The invention of the sewing machine was supposed to make life easier, so why did it spark one of the messiest patent wars in history? In this episode, we unravel the dramatic story of the sewing machine, from arsonist tailors and prophetic dreams, to legal battles and backstabbing. And of course we have to mention Isaac Singer, who was a real life Count Olaf and treated adultery as an olympic sport. Who knew sewing could be so scandalous? Grab your thimble and thread and join us as we stitch together the crazy history of sewing!
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SOURCES
Goldstar Tool - The Complete History of a Sewing Machine
Windham Textile and History Museum - Sewing Revolution: The Machine That Changed America
Smithsonian Magazine - The Many, Many Designs of the Sewing Machine
Wikipedia - Barthélemy Thimonnier
ThoughtCo. - History of the Sewing Machine
National Museum of American History - 1854 - Walter Hunt’s Patent Model of a Sewing Machine
Wikipedia - Walter Hunt (inventor)
American Business History Center - The Sordid Saga of Mr. Singer and his Sewing Machine
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