From Our Collection

Singer Miniature Toy Sewing Machine - Model 20-1

 

Singer Miniature Toy Sewing Machine – Model 20-1

When the Singer 20 Toy Sewing Machine, manufactured in the U.S.A., was introduced in 1910 it was in a league of its own.  Although the Singer 20 was of a simple chain stitch design requiring just 40 components, it was very well engineered with a cast iron body.  Compared to other toy sewing machines of its era, and indeed since then, it is far more like a miniature adult machine than a child’s toy.

A second version, the Singer 20-1, was introduced in 1914 with only minor changes, from a 4-spoke hand wheel to a 7-spoke hand wheel and tension discs added.

 

Similar Posts

  • “Conduct Prejudicial”

    Conduct Prejudicial to Good Military Order The first casualties of the Gallipoli campaign occurred several months before the landing at ANZAC Cove. The arrival of 20,000 Australian soldiers in Cairo in the weeks prior to Christmas 1914 attracted a swarm of those keen to exploit this as a money-making opportunity. Historian Dr. Peter Stanley quotes…

  • Who Remembers Wattle Day?

    The first day of spring is the little-known but uniquely Australian celebration – National Wattle Day. Wattles have always been part of our country’s landscape and the lives of its people. For Indigenous Australians, wattle trees were a source of food, medicines and wood for many different utensils and weapons.  Indigenous peoples of Australia soaked the gum…

  • More Than Just a Name

    The Stanton Brothers When war broke out in Europe in 1914, the Stanton brothers like many of their contemporaries, were eager to enlist in defence of “God, King and Country”. Older brother, Charles signed up in July 1915, leaving his wife May and two young children, Winifred aged 3 and Francis, born just 7 months…

  • Down the Line

    Tramway Lane, close to what is locally known as Cabarita Junction, is a reminder of what was once an extensive network of tramlines linking Enfield, Ashfield, Burwood, Concord, Mortlake and Cabarita. Collectively known as the Enfield lines, the system operated independently from the city lines from 1891-1948.  Steam trams were used until 1912 when the…

Add your first comment to this post