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.
Eldredge made sewing machine from around the mid 1880's I believe. Hazel 4 0 8. To find some help on a date, I suggest looking around on the International Sewing Machine Collectors site. ISMACS.net They also have a digest, read by and commneted on by many people who are very knowlegeable. Join it, from the main home page and then ask the group. However, it’s still an awesome machine. The Improved Eldredge Rotary B. (This is before I cleaned it.) It takes unusual 20×1 needles, of course, being of the era (30s?) when every sewing machine company sold needles for their machines. The needle is similar to the modern 15×1 system, though, in that it’s flattened on one side. 'Free Sewing Machine Company.In 1895 the Illinois Sewing Machine Co was founded using assets from the former Royal Sewing Machine Co of Rockford, Illinois. Free became the president by 1910, and organized a parent company - the Free Sewing Machine Co. Production continued in Rockford until 1958, when it relocated to Los Angeles, California. Singer may be the name most associated with sewing machines, but the company’s founder, Isaac Merritt Singer, was by no means the device’s inventor. In fact, Singer didn’t even hold the machine’s first patent. That achievement belongs to Elias Howe, who patented the lock-stitch sewing machine in the United States in 1846. It does have a serial number 1311592, but nothing else. It has a decal on the front of the arm that says, 'The Eldredge' and on the back of the arm it says, 'Improved Eldredge B'. I've researched a lot and every image I seem to pull up doesn't match my treadle.
![Eldredge sewing machine serial numbers Eldredge sewing machine serial numbers](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/5f/30/b1/5f30b1c02249c3510223833dead3d89b.jpg)
Eldredge Sewing Machine Serial Numbers Free
Eldredge Sewing Machine Serial Numbers G Series
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B Eldredge Automatic Sewing Machine
Eldredge Sewing Machines 1880s
Sears 'clone' machine of Singer New Family (?) (1897 Sears Catalog)Eldredge vibrating shuttle sewing machine (Photo courtesy of G. Bethel)
Vibrating Shuttle Sewing Machines 1880s-1890s
Head of Acme vibrating shuttle machine (1897 Sears Catalog)Acme sewing machine in treadle cabinet (1897 Sears Catalog)
Iowa vibrating shuttle machine in treadle cabinet (1897 Sears Catalog)
Head of Minnesota vibrating shuttle machine (1897 Sears Catalog)
New Queen sewing machine in treadle cabinet (1897 Sears Catalog)
Prifzlarf sewing machine (Photo courtesy of G. Bethell)
Goodrich sewing machine (Photo courtesy of G. Bethel)
Vibrating Shuttle Sewing Machines 1900s-1920s
Improved New Goodrich sewing machine (Photo courtesy of G. Bethel)National Weyemouth Mercury sewing machine (Photo courtesy of G. Bethel)
Bracket motor turned under the arm when not in use
Brunswick sewing machine (Photo courtesy of G. Bethell)
Brunswick sewing machine head (Photo courtesy of G. Bethell)
Shorter Portable Brunswick with cast iron base (Photo courtesy of G. Bethell)
Windsor B sewing machine (Photo courtesy of G. Bethell)
Vibrating Shuttle Sewing Machines 1920s-1930s
National Damascus sewing machine (Photo courtesy of G. Bethel)Late model Windsor B sewing machine (Photo courtesy of G. Bethell)
Rotary Sewing Machine
Position of the automatic tensionPosition of the stitch regulator, bobbin winder, and loose pully
National Damascus Grand sewing machine (Photo courtesy of G. Bethel)
National sewing machine (Photo courtesy of G. Bethell)
Volo Electric sewing machine (Photo courtesy of G. Bethell)
Vaucelle Rotary sewing machine (Photo courtesy of G. Bethell)
Chain Stitch Sewing Machine
Western Electric chainstich sewing machine (Photo courtesy of G. Bethell)Two Spool Sewing Machine
Mechanism of the Eldredge two-spool machineSide View of the Eldredge two-spool machine