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International Sewing Machine Collectors' Society

The purpose of the International Sewing Machine Collectors' Society is to foster the collecting of, and research into, sewing machines.

The ISMACS News Guide to Singer Ornamentation Sets

John Langdon
ISMACS News
January 2012
Italian Singer Sewing Machine Company Trade Card from the early 1900s
Singer Trade Card

Italian, early 1900s

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, possibly with decal sets that never went into production.

Photographs thanks to the generosity of West Dunbartonshire Libraries and Museums, the London Sewing Machine Museum, ISMACS News magazine, Martin Gregory, Lee King, Diane Lowe, Mike Anderson, Bernard Pokorski, Pat Nordmark, Sammie Simpson, Valerie Bradley and the author.

 


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