The sewing machine, which 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 is to construct. It is interesting that the designer himself was poorly educated and even with difficulty wrote and counted. And about his amorous adventures, there are simply incredible legends, one of which is that Singer has more than twenty children from different marriages and women.
How could an ordinary womanizer and slopp build a multi-million empire? Why did his device become so popular and in demand that the presence of a Singer sewing machine in the family was considered an indicator of wealth in the farthest corners of the planet? Is the race for the height of skyscrapers in New York began with the Singer Tower? And is it true that during the First World War, German intelligence services worked under the cover of the Singer company? All of these questions are answered in the article below.
Who is Isaac Singer and where does he come 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 never had an obedient character, so at the age of twelve the young man leaves his native places and goes to the city of Rochester, where he is taken by an assistant local mechanic. By the way, the guy quickly grasped the basics of the profession, but because of his injustice, he could not stay in one place for a long time. Soon, Isaac adjoins one wandering theater troupe, with which he goes on a trip to the United States.
The guy has seen a lot in wandering acting, but by the age of twenty decides to return to his previous craft and gets a job at one of Boston's factories. The young mechanic proved himself to be a talented inventor, and in the process he invented and improved many devices, such as a woodworking machine, a sawmill, a rock drilling machine. But in this area, unfortunately, the young inventor did not find much benefit from his abilities, so he begins to look for places where his talent as a mechanic will be revealed in full.
Is he an actor, constructor or entrepreneur?
Once, Isaac comes across a design that at that time had the name "sewing device". This invention was made by designer Elias Howe. The car was very bulky and had several disadvantages. A major flaw in the machine was tangling of threads due to poor tension. Therefore, Singer takes the sewing device and "conjures" over it for about two weeks. The designer remade almost everything in the car: he designed a table for the machine itself, secured the needle with his foot to make a continuous seam and pressed the fabric tightly, he released the second hand to the seamstresses, invented a foot pedal for the drive, and arranged the shuttle horizontally, which made it easy to sew without tangling of threads. Say, Isaac Singer made an unprecedented breakthrough in this area and earned enough millions to live the rest of his life comfortably.
But it is worth going back a bit and mentioning that long before his big breakthrough, 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 was once married and divorced (at the age of nineteen he married Katherine-Maria Haley and had two children from this marriage). So eight years of life passed on the stage of street theaters. By the way, during the second marriage, the couple had ten children, so there were enough heirs. But Isaac needed to start building a legacy, which he did in 1850.
In 1851, Isaac already patented the invention and named it by his name. 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 some time the Singer sewing machine was present in almost every house, and its presence spoke of the wealth of the family, because at first it was very expensive even for the most prosperous citizens. But first things first.
Start
How did the history of Singer begin? The patent was in the hands, 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 - Eduard 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 and hand out leaflets with a description of the latest household appliances, convincing the housewives of the need to purchase this product. This was a preface to the history of Singer.
Singer's new invention was everywhere in the ears and in sight. Promotions took place at all kinds of 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 was the first to offer customers to purchase goods by installments, making the invention accessible to everyone. This happened in 1854. Since then, the history of the Singer company began. Singer Corporation (which was the name of the company in 1851) began to flourish, and the production of sewing machines grew exponentially.
Dawn of the sewing 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 for embroidering, sewing equipment for horses and tarpaulins appeared, a darn stocking shuttle was added, and it became possible to sew shoes. The successful company The Singer Manufacturing Company began to provide sewing equipment to various factories, including those producing army clothing. And by the end of 1858, four plants in New York were operating at Singer. At this time, the 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 Singer - the overseas branch in Scotland was first established, and eventually in Glasgow in England. In 1870, more than 120 thousand sewing machines were produced, and in 1875 - more than 200 thousand pieces. Singer dealers worked and lived happily ever after, revenues flowed like water. 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 multimillion-dollar corporation. Isaac soon retired and received his good dividends, which made it possible to live luxuriously and pay bills in courts related to divorce proceedings or other unpleasant affairs.
Singer Tower
At the beginning of the 20th century, Singer Manufacturing Company was managed by Douglas Alexander, who in 1908 decided to build the Singer Skyscraper, in which it was planned to justify the headquarters of a multi-million dollar company. This creates the Singer Tower, which marked the beginning of the race for height. In New York, a tacit competition began to build the tallest skyscraper. And the Singer tower for a long time occupied a leading position in the world. The building consisted of forty-seven floors, and the height was 205 meters from the lowest point of the foundation to the extreme edge of the gate. Only the Eiffel Tower, whose height was three hundred meters, could stretch in height. But, unfortunately, the building was demolished to build a skyscraper for US Steel in 1968.
Sewing machines "Singer" in Russia
So whose company is Singer? There are many answers to this question. One of the participants in making good money on sales of Singer sewing machines in Russia is the German businessman Georg Neidlinger, who brought the famous sewing machine into the country back in the 1860s. He had his own warehouse in Hamburg, and his earnings from sales in Russia amounted to 65 percent.
In 1900, the successful Singer multinational corporation bought a plot of land in Podolsk, where it built its first Russian plant. In 1902, the first Singer sewing machine came off the assembly line. After eleven years, namely by 1913, the plant began to produce 600 thousand cars a year. The company received the Russified Zinger 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.
Since 1918, the enterprise was nationalized, and the plant was renamed "Gosshveimashina". Under the same name began to produce sewing machines. Until 1931, the analogue of the “Singer” was no different from the original and had all absolutely high-quality details. But since 1931, the machine was decorated with the abbreviation "PMZ", which stands for "Podolsky Mechanical Plant". The sewing machine received the new name "Podolsk".
House of the company "Singer"
In St. Petersburg, on Nevsky Prospekt, a building of incredible beauty now flaunts, which back in 1902 was built by a German company. Now this building is a landmark and the pride of the city, which is called the "House of Books", and at the time of the heyday of the company we were interested in, it housed the head office of the corporation, numerous shops and rental premises. The style of Singer House was very original and unusual at that time. Architect Suzor P. Yu. First applied the technology for the construction of an iron frame, in which the brickwork was built on cement. Thanks to such an innovation, it has become possible to create huge display cases that perfectly frame the building, making it exclusive and unique.
Also, the architect did not leave aside the question of the drainpipes that he had hidden 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 allowed the air throughout the building to be cleaned, moist 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 decorated 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. “Singer House” turned into an incredible structure, which will be admired by many generations.
Interesting historical moments
Here is some of them:
- It was Isaac Singer who directed the needle into a vertical action and fixed it in one place, so now any fabric can be sewn with such ease. After all, before the needle walked in a circle, which caused a lot of inconvenience to the seamstresses.
- It was Singer who first introduced the installment plan and credit for the purchase of a sewing machine, since at first it was too expensive. And this innovation made it possible to buy an innovative sewing device for almost any citizen, and accordingly, demand began to grow at a very fast pace.
- A wise businessman provided the typewriter with instructions, which greatly facilitated its use. And also there was a replacement of spare parts, even with one's own hand: it became possible to order replacement parts directly home.
- Over time, the Singer company introduced a warranty system for the device after purchase.
- Singer was the first to use a hired director to manage the company, because he was very burdened to conduct business himself, and family issues did not allow him to be distracted by business.
Myths and conjectures regarding the Singer sewing machine
For more than 160 years ago, a well-known company was founded and the first Singer machine was launched. And many housewives still use a rare device, the old age of which did not affect their work. And those who currently have a “Singer” are dreaming of the hope that very soon it will be possible to earn some money by selling rare books. And it was this moment that gave rise to many myths and legends about the high cost of the old sewing device. Almost the entire history of the Singer Company’s existence, the sewing machine was haunted 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 fictitious at all:
- It was rumored that some parts of the machine were made of rare and expensive metals, which added strength to the device. Treasure hunters appeared who were ready to do anything for the sake of profit, even murder. Rumor has it that because of an old typewriter a pensioner was killed somewhere in the outback of Russia.
- It is believed that there are special serial numbers of Singer, which are now very expensive, and the owner of such a treasure shines one million dollars. By the way, the serial number should begin 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 wealthy families needed to emigrate, but they were not allowed to transport anything across the border, except for household items. So, smart rich men melted gold in the form of "Singer" and painted black.
- And an even more recent rumor came from 2009, when information appeared in Saudi Arabia that some of the needles of Singer sewing machines contain rare red mercury, estimated 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 supposedly disappears.
Not without espionage
The Singer company and its sewing device have earned a truly special place in history. The Singer sewing machine was known all over the world, and the first thing that said about the wealth of the family anywhere in the world was the presence of a sewing machine of the same brand. And if, God forbid, there was a fire, the first thing that was taken out of the house was the Singer sewing machine. In a word, “Singer” was everywhere and everywhere. And it is precisely the factor of the prevalence and availability of Singer factories, stores, distributors in almost every corner of the planet that made it possible for the German intelligence agency to introduce its people for an espionage mission.
During the First World War, German soldiers undercover conducted surveillance activities, fixing every yard in the village with an indication of the number of residents. Several times a year, special services of the German army received information of a different nature: the location of railway structures, troops, representatives of the administration, warehouses and much more. There were so-called maps showing all intelligence information.
When did you first learn about espionage? The Singer company was spotted in dark affairs in 1913. In special ways, information was received that employees of the Singer company obtain information on the financial situation of citizens who buy sewing equipment by installments; it also became known that yields were recorded in various regions. Through counterintelligence established the size of the espionage group. According to preliminary data, more than four thousand people turned out to be German spies. In August 1915, a series of searches were carried out in which all persons involved in espionage were arrested.
Already in 1917, the history of the “Singer House” company ceased, as the company itself was suspected of espionage, and most employees were convicted of espionage activities. However, the top management was afraid to close all the shops and enterprises of the well-known company, as this could lead to great hype and chaos among the customers of the popular brand. Therefore, “quietly” all suspected persons were dismissed or arrested and “their” officials were put in their place.