Singer model 66 treadle sewing machine and motor from the Rock Rest Tourist Home: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A Singer model 66 sewing machine with a BZ 15-8 Singer motor from the Rock Rest Tourist Home. The treadle sewing machine is coated with black paint and embellished with floral, tendril, and foliate designs. Painted across the top of the arm is the name of the manufacturing company, [The Singer Manufacturing Co.], in Old English font gold text. The name, [SINGER], has also been painted in large gold text on the front side of the machine, and is capped on either side by "Red Eye" designs; a red elliptical shape framed with laurel wreaths on the top and bottom and accented green. At the top of the upright arm is a red, green, and gold tendril design that swirls around a gold star shape with five fleur-de-lis points. At the center of the upright arm, just below the stitch regulator, is an ovular brass badge attached with two small screws with the Singer shuttle, needle, and thread logo embossed on the front. Below the badge is an additional "Red Eye" design embellished below by a tendril and leaf design. The back side of the sewing machine is plainer with only the text [SINGER] across the arm and accented on one side with a "Red Eye" design. The balance wheel is silver with black spokes and a gold center plate. Attached to the needle end of the sewing machine arm is a silver tone face plate ornately etched with a vignette fleur-de-lis and tendril design. On the machine’s bed is a slide plate with one squared side and a D-shaped needle plate. The bed features a large roughly diamond-shaped design at the center with a gold and green cross at the center of a larger "Red Eye," inside an ornate gold frame accented with four petal flowers, leaves, and tendrils. Three edges of the bed are similarly embellished with the "Red Eye" design and gold bars, tendrils, and flowers. On the bed, just below the front of the vertical arm, is a brass plate with a stamped serial number that reads [G8539711]. Behind the balance wheel is a black rubber belt, stamped [SIMANCO 193066], attached to the motor on the back of the machine. On the front of the motor is a black plate with silver text and a large red and silver S-shaped Singer logo at the center. The text at the top of the plate reads [SINGER]. Text below on the left side reads [SEWING / CAT. BZ 15-8 / S. S. AU 52-38-24 / THE SINGER MFG. CO. / ELIZABETHPORT, N.J. / SIMANCO]. Text below on the right side reads [110-120 VOLTS / 0.53 AMP. / 25-75 CYC. & D.C. / MADE IN U.S.A.]. Vertical text along the right side reads [G 1602-20]. Attached to the motor is a black power cord for a black pedal. On the bottom of the pedal is another black plate with silver text and a large red and silver S-shaped Singer logo at the center. The text at the top of the plate reads [SINGER / SEWING MOTOR CONTROLLER]. Text below on the left side reads [VOLTS / 95-145 / AMPERES / 0.7 / PART NO: 196131]. Text below on the right side reads [THE SINGER MFG. CO. / ELIZABETHPORT, NEW JERSEY / SIMANCO / MADE IN U.S.A.]. Vertical text along the right side reads [287-48]. There is a small, black plastic Singer lamp with cord with a Belden plug attached to the machine above the motor.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1921
• Manufactured by: Singer Corporation, American, founded 1851
• Manufactured by: Belden Incorporated, American, founded 1902
• Owned by: Clayton Sinclair, American
• Owned by: Hazel Sinclair, American
• Subject of: Rock Rest Tourist Home, American, 1948 - 1976
• Type: motors
• Type: sewing machines (equipment)
• Medium: paint on iron and wood with plastic and metal
• Dimensions: H x W x D (Sewing Machine): 8 13/16 × 7 1/16 × 16 7/16 in. (22.4 × 18 × 41.8 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W x D (Foot pedal): 1 15/16 × 3 3/8 × 6 1/8 in. (5 × 8.5 × 15.5 cm)
• Place collected: Kittery, York County, Maine, United States, North and Central America
• Place made: Elizabeth, Union County, New Jersey, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Amusements
• Topic: Black Enterprise
• Topic: Black interiors
• Topic: Business
• Topic: Recreation
• Topic: Segregation
• Topic: Travel
• Object number: 2011.12.18.1
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail, Inc.
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The displayed image also has an explicit CC0 designation. The underlying object's rights statement is: No Known Copyright Restrictions Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.