Inventarnummer
81/58/1-2
Hersteller
Beschreibung
Please note that this object no longer forms part of the Museum of English Rural Life collection, and so cannot be accessed at our institution.
This is a Willcox and Gibbs sewing machine. Contained in a wooden box. The metal machine is painted black with gold decoration and sits on a wooden base. The machine produces a chain stitch. The machine was manufactured in the USA and the hand wheel was produced at Coalbrookdale near Telford. The object is part of the Barnett Collection. DEACCESSIONED.
Physische Beschaffenheit
1 sewing machine and 1 box: wood, metal
Bestandsgeschichte
MERL 'Handwritten accession' form (Institute of Agricultural History) – 'Standard museum name: Sewing machine // Accession number: 81/58 // Classification: // Negative number: // Acquisition method: // Acquired from, date: Barnett Collection // Store: // Condition: // Recorder, date: DJE, 23.7.81 // Description: Willcox and Gibbs sewing machine company New York London Paris // JEA Gibbs patent June 2 57 ... Under Royal Letters Patent James Willcox July 4 1871. Contained in wooden box. // Dimensions: // Associated information: 'Automatic silent sewing machine' for family sewing. Business established 1859. Advantages: automatic tension, self-registering stitch indicator (showing no. of stitches to the inch), machine is noiseless. 'Special purposes:- millinery, gloves, frillings, neckwear'. This was the most popular and most reliable of the many chainstitch machines. // References: Willcox and Gibbs' booklets (3) // G Rogers Cooper, The Sewing Machine, Washington DC 1976, p123 // Barnett Catalogue No. 9.', Citation in publication [E.J. Barnett, ‘Sewing machines: a catalogue of the Barnett collection’ ([Reading]: University of Reading, 1982] – ‘9 // Willcox and Gibbs machine // The story of the invention of this popular type of chain-stitch machine is remarkable. In 1855 James Gibbs, a Virginian farmer, saw a wood-engraving of a Grover and Baker machine (no. 1 [81/73]) in a newspaper advertisement and was curious to know how it could sew. The mechanism below the table was not visible and it did not occur to Gibbs that were was an underthread. He thereupon conceived the idea of a rotating hook, which would take hold of the needle thread and manipulate it into a single thread chain-stitch. He produced a model of a machine made in accordance with his revolving hook principle, which he patented in 1857, and in partnership with Charles Willcox commenced its manufacture. The company still exists, but now makes only industrial sewing machines. The revolving hook takes the loop of thread from the needle and retains it while the cloth moves forward. As the needle descents for the second stitch, the hook again takes a loop of thread from the needle, which in being expanded tightens the previous loop, drawing it off the hook into the cloth. (pp. 6-7), Barnett Collection Review (2011) - 'This important but common domestic machine was manufactured in the USA by Wilcox and Gibbs. The hand wheel or hand crank was produced at Coalbrookdale near Telford, UK, a variation introduced for the European market. The date of production of this particular machine post-dates the 1872 introduction of automatic tension. This machine is more or less indistinguishable from 81/55 but is in slightly poorer condition.'
Entstehungsort
United States of America
Datum
1872 - 1872
Objektbezeichnung
Material
Format
- Length 360 mm
- Height 320 mm
- Depth 210 mm