The History Of The Sewing Machine

The History Of The Sewing Machine The art of sewing was invented in the Paleolithic era, where early men used sharp pointed tools called awls to poke holes in pieces of leather and then thread a strip of leather or sinew through the leather to make coverings for cold weather. Then, the idea to make a notch at the end of the awl came about and it allowed the thread to be attached to the awl, this made sewing a lot easier and more efficient.  [1]  Since then, implements for sewing have been tremendously enhanced and refined, but the most significant improvement made to the process of sewing is the invention of the sewing machine. For this essay, I will focus on the introduction and the proliferation of the sewing machine for use in the household in 19th to early 20th century in Europe and America. I will also examine the role that it played in society and the various issues related to the sewing machine in this period of time. History Up to the early and mid 19th century in Europe, sewing was all done by hand, everything from clothing to bed linen and curtains had to be sewn by hand, usually by the women of the family, including girls. It constituted a large part of womens labour in the home. The skills of sewing and embroidery were taught to girls from a young age, and they were expected to be proficient at it. Even girls from rich families which could afford to hire seamstresses were expected to proficient in sewing. The sewing machine was significant enough such that in 1855, the influential and powerful magazine Godeys Ladys Book hailed the sewing machine as the The Queen of Inventions for the time and labour that it would save women.  [2]   The first viable, working sewing machine was invented by French tailor Barthà ©lemy Thimonnier in 1830. By 1841, he has produced eighty machines for use by the French military to sew uniforms. A group of tailors, being fearful of the new technology, broke into the factory and destroyed the machines as they were afraid that the machines would ruin their livelihoods. In 1846, America, a mechanic Elias Howe came up with another design for the sewing machine, using the lockstitch instead of Thimonniers chain stitch method. However, the machine was not well received in America and Howe travelled to England to seek financing for the production for his machine. Upon his return to America, he discovered that the inventors Isaac Singer and Walter Hunter had improved on his design, with a rigid instead of a vibrating arm, similar to the sewing machines that we have today. The machine they made had become a commercial success. After that, many sewing machine companies were set up and many peop le made improvements to the design of the sewing machine. To resolve patent issues, some of these companies came together to form the Sewing Machine Corporation. The next major improvement in the design of sewing machines with Singer Manufacturing Companys introduction of the electricity powered sewing machine.  [3]   Marketing the sewing machine One thing about the sewing machine which I found interesting was the way in which it was marketed and how the marketing of the sewing machine changes as peoples perception of the sewing machine changed. Some of the earliest French advertising material for sewing machines were targeted at men and showed a soldier at the sewing machine. From its introduction until the 1850s, the sewing machine was targeted at men and for industrial use, until it was suggested to Singer Sewing Company that they create a machine for domestic use. Henceforth, the advertising of the sewing machine was targeted at women.  [4]   The marketing strategy was altered to react to the changes of womens view on the increasingly common sewing machine. When the sewing machine was first made available, it was expensive and unaffordable and hence became a status symbol for the wealthier families. The time saved could be used for teaching their children or simply resting. From the 1850s to the 1870s, the sewing machine was also marketed as a piece of furniture, which led to some of the higher end sewing machines coming with cabinet cases that were rather elaborate and fanciful. The sewing machine continued to gain in popularity and by the 1890s, it was common enough for it to lose its association as a status symbol. This led to a change in the perception of the sewing machine. Instead of being something meant to be displayed, it was now a tool that was best hidden from view, even though it was still frequently used. This led to modifications in the new types of machines being introduced, such as the drop head model, whe re the machine could be folded into a table and out of sight after use.  [5]  ,  [6]   Another event that altered the role of the sewing machine was the rise of the ready-to-wear clothing industry in the 1920s. Unlike today, readymade clothing were of better quality but more costly compared to home sewn clothing as they were made by professional dressmakers. At this period of time, the sewing machine was marketed as a money saving tool, allowing women to save some money by sewing their own clothing and look as polished as if they were wearing ready to wear clothing. Advertising from a sewing machine company then claimed that with the help of Greist attachments, the items sewn at home have a finished look instead of a home-made look  [7]   Pioneering new forms of technology An idea in the marketing of the sewing machine which I found worthy of exploration was the idea of hire purchase that began in the 1890s. Clothing manufacturers were unwilling to invest in sewing machines as labour was both cheap and plentiful. Due to the abundance of labour, the wages of the working women were low and their work undervalued.  [8]  The working class women were the group of people that would benefit the most from owning a sewing machine of their own. However, few people from this class of society could afford to buy one, as a sewing machine could cost anywhere from a fifth to half of their yearly income. Owning a sewing machine would allow them to take on more pieces of work and possibly improve their standard of living, making the sewing machine a very attractive piece of equipment. Through the installment plans, women could possibly afford to purchase a machine  [9]  . Though the idea of hire-purchase did not originate from the sewing machine industry, it wa s one of the early pioneers of this method of purchase and the first industry to extend direct credit to the consumer. It was ingenious of the industry to recognize the potential of installment schemes back when such methods of payment were unheard. This is in contrast to todays world where there are hire purchase schemes available for most major purchases. The Sewing Machine and the Industrial Revolution One of the trademarks of the Industrial Revolution was the idea of standardized and interchangeable parts. This process was first utilized by the ammunitions manufacturing industry to produce multiple parts with great precision to produce weapons like muskets. The same level of precision was required in the manufacturing of sewing machines. Isaac Singer saw the potential in this process and his company was one of the first to take advantage of this manufacturing process.  [10]  Production by this method ensured that any two machines of the same type were identical and the quality of the machines remained constant  [11]  . This allowed the sewing machine to be produced on the assembly line, and in turn caused the cost of production to be dramatically decreased, allowing the company to pass the savings on to the consumers. Also, interchangeable parts allowed repairs to be made effortlessly should a part of the machine be broken as the manufacturer could simply send over another piece similar to the one that was broken.  [12]  This made the sewing machine more appealing to the customers especially when coupled together with the decrease in price. The sewing machine was one of the inventions among others that were created during the Industrial Revolution and led to changes in the role that women play in society. The introduction of machines such as the sewing machine, washing machines, refrigerators and vacuum cleaners saved women in the household much time and effort.  [13]  This allowed women to receive more educational opportunities and the ability to become a skilled worker and be engaged in occupations such as teaching or nursing where their labour is of value. Women were no longer tied up in the household carrying out household chores. Conclusion To conclude, I feel that the sewing machine is one of the more significant inventions to be made during the years of the Industrial Revolution. The the study of the sewing machines can help us understand world events and issues that took place during that period of time such as the Industrial Revolution, and the changes in the lives of women. Also, when compared to todays world, the role that the sewing machine plays in the society is vastly different than the role that it played back in the late 1800s. The domestic sewing machine is now something of a novelty. This is just another example to show that as society changes, the needs of the people changes with it. What was regarded as a necessity in the household back then is no longer a necessity today. Beaudry, Mary C. Findings. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2006. Coffin, Judith G. The Politics of Womens work. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1996. Connolly, Marguerite. The Disappearance of the Domestic Sewing Machine, 1890-1925. Winterthur Portfolio, 1999: 31-48. McClellan, James E.,and Dorn, Harold. Science and technology in world history:An Introduction. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press, 2006. Zakreski, Patricia. Representing Female Artistic Labour, 1848-1890. Hampshire: Ashgate Publishing Limited, 2006.

Bei Dao’s Poem ‘An End or a Beginning’ Essay

Bei Dao’s Poem ‘An End or a Beginning’ depicts the endless protestors ‘murdered’ by the cruelty of the Cultural Revolution and the continuity of life in search of hope after many lives taken away. The loss of hope looked for â€Å"In every dream† after every day, reinforces the everlastingly hunt of freedom and end of the Cultural Revolution even though it feels just out of grasp and the sacrifice to get there is unavoidable. The setting of the poem in nature where the â€Å"trees†, â€Å"clouds† and â€Å"stars† are, connotes the freedom of the outdoors with no restrictions contrasting with the people living under the unnatural aggression of the Cultural Revolution. The destruction of the people’s freedom is shown in stanza one where someone protests like â€Å"the sun rises† and â€Å"A heavy shadow, like a road Shall run across the land† will destroy the pureness of one’s courage. The sun is like a person’s boldness to ‘stand’ against the Cultural Revolution like the nature of the sun rising and the ‘heavy shadow’ looming over the sun darkens the atmosphere covering all hope and demolishes it like how nature is corrupted by roads built for the selfishness of man. The repeated anticipation of hope can be seen even after the brutality of oppression by the revolution. The persona’s personal response can be seen in stanza five to emphasize the search for the hope of new beginning. The repetition of ‘I look for’ portray the things dreamed for all of which are beautiful images of nature which connote freedom and places of no boundaries. Contrasting this ideal illustration, the actual land with â€Å"A heavy shadow†, â€Å"A sorrowing mist† covered with â€Å"wretched cigarette stubs† all convey negative images of a worn area. The structure of the poem follows similar lines in each stanza except stanza 4 where the word â€Å"towmen† is on its own near the middle of the paragraph. The diction â€Å"towmen† used all alone in one line emphasizes how people are pulled and manipulated by the communists who control the Cultural Revolution. The Yellow River mentioned before the â€Å"towmen† shows how much impact the communists has had as the Yellow River is a very important river in China. By asking if â€Å"even the ropes of the Yellow River† can be controlled is like questioning how the manipulators could be so powerful. As the Poem comes to the end, the stanzas very slightly diminishes to allow the reader feel a less abrupt ending which relates to the sadness of a dying end. Death throughout the poem is constantly mentioned to illustrate its recurrence. Diction such as â€Å"murdered†, â€Å"gone†, â€Å"forever† all convey the permanent lost of lives which cannot be stopped but only replaced and repeated due to the unforgiving violence of the Revolution. The hope of renewing the land can be seen in stanza six where Dao explains how â€Å"fresh blood† needs to be shed in order to help rebuild the land and create new life and hope â€Å"on tomorrow’s branches†. Branches, relating to trees display an image of life and growth which provide â€Å"The ripened fruit† which would mean the country being able to feed and look after itself because of the lives killed to make the land â€Å"fertile† and grow. Repetition is used a lot in the poem. The repetition of ‘Here I stand Replacing another, who has been murdered† represent all the protestors who stood up against the Revolution, died and then replaced and killed again. This is used to exemplify the problem which gives people â€Å"no other choice† but to keep doing it because there is no other way out and hope which is only â€Å"Stars† which â€Å"glimmer in the wind†. Wind being a powerful source contrasts with the small glimmering stars which connote hope emphasize how there is little chance of survival. ‘An End or a Beginning’ uses the strong image of nature to represent the freedom of which is natural with the dark gloomy illustrations of â€Å"clouds†, â€Å"mists† and â€Å"wind† to convey the dark disasters of the Cultural revolution causing devastation and â€Å"growing forests of gravestones† ending lives where hope is already slim increasing loss.

Children with Paid Work Essay

Nowadays, more and more children work for money. To some extent, paid work can help children to learn, to take responsibilities and have some extra money. However, it is also controversial to discuss whether or not children should get involved in money pursuit. To my mind, this really has some advantages and disadvantages. Paid work can bring children some income. Children are supposed to get money from their parents, which partly causes their parents some burden and make children annoyed when they cannot meet their essential demands. With some extra money, children and their parents might feel better. Children with paid work are likely to/ to be suppose to appear more responsible. They have to work seriously and efficiently, or they will be sacked. Their income really pays for their hard work; therefore, they seem to be wiser in spending money. Working can make children more experienced and well-disciplined. Children are also asked to be punctual if they work. They have to learn how to sell well, how to behave properly with customers, with their co-workers and with their boss. They also have to follow the working culture of the company. On the other hand, working might cause a lot of trouble to children. They might neglect in their study; they might feel too tired to do a good job in his schoolwork. More seriously, they might find it much better to work rather than to study or they might misrecognize that they do not need to study because they can earn money without studying further, which can harm much the future generation. In common, children can get engaged in some paid work, but they have to follow an appropriate plan so that they can learn to be responsible and do a good job as a student. Otherwise, they had better focus on only studying.

Copyright Infringement is Immoral - 1165 Words

The average person wouldnt even consider walking into a music store and stealing a CD, however, with todays technology getting music without paying for it is so easy it barely seems illegal. Copyright infringement is a huge ethical issue going on right now. From downloading movies and music from peer-to-peer programs as well as various websites to being able to stream a movie at the click of a button without a copy ever being saved on the computer its so simple, anyone could get addicted to doing it. For some of these reasons many argue that copyright infringement is a moral thing to do, but on the other hand others believe it is just as immoral as stealing. When comparing and contrasting reasons for why copyright infringement is moral and why it is immoral I think when it comes down to it it is stealing and would obviously be immoral. Before comparing the morality of copyright infringement it needs to be understood what copyright infringement is and how it is done. Coming directly f rom the United States Copyright Office. Copyright infringement is â€Å"when a copyrighted work is reproduced, distributed, performed, publicly displayed, or made into a derivative work without the permission of the copyright owner† (par 5). Its pretty obvious that downloading copyrighted music from a website for free without owners permission is copyright infringement, but there are other things that also constitute as infringement that many people havent even considered. 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