Although Elias Howe had patented the lock stitch sewing machine in 1846 initially there was little interest in this new invention. Gradually though a small number of firms started to produce primative sewing machines and later the American courts decided many of the machines produced infringed Elias Howe's Patent.
Following various legal disputes the owners of the most important patents formed the Sewing Machine Combination in 1856 to jointly licence the use of their patents, from then on America developed a thriving sewing machine manufacturing industry.
Many companies remained small and only made sewing machines for relatively short periods before disappearing sometimes leaving only a name or machine to history.
Our aim is to establish a comprehensive list of American Sewing Machine Manufacturers, the machines made and dates of production. This is not straight forward, some early sewing machines were named after the Patent used rather than the Company which produced the machine, names of defunct companies were reused years later, and there were an enormous number of machines labelled for retailers! Concequently it is not our intention to list labelled machines.
The list provided below is in its infancy and will be updated as and when new information becomes available to us.
PLEASE NOTE: The information contained in this web page is the COPYRIGHT of David G. Best it MAY NOT be reproduced nor used for commercial gain without my express written consent.
If you come across a period advertisement, instruction manual, price list etc (dated or not) this may provide further information which would help enhance the accuracy of this list and we would be grateful if you could let us have a copy.
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Some dates and names given may vary from other well known sources. The information produced here is taken mainly from primary sources, that is actual advertising and other company promotional material. Where necessary secondary sources have also been used, for example books, newspapers and magazines printed prior to 1920. Nonetheless there are some anomalies which are still to be resolved.
Unless otherwise stated a Company may have been in existence before or after the date given or the machine may have been produced before or after the date indicated.