Birth of a Sewing Machine

Birth of a Sewing Machine - Singer Factory Archive Film

[@GodwinAnne]

Our country needs another Industrial Revolution. These old machines are still working! Look at how they were made. I have an old treadle, my Grandmother's black head 15-91 and a Featherweight. Great machines!

[@Mr.SLovesTheSacredHeartofJesus]

Very true. All pre-1964 Singers are wonderful sewing machines.

[@AutismusPrime69]

We will have another after the economic collapse and devaluation of dollar

[@lisalu910]

The quality of the workmanship and materials is why we are still using these machines today!

[@solwong1338]

I may have just watched how one of my vintage Singers was assembled. Awesome.

[@mudlakemicrobes]

What a treasure of a film. I make my living sewing with old black Singer machines, there are 9 different Singers in my workshop and 13 machines in total. Most of them are 90 years old and I fully expect that they will still be working 100 years after I'm dead and gone. Just incredible quality.

[@georgestyer2153]

Hi Beth, I run a patchwork sewing class in France with the novelty of using old 15K treadles.. 10 of them !! such fun !

[@rayharding835]

None of the machines today are built to the same quality of these old Singer machines.

[@AutismusPrime69]

​@rayharding835 average cost paid for machine in those days was over $1300 in today's dollars. For around that you today you get a much better industrial grade machine. Please think before you write nonsense

[@jamesgraham4242]

@@AutismusPrime69 You're talking rubbish. These old machines outclass the modern crap by a country mile. The quality is second to none.

[@racrx7]

Singer wanted to put a machine in every home. It’s no wonder so many of them can still be found today. Love all mine. Great historical video. 👍🏻

[@zeusincoming282]

Well, and People , esp woman didnt have too much to do besides sew in the evening while listening to the radio. And the men and their sons probably did woodworking in the garage making furniture while listening to the radio.

[@Sewingmachineworkshop1]

It's nice to look back in History.

[@zeusincoming282]

I agree, there are NO shortages of these machines! I find many for around 5 bucks a peice, if not free!

[@custerranch]

I had no idea of the scale of the operations there! And no idea they were casting all their own parts there in their own foundry. It's staggering. I like to collect and work on antique Singers, and am of Scottish descent. Makes for an even more enjoyable documentary!

[@dp5475]

Fascinating and fantastic history, thank you very much for uploading. My grandmother's Singer is approaching 100 years old, and still used.

[@marsha4796]

Magnificent to have this preserved, I played it on twice the normal speed with the odd musical choices turned off...

[@Mr.SLovesTheSacredHeartofJesus]

Yes, the music used didn't match the film well.

[@elizabethwilson5349]

Such incredible workmanship. To see one of these machines when they were brand new must have really been a treat! I can’t help but wonder if I saw my own machine on this film. Thank you so much for sharing!

[@LesleyEmmett]

All those factory chimneys. The Queen Mary being constructed at John Brown's shipyard in the background. The Singer factory - the largest of it's kind in the world - producing all those lovely Kilbowie K-marked machines. What a hub of hard work and commerce (and grubby mill chimneys) the Clydebank was in the early 1930's.

[@asahelalvarado]

Wowwwww wow and more wow I LOVEDDD this film!!! It makes me tresure even MORE all my vintage Singer machines I own! 😍

[@soniaguzman762]

You would probably like to read, The Sewing Machine by Natalie Fergie!

[@intuitknit]

I love this. My machine was made in Clydebank in 1953 and is just beautiful

[@gordonstenson2708]

This footage is fantastic and the past generations are amazing. the quality and technical ability is second to none and shows the aptitude and skill of scots. I was brought up in Clydebank and served my apprenticeship in Clyde Blowers Ltd, 74-78. Some of my relatives and friends worked in Singers, however as a young man I did not appreciate what skills and the commitment of these people at the time. We were supplied with castings for boiler cleaning valves and other parts and the quality was always top grade. There were so many other companies up and down the Clyde who are sadly gone and were never replaced with anything, resulting in a ghost town. my wife's family came from Perthshire around the 1900s for employment and this would mean that my family would not have met. My own family has a long history of Clyde shipbuilding heritage. it's a disgrace that any one passing this town do not see any of the history with singers or any other shipbuilding within the town on a physical scale for example no ships retained or "Singer " recognition on show. Clydebank has been reduced to a place of no character and architecturally poor in terms of its past and lost pre war building due to WW2 "Blitz" The present town is a mish mash of off the peg building with a huge flatted looking prison, look building in the middle. i reiterate the footage is an eye opener and even for me and I will always appreciate the uploading.

[@ewanapiorkowska8643]

Jestem z Polski. W kolekcji mam ok. 190 maszyn do szycia ,głównie SINGER.

[@guydupuis421]

Thank you for this video, I never looked at a sewing machine as a piece of machinery. With the labor and precision put into one, they are a piece of art!

[@SKEptic-mg2dd]

Great old film. Nice to see the safety gates on the presses. Never sewed a stitch in my life but love the intricacies of the sewing machine. So many mechanical things have to happen at the exact right time and last for generations.

[@vaccavo]

That's my thought, too. Wonderful engineering. And, later on, the accessories. ZigZag, buttonholes...

[@georgestyer2153]

A real treasure of a film depicting a really wonderfufl machine.

[@mrberryman]

I have a 1936 201K-2 potted motor Singer, and it is smooth, quiet, and seriously reliable 88 years on. This is a brilliant record of their manufacture.

[@ategetho]

I love knowing that my two beautiful machines, that I cherish and use so much, had so many human hands touching them and making all the parts. The needles facinated me! So much effort, skill, time and care into the manufacture of these beauties.

[@annwaters9484]

I am amazed at the engineering, design and planning that went into making the machines that made the sewing machines! What an amazing process! Are there any people left who still have those skills?

[@revecarodriguez709]

I saw the veneer top being made possibly for my Singer portable machine ! This is awesome ! I salute to the many people who made them & made it possible for us to buy !

[@D9P323]

Im so glad this record is beimg kept. God bless those workers....what a treasure

[@TheSewingChannel]

I absolutely loved this video! ❤️💛💜🧡💚💙🤍🖤💛❤️🧡🤎💜💙🤍🧡💚💜❤️🖤💙❤️🤍

[@thecheshirecrafter4522]

Great archive footage, a real piece of social and engineering history I doubt the factory workers knew that some of those machines would be working and sought after over a century later. Thanks for sharing this video.

[@lyndamartin7126]

Such a treasure, it's wonderful to see how the sewing machines were made. No thought given to personal safety with the way the workers handled the machinery. No safety guards on anything. But none the less l thoroughly enjoyed watching this film.

[@molly1117]

The machine that stamped the excess off the pitman bars or whatever it was had a panel that flipped up to stop a hand from reaching into it.

[@zeusincoming282]

You know, Blacks whine about Slavery and such, yet dont realize that EVERyONE toiled hard in for long hours in harsh working conditions back in those days and before.

[@zeusincoming282]

@Victor Simoes Well, if telling the truth makes me terrible, Then im Terrible.

[@zeusincoming282]

@@howardlovecraft750 Thats because , maybe you dont like telling lies!

[@AutismusPrime69]

Safety Sally's such as yourself were required to work for a living instead of complain

[@judytaya4347]

It's incredible how people under-rate the value of a vintage Singer sewing machine. I have friends who buy them cheap, take the drawers off the cabinets to sell and throw the machine and the cabinets away. It truly breaks my heart! I try to salvage the best ones but nobody wants them. I would clean them, get them going and give them away but there are no takers. It's so sad. I work on my Singer15 and love it! I have 8 vintage singers and more modern machines but the 15 is my fav. right now.

[@Mr.SLovesTheSacredHeartofJesus]

I agree. All Singer sewing cabinets, pre-1970, are worth the time to refinish them.

[@Wisepati]

That is really sad and then they make the tractors from the old machines. I am a member of a group that uses people powered machines, and we value the hand crank and treadle machine and restore them.

[@SparkyOne549]

I would buy one! I need one.

[@juliebaker9513]

I love my antique singer machines!

[@vaccavo]

I guess I have around 40 sewing machines. The Engineering is fascinating.

[@carolynblakeney966]

The laying on of the decals by hand is fascinating, so there must be variation from machine to machine in decal placement.

[@zeusincoming282]

Ive seen so many variations of decals.

[@soniaguzman762]

Read the book, The Sewing Machine by Natalie Fergie and this factory and it's people will come to life.

[@AliRaza-nv6qy]

Hi we makes the parts of singer sewing machine.

[@meganmills6545]

I've got that book - I loved the story. A highly recommended read if you like a bit of history mixed with a bit of mystery. :-D

[@vanheros1]

@@AliRaza-nv6qywhich Singer models do you make them for?

[@thecheshirecrafter4522]

Yes, it's a really good story and a great book to gift to anyone who sews.

[@hectorfox9710]

Love these machines. There's no any plastic on them. Thanks for your video.

[@131dyana]

Thank you so much for this video. No wonder Singer is so well made.

[@davidnash8586]

Completely and utterly astonishing ! Thank you SO much for this video !

[@ramloganfracic5761]

Thank you for this wonderful demonstration and to appreciate the Singer Sewing machine for it's Success up to this day. God bless you for sharing his God bless you and your families.

[@vollekraftvoraus]

Old machines have one large advantage against majority of modern ones. They were build by using finest metal, and all their mechanical parts were meant to be serviced and adjusted over their lifetime, and provided decent oiling, those machines can live for centuries. While modern machines sure have fancy features and more user friendly - but they are encased in plastic, and you cant properly service them even I own one pre soviet era sewing machine, which was imported and rebranded by local distributor of russian empire, im assuming it is one of early Naumann, its age is around 110 years old, and it is still in perfect working shape, quality wise its unmatched. I wasnt able to identify its model, but ive only seen similarly shaped botton transport shafts at old naumann machines. People need to pay a lot more respect to old sewing machines, they are capable of doing a lot, let alone their historical value

[@luiscevascodelasota347]

Wonderful movie! Thanks a Lot!

[@thomasgronek6469]

Can you imagine saving up for a year to get one of these gorgeous machines, or finding it under the Christmas tree. Real machines, not plastic Chinese crap. there wouldn't be any buyers remorse for sure. Some of the more expensive models with the cabinet cost close to $ 6,000 or 8,000 in today's money. Now for pennies on the dollar, we can still buy these, beautiful works of art and function, and they will last for another 100 years.

[@Tinacarre]

This is the best video I have ever seen in my life ❤

[@jairakjudy7632]

I love singer

[@ankimo1957]

The treadle cabinet they are assembling is exactly like mine!

[@fmphotooffice5513]

Of course this was a publicity film, but I saw extensive machinery to make the human labor better. Hard work of course, but you see plenty of staffing and repetitive work designed with human dignity in mind. The operation scale is massive, but the workers, as far as we can tell on this film, showed righteous pride in their work. I have two type 66 machines in my home. The one made in 1931 free-spins as if it were new. We'll all be joining the group of people we saw on the film before the last Type 66 finally wears out.

[@wendyrowland7787]

And it was poor industrial relations that caused Simanco to close the factory down. I had no idea it was so extensive. My 222k still going strong after all these years.

[@jcuvier135]

Would be a much better film with narration instead of the horror movie soundtrack. Cannot imagine being one of the wiper women all day, every day. That must have been mind numbing, soul crushing work!

[@analopes1024]

Que maravilha, a fabricação minuciosa de cada peça, com o máximo zelo, cuidado, e engenhosidade! Eu tenho uma, que era da minha mãe, tem mais de 100 anos, com certeza, foi fabricada aí, pode até ter aparecido sendo feita, é uma relíquia, funciona bem, estou fascinada pelos funcionários, sempre sorrindo, felizes! Amei esse vídeo

[@ronaldogarciaronaldogarcia6944]

Este filme é maravilhoso, depois de receber sua máquina embalada e pronta para o uso você nem imagina este processo em série todo. Muito bacana este filme.

[@curlyanneb1973]

I did not know this!! Fantastic.

[@Eduardo-uo7qs]

Singer is an American manufacturer of domestic sewing machines, established in 1851 by Isaac Merritt Singer. It is a great Brand in the world and It is amazing to watch that vídeo that dates back to the 1920s ir before that, in fact I am not sure. Preserving the beautiful History. From Rio, Brazil.

[@ronaldogarciaronaldogarcia6944]

I love this movie!

[@radjuniformbedrijf6339]

Wow thanks for the video i am proud that i'm a Taylor today

[@supermaquinas4158]

muy buen vídeo, me enriqueció mucho,,gracias

[@Treeofthewood]

Love my singers! I have two treadles and a hand crank my kids learned on. We didn’t have electricity.. My great aunt used to get a new one each time they had to move. Civil war era.

[@ronaldogarciaronaldogarcia6944]

This movie is facinete. I love it!

[@SonCh-tt7hv]

Excelente vídeo!

[@eulisesrigobertorivasespin9853]

Admirable el ingenio del creador de esa fábrica.

[@user-xr3xn1ez6l]

تقرير اكثر من رائع انها شركة لاتكرر لقد صنعت المستحيل ليومنا هذا ومازلت تعمل هذه الآلات العجيبة والفخرللأبطال

[@markwriter2698]

Thank you

[@user-jg9eu3xm3r]

I love singer #from Thailand

[@irenesilva9690]

Cada dia fico mais encantada com essas máquinas Singer como eu gostaria de possuir uma delas.

[@helloicanseeu2]

timeless video tyty

[@user-uv1nn3uk7h]

Every bit of singer frim scotland so valuable proud of

[@knowthe2775]

beautiful

[@monapause8108]

is the train engine still around and if it's deteriorated, can someone restore it? that would be so cool. I saw a video where queen Victoria's old train car got restored. that was amazing.

[@joseantonionunezchacin8907]

Maravillosa informacion these is history thank you

[@leslierhodes5467]

That was exhausting watching all of that just amazing what goes into making a sewing machine

[@WeeShooey]

I worked here, 1978 -1981 then it closed ☹️

[@Braisin-Raisin]

Do you know from when this film document is? I am guessing around 1935 or a bit earlier - could that be right, since you worked there, I thought you might know? The garbage that is produced nowadays cannot compare.

[@zeusincoming282]

You should improve your work ethic! You caused that plant to close!!! Shame on you!

[@shall9864]

@@zeusincoming282 Singer shuttered most of their manufacturing facilities at that time due to competition. In 1986 Singer spun off its sewing machine group and in 1989 it was bought by an investment firm. Singer (the original company) hasn't actually made a machine since the early '80''s.

[@eddieboy4667]

Me too Hugh. Engineer in the needle division. Now retired.

[@thecheshirecrafter4522]

@@eddieboy4667 the section showing how needles were engineered was fascinating.

[@marysoares8092]

Inscrevi no canal de repente tem outras relíquia dessa esse vídeo tem que ter nota máxima

[@neilfurby555]

Great film, the sheer scale of this operation is quite astonishing. A superb demonstration of the production line and tooling in wonderful detail, but.....?..... bizarre orchestral accompaniment....best reduced to very low volume? Some frightening examples of dangerous working around some of the machines, especially given the work rates.

[@estelacarrerayamasaki2779]

Que lindo...

[@guildfounder]

I'm guessing this is the Singer factory in Kilbowie, Scotland?

[@gatesmuseum]

Yes

[@andyruina]

I believe the whole movie is about the making of a model 15. That is, I didn't notice anything that I was sure was other than a model 15. Has anyone seen a modern model 15 factory in India or China? Does it look today just like this looked 80 years ago?

[@tracylynnw]

Andy Ruina @17:33 looks as though she is putting on decals for a 28 machine

[@bilaljadoon7422]

Grate factory

[@AutismusPrime69]

Grape

[@thomasgronek6469]

Truly amazing. Thanks for the video. Does anyone know if a clear coat was put on , and if so, what is it, Shellac ?

[@AutismusPrime69]

No clear coat.

[@meganmills6545]

@@AutismusPrime69 Later machines, that were painted, may have got clear coat, but I have some of the older machines, that were japanned, and they definitely have shellac on them.

[@AutismusPrime69]

​​@meganmills6545 wrong. The glossy appearance is due to the finish alone. Japan black consists mostly of an asphaltic base dissolved in naphtha or turpentine, sometimes with other varnish ingredients, such as linseed oil. It is applied directly to metal parts, and then baked at about 200°C (400°F) for up to an hour. No shellac is involved or needed

[@leslierhodes5467]

And some of the machines made in this picture are probably still in working order or sitting in the back of a barn not loved or looked after 😢

[@bertalangavaller4665]

Nekem van 3 gèpem ebben a màrkàban: 15-1, 15-30, Singer 66. Mindegyik tökéletesen mûködik.❤🐈🐈👍

[@sewbizgirl]

Seems the 201 was being made that day. What a beautiful machine. Thank you for this video!

[@graceygal2664]

I thought they were making 15s

[@Mr.SLovesTheSacredHeartofJesus]

No, i think this film was made from the early to mid 1920's. I think was the Singer model 66, or one similar.

[@meganmills6545]

@@Mr.SLovesTheSacredHeartofJesus This film was made in 1934. I think they may have show us bits of footage from various machines - the tension unit on the noseplate/faceplate of one of them, rather on the front of the machine, makes one of them likely a model 15K. The 'nimble fingers putting decals on a machine' looked like the machine was a long bobbin/vibrating shuttle machines judging by the bed. So likely to be something in the 27K/28K/127K/128K family. By 1934 I expect they'd have changed to the 127K and 128K machines as they were made from around 1912-1962. :-)

[@marysoares8092]

Estou apaixonada Eu acho que eu sou reencarnação de alguma dessas mulheres aí lindo demais

[@HumanFellaPerson]

Man humans are wild! "Let's just use whale oil in industrial manufacturing processes! What possible down side could there be?"

[@thomasgronek6469]

The whales get squeaky, and stick a lot.

[@ronaldogarciaronaldogarcia6944]

Uma fabricação em série, nenhum deles tem o domínio do todo.

[@user-qd2ol6re8j]

I can't find info on it

[@1967250s]

Fascinating! Totally did not think I would watch an hour of old film. Have to wonder what became of all the people, the equipment, the supplies ( all that wood, those boxes ). Really boggling.

[@lynnetuitt9449]

Read the book the Sewing Machine.Part Fictionalised story of the life and journey of a Singer Sewing Machine from 1911.

[@soniaguzman762]

@@lynnetuitt9449 by Natalie Fergie

[@eddieboy4667]

I worked there at time of closure. Everything was scrapped. Engineers hand tools etc. Heart breaking. They wouldn’t even sell them to us.

[@analopes1024]

Quando foi feito esse vídeo? Qdo será que foi gravado tudo isso? Qual o ano? Alguém sabe?

[@thomasgronek6469]

They were still living in mud huts back then (Not far from that now), and throwing feces at each other.

[@subhashbasod6508]

Wow

[@docs-harsongroup5720]

realy it's to much wonder .. the worker is working with enjoy job

[@lacucarachacomelona4836]

💙💙💙💙💙

[@Sewingmachineworkshop1]

🙂👍👍👍

[@annwaters9484]

Does anyone know what year this film was made?

[@gatesmuseum]

In 1934, The Singer company released this fascinating silent film showing the entire process of sewing machine production in their Clydebank, Glasgow, factory.

[@annwaters9484]

@@gatesmuseum Thank you! It is fascinating!

[@thomasgronek6469]

Thank you. @@gatesmuseum

[@marciagilbreath3239]

Can anyone say, "repetitive motion injury?"

[@Drottninggatan2017]

Hopefully they were just a bit more nimble in front of the camera.

[@cathouse100]

Does anyone know when this was made? It's wonderful.

[@jerrystauffer2351]

1934 I think

[@marciagilbreath3239]

1890-1920, at a guess

[@binness]

If you watch the film you will see that at about 2 minutes in it tells you that the Queen Mary was been constructed on the Clyde, so if you google the Queen Mary, it will give you a good guess as to the year of this film, sad to think that the old Queen Mary went long before the sewing machines, as they are still going strong, I have 5 of them, 4 - 99K and 1 - 306K, all sewing on for another hundred years or so. Bob in the UK

[@adriananoelle4699]

Definitely 1920’s.

[@markdicker686]

Fascinating.. Didn't see many smiles or over weight workers

[@wendyrowland7787]

Life was tough back then. Glad to get any kind of job albeit poorly paid and repetitive. No work clothes provided either.

[@alp-1960]

Anyone know the year this was filmed? I'm guessing 1920s or 30s?

[@meganmills6545]

The National Library of Scotland lists this film on their website where they say it is circa 1934. movingimage.nls.uk/film/1592

[@rayj3065]

2 years before the date on my mother’s machine, bought in Lithuania.

[@LesleyEmmett]

Construction on the Queen Mary started in 1930, so it can't be earlier than that as you can see her in the background at the shipyard in some of the shots.

[@shahzadtv1431]

Japan Janome price Rs _

[@user-qd2ol6re8j]

The # is L11147

[@cormoran52]

Fascinating and everything done without China.

[@danhuisjen2092]

Can you find worse music?

[@chevydude658]

I know right! I was trying to watch this and the stupid music was so loud I had to turn it down. Then we couldn't hear anything. We were thinking there might be a spoken part we were missing. The music doesn't fit the film footage and was really off putting.

[@mikekendall5932]

Lousy music for the video

[@user-qn6yz1qx5g]

I guess the music shows the sentiment of that time toward the sewing machines. It might have been much more than just making home appliences.

[@meganmills6545]

@@user-qn6yz1qx5g I think the sound-track might be added. The same video on the NLS web site seems to have no sound - at least, not that I could hear.

[@meganmills6545]

In fact, it must have been added. If you look up the artists performing the music they're more modern. For example, I just looked up Nicola Benedetti and Wikipedia says she has been active since 2005.

[@vaccavo]

Whale oil. So sad.

[@wilmer4258]

Music is so depressing.

[@ruskiryan2398]

Why the horrible overbearing music ?, surely you could have perhaps narrated the film or at least play something a little lighter, it is not a war film!

[@hampurista]

Amen!

[@mmgg9337]

Eat your heart out @GregWallace ❤🧵