Singer Sewing Machine, 1881
Add to SetSummary
Before the sewing machine, making clothing was a time-consuming task. By hand, sewing a shirt took about 14 hours; with a machine, a little over an hour. Isaac Singer developed the first practical sewing machine for home use in the 1850s. Yet it was the Singer company's marketing strategies--an installment plan, advertising aimed at women, and foreign sales-- that would be its greatest innovation.
Before the sewing machine, making clothing was a time-consuming task. By hand, sewing a shirt took about 14 hours; with a machine, a little over an hour. Isaac Singer developed the first practical sewing machine for home use in the 1850s. Yet it was the Singer company's marketing strategies--an installment plan, advertising aimed at women, and foreign sales-- that would be its greatest innovation.
Artifact
Sewing machine (Equipment)
Date Made
1881
![Henry Ford Museum](https://www.thehenryford.org/images/default-source/on-exhibit/henry-ford-museum.jpg?Status=Master&sfvrsn=f4a32201_4)
On Exhibit
at Henry Ford Museum in Made in America
Object ID
31.765.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Dimensions
Height: 39.25 in
Width: 35 in
Depth: 16.75 in