Josephine, a 1946 Singer 99k
Meet Josephine. She was my mother’s sewing machine, the one I learned to sew on. I was nudged to dig her out of the basement and dust her off by this blog post.
Poor old Josephine has seen better days. Second-hand by the time my mother got her in the 1970s, she never struck me as especially pretty. In fact, quite the opposite. She’s led a hard life (witness scratches and scars), and was converted from treadle or hand-crank to electricity some years after manufacture; that’s when she acquired her clunky housing and cardboard case. I imagine some cowboy sewing-machine repairman performing this atrocity, a cigarette butt clamped ruthlessly between his teeth throughout the ordeal. Piling insult onto injury, I’ve neglected her and half meant to get shot of her for years – well, her charms aren’t immediately apparent, unlike her petite cousin, the 221k – but I’m beginning to change my tune. Especially as I know a little more about her now. I’ve even discovered her birthday.
1950s cardboard case
The joy of today’s internet is that you can look up serial numbers of yesterday’s Singers and discover when and where your machine was made, and the model type. The model type is very handy if you don’t have the sewing machine’s original instruction booklet. Free pdf downloads of instructions can be found out there, so it’s worth searching a little. Otherwise, they can be had for a small fee. It’s useful to know how your machine is supposed to be oiled, how tension can be adjusted etc.
Singer serial number
From a quick dip into the Singer site I’ve learned that Josephine was one of 30,000 99k machines registered on May 20th 1946 in Kilbowie, Clydebank, Scotland. That date was when the entire batch was assigned, so I imagine she was still a lump of metal at that point and didn’t gain her final gleaming-gold-decal form for days, weeks or months. Anyway, it’s nice to have an anchoring date. Maybe next year I’ll bake her a cake and Singer happy birthday (ouch).
Singer lettering
By the time Josephine came to us, she already bore the marks of a hard grafting life, the scratches of myriad pins passing by on miles of fabric, a thousand scissor-nicks from hurriedly clipped curves. Her motor bears the installation date of February 1956. When we first got her, she had to be plugged into a light socket. This meant that every sewing experience was preceded by a perilous clambering above the dining room table to extract the bulb and insert her lead into the pendant fitting. I’m amazed that no-one was electrocuted in the process.
Hand wheel, bobbin-winder and the odd decorative flourish
The absence of ceiling light made it pretty hard to see what you were doing, and eventually someone in the family changed her plug to a regular three-pin wall variety. It was slightly annoying that she had no light source of her own, but my fresh eyesight didn’t seem to mind that at the time, and I enthusiastically made up a lot of patchwork and a number of Laura Ashley dresses on this machine. She worked reliably, until I got her out a couple of years ago and found, to my horror, that she ran manically without her foot control being activated; this seems to have been a simple case of ‘sticky pedal’, and I’m happy to report that she’s fine now.
The scratches of hard use
My mother wasn’t an enthusiastic needlewoman, just a utilitarian one. Same with all handicrafts. It was my maternal grandmother who’d been the real crafter of the family, and perhaps my mother naturally rejected that role as one generation tends to react to the previous one. She’d gone to college and pursued more academic pursuits. She typed fast, played piano well, but the sewing-machine isn’t something I can picture her at. It was at school that I was instructed in how to operate a sewing-machine. Home Economics hadn’t been chased off the curriculum in those days, and we learned from rather joyless, stern teachers (“unpick that again”) on rows of hand-cranked machines. But that’s another story.
Surprisingly fancy face plate
I’m seeing Josephine in a slightly different light now. A no-nonsense post-war workhorse from an age of austerity, her few redeeming features (such as her surprisingly decorative face plate, the pleasingly robust bobbin-winding facility, and the houndstooth-patterned paper inside her case) stand out all the more. One last detail: in the spirit of make do and mend, she still carries a piece of masking tape on her needle plate, marking some long-forgotten seam-allowance I once used. No fancy screw-on seam guide for her.
Now I’m wondering where all of Josephine’s 29,999 siblings are. These 99ks strike me as real survivors. How many are still sewing? How many have been melted down for scrap? Where are they now? If you happen to have one, I’d love to hear about it. I”m also wondering what your first sewing machine was like? Was it basic or luxurious? Do you still have it? What did you make on it? Show and tell.
Share This
What a lovely blog piece and how fantastic that you were able to trace the machine’s history.
I received mine as a gift 40 years ago and was still using it up to a couple of years ago. I agree they are little workhorses and I would never get rid of mine. Quilters in the States pay good money for them.
Mine is now a 32 year old Newholme Craft 6000 and every bit as good as the day I bought her, Has never let me down. I paid £750 which was a fortune back then for me, but she paid for herself within 3 months. I must go and take a photo of another machine I was given by my daughter in law, she paid £5 for it in a scrap yard, she is fully functional and is a Singer which has all the original documents too. Great post will hopefully be back as soon as I get a picture
Lovely to hear your stories! I thought it would be nice to give everyone a chance to show off their first sewing machines, and maybe tell a quick story. So have started a group on Flickr: My First Sewing Machine. Do take a look and maybe post your machine and her story: http://www.flickr.com/groups/1533333@N24/
Fascinating blog post, Eirlys.
The first machine I used was an ancient hand-cranked Singer; it was older than Josephine I think. It may be lurking amongst my father's Stuff so I plan to release it into the wild when I find it (or at least the back bedroom).
I had no idea you could trace their pedigree. How fascinating. Can't wait to find the machine so I can look it up.
I hope you find it, Alison. If you do, I hope you'll take a snap. Yes, the Singer information is curiously precise; I've yet to discover whether other manufacturers kept such meticulous records.
I was amazed to learn that you had to plug the machine into a light socket! Isn't the history we learn about when we all are sharing, fascinating! Your first machine is beautiful. I have one with the same end plate, scrolled metal, but it is black. The machine is all gun metal, a Singer, portable, wooden carrier. WWII is what I think it represents. It has bullet style bobbin case and bobbins.
I'm happy to see what my blog post inspired you to do Scapiana! it's good to be back in touch with you.
Lovely to hear of Josaphine. Ive just looked mine up on line to find she was a 1906 / 1907
)
The serial number is S1486087, which wasnt listed but at least we have an idea now of her background. How wonderful. Would love to know her history. A tale or two she could tell Im sure. The first tme I have looked at your blog and I love it. Just wanting more time to browse
Thank you! I hope you find out more about your machine. Sounds like an interesting vintage. If I dig up any more useful places to research sewing machines I'll be sure to let you know via the blog. Do stop by again.
I was given one of those 29,999 siblings today for christmas! I was just looking up its history, and was very excited to stumble accross your blog post!
I'm delighted to hear it! Has it suffered a similar conversion or is it still non-electric? Would love to hear how it has fared. Have a very merry Christmas!
Hi There I believe that I also have one of Josephine's sisters, ED773773
she has been with me for about 5 weeks and will have her electrical bits checked out tomorrow afternoon.
She is as yet unnamed save for being known as 'the pretty one'. she is activated by a knee lever, which is much more comfortable to use than a foot pedal, I have seen knee activated gems of her vintage converted to a foot pedal, not a good look! She snuggles under a bentwood lid. I am very much looking forward to putting her through her paces so once her health check is complete…she is a forward looking lass, having no reverse lever.
How brilliant, Marianne! I hope she gets through her electrics medical OK tomorrow. She and Josephine could have a virtual reunion!
Does she have the same decals and face-plate decor, I wonder?
Yes she does, but I don't know whether or not they are in the same part of the planet, 'the pretty one' is currently on the mid north coast of Australia, looking out to sea. She differs from Josephine, with having the knee lever but in all other respects resembles her. I would love to have a virtual reunion and I am sure 'the pretty one' would too.
Ah, opposite sides of the planet! She's certainly travelled a long way! Someone's prized possession. It would be great to see pictures; I'm curious about that knee contraption.
How to send you an image?
Ah, good point. Have emailed you!
[...] had such a good time writing up my first sewing machine experiences that I felt emboldened to ask some of the sewsters* I most admire to join me here and reminisce [...]
funny I went and found out about my singer too but it was because a friend had found an older machine in Finland bought it and looked up the information on it. So of course I had to find out about the machine my mother had bought and made many of my dresses on. I know both she and I made doll dresses for my Barbie which I still have. I have only again started using it now in my 50's. Yours I love! mine doesn't have the silver plating at end of the machine. It is so elaborate just beautiful! Mine is a little plainer coming from the early 50's, but I feel lucky to have it!
Oh, homemade Barbie clothes, rhubs! Now you're talking! Somewhere I still have a few clothes for Barbie that my grandmother made in the '60s. Will dig them out at some point. Anyway, keep enjoying your machine, and thanks for stopping by!
I just resurrected a 99K made in a 50, 000 allotment for Feb 9th 1955 at the Singer Co. in Clydebank, Scoland. Cleaned, Oiled, adjusted tension and now she works like a charm. Just love them.
How brilliant, Wendy! I agree: these babies were created way before the manufacturers cottoned on to built-in obsolescence. They're virtually indestructible. Keep enjoying her!
My first sewing machine was a Singer 720 my mother purchased for me in 1976 for the grand tune of £500 which was a lot of money then. This machine is still in operation with all it's own cams. It came with a box of magic tricks, different cams for the various embroidery stitches and it came with six different feet. This machine has made school summer uniforms, bridesmaids and bride dresses and many other items. It sits now in the cabinet it came with, I treat her gently taking her out at least once year to clean and oil her. I now own a three sewing machines, Janomes the reason why I have three is like different features on each. To all of you carry own sewing.
Gosh, that WAS a lot of money in 1976! Yes, I have a Singer of a similar vintage and keep it because it has some interesting embroidery stitches. Delighted to hear how hard your machine has worked for you over the years – much better to wear out than rust out, they say! Thanks for stopping by, Sonia.
Hi Sonia,
Plugging into the light socket was fairly common, too, although it seems like a crazy system to us today.
99's are a lovely machine, I have 6 or 7 including one hand machine and one electric in a table. I'm not sure that your 99 was originally a treadle or hand. A treadle 99 is a pretty rare beast. They were commonly made as portable hand machines. Singer certainly made electric 99's as early as 1922. But the giveaway is the solid wheel. Converted machines would have kept their original spoked wheel and had a combined motor/foot pedal fitted. I would say yours has been re-fitted into it's current base, an original portable 99 would have been a knee bar at that time. I would say that she's a table electric model that has been converted to portable for whatever reason the owner had at the time – it's even possible that it was brought to the US from the UK and had to have the motor replaced for volatage reasons
I'm fascinated by your information – thank you, Bernadette! It would be ironic if it were brought from the US because my mother came from there in the '60s, although she didn't bring this machine with her. Thanks so much for stopping by!
[...] Yes, that’s Josephine doing the sewing! You may recognise her from an earlier post. [...]