Link !

http://parts.singerco.com/IPpartCharts/306W24_25.pdf

Information from calling 1-800-4-SINGER

I learned that I still do not know what my serial number is.  However, the machine was most likely produced between 1953-1954, more likely... between January and September of 1954 in Clydebank, Scotland in the Kilbowie factory (for Singer)... The serial number should be above the model number on the front bottom right of the machine, but it is not there and upon speaking to someone with Singer who was looking through their information also found multiple images of the 306W missing the serial number.  It would or should start with the letters EJ or a W only.  This is different from the information I found online which said that the W after the 306 (ie 306W) meant that it was produced in Bridgeport, CT but Singer Corporation told me that that is only a maybe and upon more research she said she believed my machine in particular is from Scotland.

topic

just wondering if I can do the history of sewing machine ( brief - general history ie, how it came to be, when invented) and its intended use (then and now). industrial and home use...

STATS

The Singer Automatic Swing-Needle Machine Model 306 is what is depicted from the instruction manual.  Made for the Singer Manufacturing Company.  Here is a webpage I just found about looking up the year (birthday) of your singer.

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~sherlyn/singer.html

I can dig up the part number...I think it is actually the 306W Model from how the machine is marked. 

The info I collected off of the machine motor itself says:

Singer Sewing Motor
CAT. NO. BA 3-8
S.S. AU 52-33-1
The Singer MFG Co.
Elizabethport, NJ
SIMANCO.

110-120 Volts
0.53 AMP.
25-75 Cycles
A.C. & D.C.
Made in USA

I'm not seeing an actual marked serial number per say nor is there one in the book... (instruction manual)  I did just look through the stuff in the drawers of the sewing machine desk and found a pattern sent in the mail to an additional address in El Segundo, CA (not mentioned by the previous owner/inheritee of the machine before I bought it) that was postmarked May 4, 1962.  There are dress patterns in there as well published as far back as 1950.  There are lots of little odds and ends, such as a very old pack of needles purchased from safeway with gold foil inside the packaging and needles in place with safeway's older (but similar) logo.  There is motor oil for the machine as well from probably the 1960s. 

Here are some of my notes regarding the Group Project taken from lecture:

• Study a particular object - man-made or industrial object which would be more about production... which later could become a personal object.  Crafted objects would have different issues as would art objects.
• Divide your group into tasks - create an outline and assign sections; you will be looking at the life stages of the object.  Synthetic vs. Organic, Where it was produced, how the object has traveled, personal history of the object..... how many people have owned it/had it and what experiences has the object had along the way?  Also consider associations/context... how has significance & meaning changed?  Use the model of Biography!  Why did it come into being in the way that it did? 
• Materials, Production, Travel, Personal History, Symbolism - divide your group into these categories; then share info to compose final paper. 

So, last Thursday when our group proposed our idea of using the sewing machine as the object for the project, Prof. Bowen seemed to approve our idea.  The issues brought up in regards to the sewing machine were workers rights, Woman's issues and issues of domesticity... somehow I'm wondering if these issues make up a separate category since we have 6 people in our group - or if these fit into symbolism.  Prof. Bowen said that since the object chosen was mine, I should do the personal history section of the project/paper.  Therefore, it is up to you to decide how to divide the rest of the topics amongst yourselves.  I will definitely be able to provide images for the group power point, but I'm sure that this power point should also include images of older sewing machines and cultural icon type imagery as well from the 30s-50s/60s era as well as probably the industrial revolution. 

Does anyone want to volunteer to create the power point because they enjoy doing this sort of thing?  I do not have much experience in power point but have used Google Docs to do this sort of thing for a seminar class before. 

1960s Singer Sewing Machine/Desk

Ok, so this is not the exact machine but it is the closest thing I could find at the moment.  My desk is more modern looking than this one.  I can take pictures and upload them either this weekend or early next week.  Anyway, here is the link :  http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/1960-singer-sewing-machine-cabinet-attachments  Hope this helps give you an idea.  I have also emailed Helen, the woman I bought the machine from for some more personal info regarding the object.

Keep in mind that when you accept your blog author invite, I may have to go into the settings ----------> permissions of blogger.com and grant each author admin privledges.  Once I do this for person A, person A can then go ahead and do so for person B, person C, etc... 

Group Blog!

Here is a place for us to compose our thoughts, ideas, references and more for our ARTH 191A group project / midterm report.  Please re-post any links for ideas on what object we may use for our bibliography here.  Thanks!