Several years ago, my husband wrote a story for a magazine about his years growing up on the farm. After it was published, several family members and long forgotten friends, responded that his recollections were quite different from theirs. Perhaps it is faulty memory or just rosy recall, but even history books sometimes tell very different stories. The first practical sewing machine on record was patented by Elias Howe in 1846. The machine he patented was designed to achieve a locked stitch by passing thread on a curved needle through fabric and wrapping that thread around a shuttle carrying a second thread. The new invention revolutionized the sewing world. Previously, ever stitch had been done my hand. Now the 250 stitch per minute machine could match five of the best hand sewers and win every time. Russel Conwell in 1877, suggests that it was not actually Elias Howe to completed the invention. Rather, he suggests, it was his upset wife who got tired of waiting on her husband. History, like nostalgia, often color our view of early events, but one thing is evident from the early years of the sewing machine. Elias Howe struggled to bring is invention to market. The lack of financial resources plus the ensuing legal battles over patent rights robbed the inventor of his potential earning. Almost immediately, the competition launched their own sewing machine products. Men like Isaac Singer and Allen Wilson seized upon Howes design, altered it and marketed their own products. Quickly, Isaac Singer led the pack. He produced the first profitable sewing machine with a needle that moved up and down. Unlike many of his competitors how used hand crank drive devices, Singer introduced a sewing machine powered by a foot driven treadle device. Prior to Elias Howes patent, however, Walter Hunt (1796-1860)) launched a lockstitch machine (1834) using two threads and an eye-pointed needle, but he never filed a patent. Elias Howe sued Hunt for patent infringement, and a panic among garment workers fearing unemployment crushed Hunts enthusiasm. Hunt abandoned his efforts and the patent pursuit. The patent wars dragged on and on. One legal battle after another drained Howes energy and resources. He finally won the court battle in 1854, but in a sense the patent battles robbed him of his potential marketing success. Elias Howe was certainly successful with his invention of the sewing machine. Earning about two million dollars, he became a wealthy man, but the potential of his invention was realized far more by his competitors. The best known name in the sewing world quickly became Singer. Even today, it is the best known brand of sewing machines. Isaac Singer produced many machine advancements and profitably marketed his machines for now over 150 years. It is always inspiring to think back to the days of invention and the challenges that shook their world. Certainly, the invention of the sewing machine has blessed us all richly. Perhaps we should honor all who contributed to this amazing gift to our world " Walter Hunt, Elias Howe, Isaac Singer. Three cheers for all of them.
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