The sewing machine everyone knows as the "Singer" was not actually invented by Isaac Merritt Singer, as many believe. This man only improved the existing invention and gave him his name, and all thanks to his one talent - to design. Interestingly, the designer himself was poorly educated and even had difficulty writing and counting. And there are simply incredible legends about his love affairs, one of which is that Singer has more than twenty children from different marriages and women.
How did an ordinary ladies' man and a slob manage to build a multi-million dollar empire? Why did his device become so popular and in demand that the presence of a Singer sewing machine in a family was considered an indicator of prosperity in the farthest corners of the planet? Did the race for the height of skyscrapers in New York really begin with the Singer Tower? And the truthDid the German intelligence services work under the cover of the Singer company during the First World War? All these questions are answered in the article below.
Who is Isaac Singer and where is he from?
Isaac, or Isaac, Singer was born in October 1811. Isaac was the eighth child in a Jewish family. His father emigrated to the States in 1803, married Ruth Benson, and when the boy was ten years old, his parents divorced. Isaac has never been distinguished by an obedient character, so at the age of twelve the young man leaves his native place and goes to the city of Rochester, where he is taken as an assistant by a local mechanic. By the way, the guy quickly grabbed the basics of the profession, but due to his restlessness, he could not stay in one place for a long time. Soon, Isaac joins a traveling theater troupe, with whom he goes on a trip to the United States.
The guy has seen a lot in his wandering acting life, but by the age of twenty he decides to return to his former craft and gets a job at one of the factories in Boston. The young mechanic showed himself to be a talented inventor, and in the process he invented and improved many devices, such as a woodworking machine, a sawmill, and a rock drilling machine. But in this area, unfortunately, the young inventor did not find much use for his abilities, so he begins to look for places where his talent as a mechanic will be revealed in full.
Who is he - an actor, designer or entrepreneur?
One day, Isaac comes across a structure,which at that time was called "sewing device". This invention was made by designer Elias Howe. The machine was very bulky and had a number of disadvantages. The big flaw of the machine was the tangling of the threads due to poor tension. Therefore, Singer takes a sewing device and "conjures" it for about two weeks. The designer redid almost everything in the machine: he designed a table for the machine itself, secured the needle with a foot to make a continuous seam and the fabric pressed tightly, he freed the second hand for the seamstresses by inventing a foot pedal for the drive, and the shuttle was arranged horizontally, which made it possible to sew easily and without tangled threads. Let's say Isaac Singer made an unprecedented breakthrough in this area and earned enough millions to live the rest of his life comfortably.
But it's worth going back a little and mention that long before his big break, Isaac Singer was in search of himself and for some time decided to work again as an actor, taking with him his second beloved woman - Mary Ann Sponsler. They met in 1836, when Isaac had already been married and divorced once (at the age of nineteen he married Catherine-Mary Haley and had two children from this marriage). And so flew eight years of life on the stage of street theaters. By the way, during the second marriage, the spouses had ten children, so there were enough heirs. But Isaac needed to build a legacy first, which he did in 1850.
In 1851, Isaac patented an invention and named it after himself. By the way,thanks to the necessary connections and practical advice of some wise people, Singer made his invention so popular and in demand that after a while the Singer sewing machine was present in almost every home, and its presence spoke of the family's prosperity, because at first it was very expensive even for we althiest citizens. But first things first.
Start
How did the history of the Singer company begin? The patent was in hand, but funds were needed for the production of a new miracle machine. Singer entered into a partnership agreement with a very smart and prudent lawyer - Edward Clark. In 1854, a new factory for the production of sewing machines began to operate. However, this was just the tip of the iceberg. The sewing device turned out to be very expensive - $ 100 per copy, so the demand was minimal. Singer decides to go out into the street and hand out leaflets with a description of the latest household appliances, convincing housewives of the need to purchase this product. This was a preface to the history of the Singer Company.
Singer's new invention was heard and seen everywhere. Promotions were held at various fairs and public events, leaflets were distributed in churches and theaters. Therefore, very soon even the most ordinary resident of the city knew what a Singer sewing machine was. Plus, Isaac is the first to offer customers to purchase goods in installments, making the invention accessible to everyone. This happened in 1854. Since then, the history of the Singer company began. The Singer Corporation (namely, the name of the company in 1851) began to prosper, and the production of sewing machines grew exponentially.
Rise of the garment empire
Over time, the production of sewing machines was transferred to the conveyor, thereby reducing the cost of the product. Also, the Singer machine went through a number of modifications: additional functions appeared for embroidery, sewing equipment for horses, tarpaulins, a darning shuttle for stockings was added, and it became possible to sew shoes. The successful company The Singer Manufacturing Company began to provide various factories with sewing equipment, including those producing army clothing. And by the end of 1858, the Singer had four factories in New York. At this time, well-known sewing equipment began to cost ten dollars, which made the product even more affordable for almost any housewife.
In 1867, a new stage began in the history of the Singer company - for the first time an overseas branch was founded in Scotland, and eventually in Glasgow in England. In 1870, more than 120 thousand sewing machines were produced, and in 1875 - more than 200 thousand pieces. Dealers of the Singer company worked and lived in clover, incomes flowed like a river. Production flourished.
The history of the Singer company and the biography of Isaac Singer are closely intertwined, but only at the very beginning of the dawn of a multi-million dollar corporation. Isaac soon retired and received his good dividends, which allowed him to live luxuriously and pay his bills in the courts related to divorce.process or other unpleasant things.
Singer Tower
In the early 20th century, the Singer Manufacturing Company was run by Douglas Alexander, who in 1908 decides to build the "Singer Skyscraper", which is planned to be the headquarters of a multi-million dollar company. This is how the Singer Tower is created, which marked the beginning of the race for heights. In New York, a tacit competition began to build the tallest skyscraper. And the Singer Tower has been a leader in the world for quite a long time. The building consisted of forty-seven floors, and the height was 205 meters from the lowest point of the foundation to the extreme tip of the barrier. Only the Eiffel Tower, whose height was three hundred meters, could compete in height. But, unfortunately, the building was demolished to build a skyscraper for US Steel in 1968.
Singer sewing machines in Russia
So whose company is Singer? There are many answers to this question. One of the participants in making good money selling Singer sewing machines in Russia is the German businessman Georg Neidlinger, who brought the famous sewing machine to the country back in the 1860s. He had his own warehouse in Hamburg, and his income from sales in Russia was 65 percent.
In 1900, the successful transnational corporation "Singer" bought a plot of land in Podolsk, where it built its first Russian factory. In 1902, the first Singer sewing machine rolled off the assembly line. Already after eleven years, namely by 1913, the plantbegan to produce 600 thousand cars a year. The company received the Russified Singer logo, and the plant worked for various customers, including Turkey, Japan, China and Persia. But what did the Singer company produce besides its main products? The answer will be simple - from 1918 to 1923, Singer produced mainly cast irons and pans.
Just since 1918, the enterprise was nationalized, and the plant was renamed "Gosshveymashina". Under the same name, sewing machines began to be produced. Until 1931, the Singer analogue was no different from the original and had all absolutely high-quality parts. But since 1931, the typewriter has been adorned with the abbreviation "PMZ", which stands for "Podolsky Mechanical Plant". The sewing machine received a new name "Podolsk".
Singer House
In St. Petersburg, on Nevsky Prospekt, an incredibly beautiful building, which was built by a German company back in 1902, now flaunts. Now this building is the landmark and pride of the city, which is called the "House of the Book", and during the heyday of the company we are interested in, the head office of the corporation, multiple shops and premises for rent were located there. The style of the Singer House was very original and unusual at the time. The architect Suzor P. Yu. was the first to apply the technology for the construction of an iron frame,brickwork which was built on cement. Thanks to this innovation, it became possible to create huge showcases that perfectly frame the building, making it exclusive and unique.
Also, the architect did not leave aside the issue of drain pipes, which he hid inside the walls of the building. At that time, the latest ventilation technology was applied, which works to this day: the entire ventilation system was installed in the basement, which made it possible to supply air throughout the building clean, humid and warm. The "Singer House" in St. Petersburg consisted of six floors, and the seventh floor became an attic. The corner of the building is adorned with a glass tower with a glass ball at the top. Thus, the "Singer House" stands out from the bulk of the buildings and is a kind of hallmark of the city. In general, the famous sculptors Ober A. L. and Adamson A. G. turned the Singer House into an incredible building that will be admired by many generations.
Interesting historical moments
Here are some of them:
- It was Isaac Singer who directed the needle into a vertical action and fixed it in one place, thanks to which now any fabric can be sewn with such ease. After all, earlier the needle went in a circle, which caused a lot of inconvenience to seamstresses.
- It was Singer who first introduced a system of installment and credit for the purchase of a sewing machine, since at first it was too expensive. And such an innovation made it possible to buy an innovative sewing device for almost any citizen, andaccordingly, demand began to grow at a very rapid pace.
- A wise businessman provided the machine with instructions, which greatly facilitated its use. And also there was a replacement of spare parts, even with one's own hands: it became possible to order replacement parts directly at home.
- Over time, the Singer company introduced a post-purchase warranty service for the device.
- Singer was the first to use a hired director to manage the company, because he was too much of a burden to do business himself, and family issues did not allow him to be distracted by business.
Myths and conjectures about the Singer sewing machine
For more than 160 years, a well-known company was founded and the first Singer machine was produced. And many housewives still use a rare device, the old age of which did not affect their work in any way. And those who currently have a "Singer" dream of hopes that very soon it will be possible to make good money on the sale of a rarity. And it was this moment that gave rise to many myths and legends about the high cost of an old sewing device. Almost the entire history of the existence of the Singer company, the sewing machine was pursued by various speculations, fantasies, myths and even murders. There are a number of facts due to which certain rumors arose, which in some cases were not at all fictional:
- There was a rumor that some parts of the machine were made of rare and expensive metals, which added strength to the device. Hunters appearedfor treasures who were ready to do anything for profit, even to kill. There are rumors that a pensioner was killed because of an old typewriter somewhere in the outback of Russia.
- It is believed that there are special Singer serial numbers, which are now highly valued, and one million dollars shines for the owner of such a treasure. By the way, the serial number must start with the number 1.
- And here is an even more fantastic legend that somewhere there are Singer sewing machines completely cast in gold. During the revolution in Russia, some we althy families had to emigrate, but they were not allowed to bring anything across the border except household items. So, smart rich people melted gold into Singer molds and dyed it black.
- And an even more recent rumor from 2009, when it was reported in Saudi Arabia that some of the needles of Singer sewing machines contained a rare red mercury valued at several million dollars per gram. But the presence of mercury in the needle can be checked with a mobile phone: if you bring the mobile phone to the needle, the signal allegedly disappears.
Espionage involved
The Singer Company and its sewing machine deserve a truly special place in history. The Singer sewing machine was known all over the world, and the first thing that spoke of the prosperity of a family anywhere in the world was the presence of a sewing machine of the same brand. And if, God forbid, there was a fire, then the first thing they took out of the house was a sewing machine"Singer". In a word, "Singer" was everywhere and everywhere. And just the factor of the prevalence and presence of Singer factories, shops, distributors in almost every corner of the planet made it possible for the German intelligence agency to infiltrate its people for a spy mission.
During the First World War, undercover German soldiers conducted surveillance activities, recording every yard in the village, indicating the number of residents. Several times a year, the special services of the German army received information of a different nature: the location of railway facilities, troops, representatives of the administration, warehouses, and much more. There were so-called maps showing all intelligence information.
When did the espionage first become known? The Singer Company was seen in shady dealings in 1913. Information was obtained in special ways that the employees of the Singer company were obtaining information about the financial situation of citizens who buy a sewing device in installments, it also became known that the yields were kept in certain regions. Through counterintelligence, the size of the spy group was established. According to preliminary data, there were more than four thousand German spies. In August 1915, a series of searches were carried out, during which all persons involved in espionage were arrested.
Already in 1917, the history of the "Singer House" stopped, as the company itself was suspected of espionage, and most of the employees were convicted of espionage activities. However, close alltop management was afraid of stores and enterprises of a well-known company, as this could lead to great hype and chaos among the customers of a popular brand. Therefore, all the suspects were "quietly" dismissed or arrested and "their own" officials were put in their places.
