IN Cornhill, Boston, thirty years ago, there was a shop for the manufacture and repair of nautical instruments and philosophical apparatus, kept by Ari Davis. Mr. Davis was a very ingenious mechanic, ...

We're relying on the experts to answer this one and who better than the folks from the International Sewing Machine Collectors' Society? Historians of the sewing machine's early days can argue for ...

Elias was born in 1819 on a farm near Spencer, Mass., and moved to Boston at age 18 to find work in a machine shop. This is where he began tinkering with machines. The machine that made him a legend ...

Sewing thread has gone through many changes over time, as a result of technological advances – including the invention of sewing machines, cotton mercerization and the introduction of synthetic fibers ...

This media is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's ...

IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more. John Bachelder of Boston, ...

The craftsmanship of the machines and the intricate woodwork and scrolling on the stands and cabinets that house them make vintage sewing machines, like this one owned by Marenthia Lagarde of New ...