The first possible patent connected to mechanical sewing was a 1755 British patent issued to German, Charles Weisenthal. Weisenthal was issued a patent for a needle that was designed for a machine, however, the patent did not describe the rest of the machine if one existed.
The first functional sewing machine was invented by the French tailor, Barthelemy Thimonnier in 1830. The inventor was almost killed by an enraged group of French tailors who burnt down his garment factory because they feared unemployment as a result of his new invention.
Did you know that Ebeneezer Butterick created the first graded sewing pattern? Photo Credit: LOC
Good article!
OK, I love to sew, taught school for 40+ years, and I am curious….does spell check know the difference between “stiches” and “stitches”?
Trust the french to be luddites!No wonder Frederic Bastiat,the great french econophilosopher had to write the “petition of the candle makers”