Irons and Progress

The Cataloguers have definitely left sewing machines for a while - we are off working on the irons. These two are spirit irons, where you were actually ironing with a live flame inside the iron. Scary stuff.

So, while we are checking these, we are also perfecting our auditing techniques, and checking the Police Station, and then the Bank, against the old catalogue.

That should keep us out of trouble for a while - even though we have now also had Cheral and Graham come and join in with us to see if cataloguing suits them as a voluntary activity.

Both are most welcome! It is lucky Cheral likes irons - we haven't worked out yet what Graham sees as his first interest in cataloguing. But we will.

Thanks Dick!

The Cataloguing Team are taking a short break from Sewing Machines (I can hear applause), to test out another facet of the Cataloguing System. We are doing an audit of previously catalogued items in the Police Station. But you will be pleased to know that the machines can now be seen better in the Dressmaker's Shop - thanks to Dick organising the final piece of glass needed in front of the counter.

This decal on one of the machines on the counter has turned out to be quite interesting to sewing machine collectors. It is an example of the Australian re-badging by Ward Brothers of Melbourne of a German machine, the Biesolt and Locke "Wettina" of around 1900.

However, if you are looking for something other than machines - we wonder how many different sorts of chairs there are in the Park.

This a Mundus chair from the Police Station - possibly made c.1900. The chairmaker's name is on a label beneath - Josef Jaworek of Teschen in Austria.

It belongs to the Bentwood family of chairs, and is cafe style. As opposed to the Captains chairs, which are in the Windsor chair family. More on them soon.

How many chairs do we have??????

Any advance on 34?

It had to happen - sewing machine total is now 34 (two more in the workshop, one under the stage in Tynong).

So, just to celebrate - here is another picture of a sewing machine

This is the Wilcox and Gibbs Chain Stitcher, one of the first to come out with automatic tension. This one was languishing in the back room at the Cobb and Co Inn, and has been dated at 1875.

It has now had a little bit more of a clean up (Joan has joined the Cataloguers as a Trainee Conservator), and is in a corner in the Dressmaker's Shop.

And what I really wanted to post pictures of, is the work of Heidi and Debbie, who can be found at the Park on Wednesdays working on the horse gear. But I forgot to take the pictures!!!!

So, if you get a chance, drop into the Bootmaker's and check out their work. They won't have as many side saddles as we have sewing machines, but there is already a growing total. Was it three, or five???? Maybe they just count saddles, as we aren't distinguishing between treadle and hand sewing machines.

Just when you thought it was safe .....

Just when we thought it would be safe to go back into the water ......

A short visit to the Park yesterday, and some forays into previously unvisited areas (ie the Goods Shed and the Stables Loft), and we now have a total of 31 sewing machines in the Collection.

More sightings still welcome, but we think we might have them all, now.

So, here is a change and a challenge.

The really big version of the picture is HERE.

This early long-stitch picture is in Sarah Carter's Dressmaker's Shop, and we were wondering if anyone can tell us anything more about it. In particular - where is it supposed to show?

In the back it appears to show icebergs, and the flag (closeup below) on the right seems to be three stars in a semi-circle and red and white stripes. There is a really rough flag on the right that might be a Union Jack. Closeup below:

The really big version is HERE.

Any information or suggestions are welcome.

Dating the "Catback"

There is now a reasonably firm date for the Jones "Hand" machine that was posted the other day. This is the one also known as a "serpentine" or "cat-back" machine, and is on the counter in the Dressmaker's shop.

It appears to be from 1888, from the serial. Old for a sewing machine, but not as old as the Singer upstairs in Loren. That looks like coming back in around 1870.

There are a number of sites on the net for finding more about old machines. One is The Needlebar, and another is the International Sewing Machine Collectors' Society (ISMACS).

More sewing machine excitement

More excitement today on the sewing machine front:

There is still more to find out, but it seems this one upstairs in Loren, with its beautiful Mother-of_Pearl inlay, may be a rare 1870s Singer sewing machine.

And, at the other end of the spectrum, this one in the Bootmaker's may be a rare form of the Treadle No.3 Industrial machine - not yet dated.

The few photos in the identification guide do not show it on the treadle base.