Singer Ornamentation Sets
The names attributed to decal sets are not necessarily Singer's. It is not known whether Singer gave all their sets names - some, they certainly did (see the sheet of "Transfer No. 23 - Indian Sphinx" decals) - but all will have had a number. That number had reached three figures by the 1920s, though it is not known if they were numbered consecutively. Some names were merely the invention of enthusiastic collectors but, as they're now commonly used, so be it. The list includes some decals I have not seen documented before for which I can only suggest a name, but I bow to better suggestions.
Some of the machines featured are from Singer's Clydebank factory collection and may be experimental models that never went into production.
Photographs thanks to West Dunbartonshire Libraries and Museums, the London Sewing Machine Museum, ISMACS News, Martin Gregory, Lee King, lady with wrought iron pics, Mike Anderson, Bernard Pokorski, etc.PK Nord... Chris...Sammie and the author.
This collection is not complete by any means but, one day, it could be.
John Langdon
ISMACSNews
January 2012
Decals for domestic Singers
| No. for reference | DECALS | DETAILS | MACHINES |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Floral M.O.P. |
"Turtleback" |
| 2 |
|
Mother of Pearl |
"Letter A" |
| 3 |
|
"Acanthus leaves"'Gold' with occasional red and green. Balance wheel could be plated as here, or black with or without decoration.
|
Class 12 "New Family" |
"Acanthus leaves" variant
|
|||
"Wheels" |
Class 12 "New Family" | ||
|
Mother of Pearl variantThere were many different, ornate designs, liberally adorned with mother of pearl. Few of them related to existing designs. |
Class 12 "New Family" | |
|
Mother of Pearl variant
|
[18>>] | |
|
Mother of Pearl variant |
||
"Weeds"(Designed by George A. Squire) |
Class 12, IF (15), | ||
|
"Large Roses" |
Class 12 "New Family"
|
|
|
"Scrolls and Roses"
|
V.S.2; I.M.; | |
|
"Scrolls and Roses" variant |
||
_th.jpg)
|
"Scrolls and Roses" variant (small roses) |
28 28k(1894) | |
|
"Scrolls and Roses" variant20th century re-employed for budget/export models. |
||
 |
Feathery scrolls?For a very small machine - printed 8 sets per double crown (20" x 30") sheet. |
||
|
'Painted' daisies |
Improved Family (IF) | |
|
More flowers |
IF "Improved Family" (electric) | |
|
'Painted' cornflowers, etc. duplicate |
VS2 | |
|
Rock roses and primroses | VS3, 28 | |
|
'Painted' red and white roses. |
VS2 | |
Roses and daisies |
28 | ||
|
'Painted' roses - white and pink |
Improved Family (IF) 27 |
|
|
Red roses and daisies |
VS2 | |
|
Roses and mescalin? |
VS2 | |
|
'Painted' orange blossom and dogwood?? |
28 | |
|
"Ottoman carnations"(Designed by George A. Squire) |
Class 12 'New Family' (?? to 1903) | |
|
"Ottoman Carnations" variant(Designed by George A. Squire) Despite being based on the same elements, these are distinctly different designs. |
28 | |
|
"Ottoman Carnations" variant(designed by George A. Squire) |
"High Arm Family" 1885/6 | |
|
"Ottoman Carnations" variant |
48K | |
|
Rococo-ish variant |
48K | |
|
"Rococo"1913 |
128 | |
|
"Persian" PKN |
27? 28? | |
|
"Tiffany" or "Gingerbread" pkn |
27 | |
|
"Tiffany" or "Gingerbread" Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee variant (UK). |
27K | |
|
"Victorian" |
28 | |
|
"Victorian" |
VS2 | |
|
"Sphinx", or "Memphis" |
27 | |
|
"Sphinx/Memphis" green variantOriginal artwork for decal sheet (1954) |
||
|
"Indian Sphinx" variantPrinted in the Indian national colours, with Indian Star for the bed. Three machines per sheet. Officially described as "Singer Transfer No 23 - Indian Sphinx" (see linked photographs) |
||
|
"Red Eye" (colloq.)sammie |
66 (USA). | |
|
"Egyptian" or "Lotus" |
66K | |
|
"Egyptian" or "Lotus" |
66K | |
|
Celtic knot |
9W7 (1908- | |
 |
"Wings" WingsPKN1 |
115 | |
| No pic yet |
"Tapestry" |
1887 VS3 | |
| No pic yet |
"Burmese scroll" |
VS3 1891 | |
 |
"Celtic Swirl" |
||
 |
"Pheasant" |
||
 |
"Owl" pkn |
||
|
"Feathers" |
||
 |
"La Vencedora" |
28 | |
 |
"La Vencedora" decal sheet |
||
 |
"La Vencedora" Indian Star variant |
||
 |
"RAF" (colloq.)... because of its passing resemblance to the British Air Force insignia. Designed by Hopper - Hooper at Clydebank.
|
||
 |
"Eye" |
Class 15 | |
 |
"Eye and paperclips"? |
99K | |
 |
"Eye and ?? |
15 | |
 |
"Knots and rectangles" |
Class 101 | |
 |
"Wrought Iron" |
28 | |
|
"Filigree" |
99 | |
|
"Paperclips" |
201 | |
|
"Paperclips" variant |
201 Find original image |
|
|
"Paperclips" variantOften appears on 'refurbished' machines - as in photograph. The bed edge decal was easily cut to fit any size machine. |
28 | |
 |
"Prism" |
||
 |
"Celtic something"? |
221 | |
"Hearts" |
|||
"Wrinkle" finish, or "Godzilla".Said to reduce glare. |
|||
"Red Berry " |
Class 24 | ||
"Prism" |
221 | ||
"Triangles' |
206, 306, 319 | ||
"Trapezia" |
191 | ||
"Triplets" |
|||
 |
Typeface variant |
Class 20 | |
 |
prism 301 | ||
 |
306 | ||
 |
Two-tone brown |
185K, 301K | |
 |
Black on 'Gold' |
98K | |
 |
Blue |
185K |
Decals for industrial Singers
"Coach stripe"(manufactured by "I.M. Singer Co.") |
Number 1 | |
 |
Autumnal abstract (?) |
No. 1 |
"Arcs" |
||
|
"Flying Dutchman" floral | |
 |
Vine? |
No. 3 |
|
13k scriolls var | |
 |
Scroll?????? |
No 2 "Arm" |
|
|
|
 |
Bloody scrolls |
No. 4 |
 |
|
No. 2 |
 |
|
|
 |
Scrolls? |
U.F.A. |
 |
"Scrolls"?Gold only. |
No 2 "Arm" |
 |
|
|
 |
1628 | |
|
||
 |
U.F.A. | |
 |
"Scrolls and Roses" variant |
13K |
 |
"Scrolls and Roses" variant |
|
 |
"Scrolls and Roses" variant |
13K |
|
|
||
|
||
 |
"Roses and scrolls" variant |
|
 |
"Roses and scrolls" variant |
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
||
|
||
 |
|
|
|
||
|
||
 |
"Acanthus Leaves"'Gold' with red and green spot colours. |
13K |
 |
"Acanthus Leaves" variant'Gold' with red and green spot colours. Arm decal variation and no logo. |
12K industrial |
 |
"Acanthus Leaves" variant'Gold' with red and green spot colours. Another arm decal variation. |
13K narrowed bed. |
|
|
||
 |
"Acanthus leaves" free-arm variant |
|
 |
"Acanthus leaves" U.F.A. variant |
U.F.A. |
 |
"Acanthus leaves" variant |
No 2 |
 |
Trumpet vine? |
|
 |
Early 20th Century IndustrialProbably the most common industrial decal |
|
|
||
 |
Typeface variant |
|
|
||
|
||
 |
With bed-edge transfers |
|
 |
Floral |
Class 24 |
-a.jpg) |
Floral variant |
Class 24 bDecal floral 24-2 (7914740) a |
 |
"Wrinkle" finish, or "Godzilla" |
|
 |
Logo only |
|
The "fit it where you can" logo |
||
 |
Type style variant |
|
White on blue |
||
|
||
 |
Black on blue/grey |
|
 |
Gold on grey |
|
 |
Black on beige |