"The Battle of the Sewing Machines": Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

"The Battle of the Sewing Machines" was composed and arranged by F. Hyde for the piano, and was published in 1874 by Wm. A. Pond & Co. of 547 Broadway, N.Y., N.Y. The lithograph by R. Teller of 120 Wooster St., N.Y., N.Y., illustrates a "battle" of sewing machines. The Remington "army" is marching towards the fleeing Singer, Howe, Succor, Weed, and Willcox & Gibbs sewing machines. The soldiers are riding the Remington treadle machines like horses and are carrying Remington rifles. The Remington No. 2 sewing machine had just come out to market in June 1874. The family treadle machine with a drop-leaf table and two drawers would have cost $75.00.

On the top left of the sheet music, a woman is pictured sewing on a Remington machine in the Remington office at Madison Square, New York. In the right box is featured the Remington Works of Ilion, N.Y. The music consists of 11 pages, with such subtitles as: "Howe the battle began"; "Advent of all the best machines"; "Song of the Sewing Machine Man: 'How Can I Leave Thee'"; "Triumph of the Remington Sewing Machine," and "Home Sweet Home."

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date made: 1874
• referenced: Remington Sewing Machine Company
• composer: Hyde, F.
• publisher: William A. Pond & Co.
• lithographer: Teller, R.
• Object Name: sheet music
• Object Type: Sheet Music
• Physical Description: paper (overall material)
• Physical Description: lithograph (overall production method/technique)
• Physical Description: ink (overall material)
• Measurements: overall: 10 1/2 in x 13 1/2 in; 26.67 cm x 34.29 cm
• Place Made: United States: New York, New York City
• ID Number: 1991.0130.01
• catalog number: 1991.0130.01
• accession number: 1991.0130
• Data Source: National Museum of American History

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.