to it as it click clacks away when the crank is turned. The
thread catch and looper mechanism below the base are all present and operate as
they should.
It is a very crude but elegant design solution to picking up and sewing a
chain stitch. The spool pin is missing, and every machine I have seen has a
different style, so replacing that will be an easy fix.
A rare opportunity!! Highly recommended!!
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RB-GREYPAT-1
Good . . . . . . . . $4950.00 SPECIAL SALE PRICE $4000
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Howe
1860's - 1870's Mother of Pearl Decorated Sewing Machine
Elias Howe is one of the three big names in the early development of and
granting of patents to, for sewing machines. There are numerous
bio's about him and his accomplishments to be found on the internet and in
other research that has been done on him.
This machine dates from the
late 1860's / 1870's and is a transitional piece, different from his earliest
ideas, but also different from the later 1800's machines that were produced
in huge numbers. The sliding shuttle plate is marked with 3 patents
dates from the 1850's through the 1860's. The large bronze
plaque with his likeness on it is very nice and graphic. The machine
turns over easily, and is in overall nice condition with losses to the paint
and decoration as one would expect. A nice machine that has a
great look.
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LCM-1870-HOWE
Good +. . . . . . . $295.00
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Antique Pawfoot Sewing Machine The condition of
this machine is incredible. The paint and decoration are all original
and near 100%. This style machine is generically called the Paw Foot,
or Fire Hydrant.. This type of early sewing machine forms a single thread chain stitch, utilizing no bobbin or second thread
to form a lockstitch.
These sewing machines can be found marked "Ketchum's Patent",
which would cover the stitch mechanism, or they can also be found marked "Shaw & Clark" or "Wilson", just
two of the many competitors in the early sewing machine market. Antique
Sewing Machines of this style date from the mid
1860's / 1870's and were still being produced into the late 1870's before more standardized and advanced designs
pushed them from the market. Many of these machines are found with no maker or patent information on them,
and this example is one of the unmarked ones. They are often described by the shape of the pillar or column,
and this one would be known as a fire hydrant model. It was a popular
design, and there are several other variations of it that can be found.
Other typically seen styles are the fluted column model, the skinny column,
the open or closed square column, and others. The operation and design of
all are pretty much the same.
Their attractive designs make them highly sought after, but they are typically found
in horrible condition with little remaining paint. This example on the other hand is quite nice with
approximately nearly all of the original paint and decoration remaining. A nice machine that has a
great look.
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ALA-PAWFT
Fine. . . . . . . $995.00
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Larry & Carole Meeker