The Invention of the Sewing MachineCooper, Grace Rogers
History
The Invention of the Sewing Machine
Cooper, Grace Rogers
Sewing machines -- History
_By Hand_ _By Machine_
Frock coats 16 hrs. 35 min. 2 hrs. 38 min.
Satin vests 7 hrs. 19 min. 1 hr. 14 min.
Summer pants 2 hrs. 50 min. 0 hr. 38 min.
Calico dress 6 hrs. 37 min. 0 hr. 57 min.
Plain apron 1 hr. 26 min. 0 hr. 9 min.
Gentlemen's shirts 14 hrs. 26 min. 1 hr. 16 min.
The factory manufacturer, with the sewing work done at the factory, was
also developing. In 1860, Oliver F. Winchester, a shirt manufacturer of
New Haven, Connecticut, stated that his factory turned out 800 dozen
shirts per week, using 400 sewing machines and operators to do the work
of 2,000 hand sewers. The price for hand sewing was then $3 per week,
which made labor costs $6000 per week. The 400 machine operators
received $4 per week, making the labor cost $1600 per week. Allowing
$150 as the cost of each machine, the sewing machines more than paid for
themselves in less than 14 weeks, increased the operators pay by $1 a
week, and lowered the retail cost of the item.[75] The greatest savings
of time, which was as much as fifty percent, was in the manufacture of
light goods--such items as shirts, aprons, and calico dresses. The
Commissioner of Patents weighed the monetary effect that this or any
invention had on the economy against the monetary gain received by the
patentee. When he found that the patentee had not been fairly
compensated, he had the authority to grant a seven-year extension to the
patent.[76]
The sewing machine also contributed to the popularity of certain
fashions. Ready-made cloaks for women were a business of a few years'
standing when the sewing machine was adopted for their manufacture in
1853. Machine sewing reduced the cost of constructing the garment by
about eighty percent, thereby decreasing its price and increasing its
popularity. In New York City alone, the value of the "cloak and
mantilla" manufacture in 1860 was $618,400.[77] Crinolines and
hoopskirts were easier to stitch by machine than by hand, and these
items had a spirited period of popularity due to the introduction of the
sewing machine. Braiding, pleating, and tucking adorned many costume
items because they could be produced by machine with ease and rapidity.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account