New Home Sewing Machine with attachments distributed by Priscilla Needlework Company

Courtesy of The Museum of Our Industrial Heritage • Digital image © Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Assoc. • Image use information

About this item

This sewing machine (with attachments and instruction booklet), called the “Priscilla,” was sold to Miss Kathryn D. Jameson of Friendship, Maine, in 1924, by the Priscilla Needlework Company of Boston, a mail order house. The “Priscilla” was a private brand manufactured by the New Home Sewing Machine Company of Orange, Massachusetts. The company manufactured both vibrating shuttle and rotary machines and many were “stenciled” or “badged” with brand names like “Priscilla.” By the 1890’s, the New Home Sewing Machine Company was the largest employer in Franklin County, Massachusetts, with an annual production of over 100,000 machines. After World War II, the introduction of cheaper Japanese machines into the U.S. market severely crippled American sewing machine manufacturers. Eventually, the company failed and “New Home” was absorbed by Janome, a Japanese corporation, in 1957.

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Details

Item typeHousehold Objects
Tools & Equipment
CreatorNew Home Sewing Machine Company
Datecirca 1920
PlaceOrange, Massachusetts
TopicHome Life, Household Items, Furniture
EraProgressive Era, World War I, 1900–1928
MaterialWood; Metal
Dimension detailsHeight: 40.00 in Width: 50.00 in
Catalog #M.70
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New Home Sewing Machine Company. New Home Sewing Machine with attachments distributed by Priscilla Needlework Company. ca. 1920. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/m-70/. Accessed on November 21, 2024.

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