The First Generation Hand-Crank Sewing Machine

Regarding the history of sewing machines, it can be traced back to the late Song and early Yuan dynasties in China when Huang Daopo invented a weaving machine, which can be considered as the "prototype" of a sewing machine. In the mid-18th century, after the Industrial Revolution, textile technology began to advance towards industrial sewing techniques, and people worldwide explored various sewing techniques to enhance productivity.

◆In 1790, the British carpenter Thomas Saint invented the world's first single-thread, chain-stitch sewing machine for making holes and sewing leather shoes by hand-cranking.

◆In 1841, the French tailor B. Timonier invented and manufactured a chain-stitch sewing machine with a needle and a hook.

◆In 1846, Elias Howe independently invented the sewing machine.

◆In 1851, the American machinist I.M. Singer invented the lock-stitch sewing machine and established the Singer Company.

◆During this period, mechanical sewing machines had emerged, but most of the machines invented at that time were hand-cranked.

In 1869, Li Hongzhang, a representative figure of the Self-Strengthening Movement in China, visited England and brought back a gold-plated Singer sewing machine as a gift to Empress Dowager Cixi. At the time, this event was also reported in the British media. Around 1880, the Singer Company established Singer & Company on Nanjing Road (now 446 East Nanjing Road) in Shanghai. To promote their products, Singer Company hired Chinese female workers with relatively high salaries and trained them to operate sewing machines. They would then perform on the streets to introduce the operation of sewing machines to the public. Soon, Singer sewing machines became well-known in Shanghai as advanced clothing-making machines. For a long time, Singer almost became synonymous with sewing machines in China, and it was one of the earliest Western industrial products to enter China.

In China, sewing machines were initially referred to as "iron carts," "foreign machines," "needle carts," and the like. The first-generation sewing machines in China were high-end, scarce in number, and mainly used by tailors in large cities to make clothes for wealthy women. The general population could not afford them. It is said that the last emperor, Puyi, once gave Empress Wanrong a Singer sewing machine as a gift, indicating that it was still considered a rare and precious item in China at that time.

The First Generation Hand-Crank Sewing Machine

[Time Period] Mid-18th century to mid-19th century

[Usage] Sewing clothing and fabric products

[Collection] Currently housed at the Grand Canal Hanlin Folk Museum

A sewing machine typically consists of four main parts: the machine head, the machine base, the transmission system, and accessories. The machine head is the primary component of the sewing machine, comprising four main mechanisms: the needle mechanism, the hook mechanism, the take-up mechanism, and the feed mechanism, as well as auxiliary mechanisms like the thread winding mechanism, presser foot, and feed dog. These mechanisms in the sewing machine are constructed using common basic structures (such as linkage mechanisms, cam mechanisms, gear mechanisms, belt drive mechanisms, intermittent motion mechanisms, etc.) and are combined in various ways, such as in series, in parallel, or in sequence.