Author Topic: Western Electric Sewing Machine Outstanding Condition (Read 1975 times)

Doug Rose · « **on:** August 21, 2015, 08:12:27 AM »

I found this earlier this summer and just remembered it was tucked away in the dungeon. This is in wonderful condition, the paint and the decals are like new. I have one in my collection, but it is not electric. This has the foot petal and everything needed to make it work. Check out the wood case! I am debating which one to keep for the collection....Doug

andre_janew · « **Reply #1 on:** August 21, 2015, 01:13:29 PM »

I had no idea Western Electric made sewing machines!

WEBellSystemChristian · « **Reply #2 on:** August 21, 2015, 02:03:23 PM »

Quote from: andre_janew on August 21, 2015, 01:13:29 PM

I had no idea Western Electric made sewing machines!

Well, that's what the 'Electric' was for! Before the '40s or so, WE made everything; lamps, sewing machines, spotlights (I have one of those), fans, and other household appliances. Bell System's agreement with them to produce telephones basically drove them away from producing other stuff, and they narrowed their field of production down to phones.

poplar1 · « **Reply #3 on:** August 21, 2015, 02:11:23 PM »

I believe the fans were made by other companies, such as Robbins and Myers, but distributed by Western Electric, and later Graybar.

unbeldi · « **Reply #4 on:** August 21, 2015, 02:59:08 PM »

Western Electric was founded as a general electric supplies and equipment vendor, at first making electrical products. They got into the telegraph and telephone business by way of Western Union, but eventually got bought by Bell in 1881.

In the 1910s Western Electric was one of the largest general electrical suppliers. They started publishing large catalogs in 1915 that comprised more than a thousand pages every year. Here is a list on the forum of some of the WECo catalogs: http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=13063.msg137263#msg137263
The 1916 general catalog is available on line in several places.

In 1925 AT&T divested itself of foreign subsidiaries and Western Electric refocussed its business to only telecommunications by splitting off all other products into the Graybar Electric Company.

WEBellSystemChristian · « **Reply #5 on:** August 21, 2015, 03:06:43 PM »

To be clear, I meant that the change to making telephone-only products by Western Electric was very gradual; before 1881, WE made other products, but they continued to produce other appliances, and by the early 1940s or so, they had narrowed down their product line strictly to telephone products.

unbeldi · « **Reply #6 on:** August 21, 2015, 03:11:12 PM »

Quote from: WEBellSystemChristian on August 21, 2015, 03:06:43 PM

To be clear, I meant that the change to making telephone-only products by Western Electric was very gradual; before 1881, WE made other products, but they continued to produce other appliances, and by the early 1940s or so, they had narrowed down their product line strictly to telephone products.

In 1925. Suddenly. The company was split in two.

Dan/Panther · « **Reply #7 on:** August 22, 2015, 12:57:22 PM »

If you have two versions you need to keep both.
D/P

Doug Rose · « **Reply #8 on:** August 22, 2015, 01:25:02 PM »

Dan....I agree, but I do have space limitations.

and a wife I am pushing to her limit as well!

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