Conserved by Foteini Diatsigkou
About the Object
Based on the serial number, the machine was made in the U.S.A. between 1903 and 1904. It was imported to the UK and purchased from London after 1916.
James Willcox and James E. A. Gibbs founded the Willcox and Gibbs Sewing Machine Co. (New York) in 1857. In 1856, Gibbs designed the first single thread rotary twisted chain stitch machine for domestic use and Willcox was the businessman in charge of manufacturing. Willcox enlisted the help of Joseph R. Brown and Lucian Sharpe (B&S), a business based in Providence, Rhode Island, to start building the machine’s frames and they continued to do so in its original form until 1948.
Until 1875, glass tension discs were used, but these were replaced by a major and unique improvement, an automated tension system. The automatic tension guaranteed that the tension remained aligned and suited to varied cloth thicknesses. These ‘Automatic Silent’ machines were indeed nearly silent, and they are known for their advanced mechanics, while the chain stitch was based on a simple mechanism, created by a spinning hook beneath the cloth plate.
At first, only machines with a treadle were manufactured. The possibility of a hand-crank model was only considered when the company started to be interested in exports. The cost of shipping treadles would have been prohibitive, while it seemed that hand-crank machines were preferred throughout Europe. Furthermore, it was decided that it would be less costly to send only the frames and have the remaining parts built locally. The company inevitably turned to England’s Coalbrookdale, which was famous for manufacturing high-quality decorative iron casts and being the centre of the Industrial Revolution. The British machines were designed slightly differently. The gantry design that was finally chosen for production had a smoother design with finer spokes, while the hand-crank wheel was bigger and typically decorated with gold decals.
For selling them in Europe, Willcox & Gibbs opened its London offices at the prestigious 135 Regent Street a few years after it was founded. The machines were priced between £8 and £15. By the time the owner’s grandmother purchased the machine the company’s European Chief Office had been relocated to 20 Fore Street in London, E.C. (after 1907), and several branch offices were created throughout the United Kingdom and Europe.
Condition Before Treatment
-The sewing machine’s rosewood handle was bent presumably because of the constant practice of storing and removing the machine from its case for usage. Scratches were observed on the case’s interior at the height of the machine’s handle to support this.
-The veneer of the machine’s base was cracked and detached in some areas due to relative humidity fluctuations which caused the different types of wood (thin mahogany veneer and thick solid underlying pine wood) to expand and contract to a different extent and rates leading to mechanical stress. The animal glue used to adhere the veneer was also affected resulting in failure. The susceptible cracked and loose veneer was prone to losses during use, especially at the edges.
-The case had suffered dimensional changes caused by relative humidity fluctuations. Expansion and contraction of the wood can produce opposing tensions, especially if timbers have been attached in opposite grain directions. At the door, the grain of the two lipings is vertical (longitudinal and radial shrinkage) while that of the board in between is horizontal (tangential shrinkage). Tangential shrinkage accounts for around two-thirds of total shrinkage, so the main board shrank more. Additionally, the main board was bent towards the interior of the case, following its grain (plain sawn) making it slightly difficult to close.
-The case’s lock pin was bent, as the key was lost, and a screwdriver was used to pick the lock and open the door.
-All surfaces were covered with dirt and dust, particularly the sewing machine, which was covered in oil residues from its pre-use oiling.
-The black paint (japanning) of the machine’s frame was worn, as well as some of its gold decals due to the use of the levers as a handle for transportation.
-A push pin had probably accidentally penetrated the wood at the base’s reverse.
– There were white paint and varnish spots all over the case as well as glue residues from packing tape.
– At the case’s top, white and dark water marks were visible. These ring-shaped stains possibly resulted from some cold or hot object placed directly on the surface. The moisture (condensed water/steam) penetrated under the varnish layer and turned the clear layer into white or dark when the moisture reached the wood.
– The brass components were covered with patina. Patina is a dark passive layer that develops gradually and naturally on the surface, caused by pollutants containing sulphur (present in the atmosphere) and organic acidic gases (acetic and formic acids emitted by the wood and their formation is accelerated by high RH levels and insufficient ventilation). The organic acids also reacted with the copper in the brass to form green corrosion products.
Conservation Treatment
Aim: Enhance the objects’ aesthetical appearance and render them suitable for use without exposing them to further deterioration. Ensuring their surface and structural stability after treatment. Restore the case’s lock and replace the missing key to avoid further mechanical damage, due to the lack of a handle. Retouch some of the gold decals to restore the machine’s former aesthetic appearance.
Sewing Machine
-First, the machine was dismantled from the base.
-The wooden part of the gantry’s handle was gently cleaned with a natural sponge and water and its bolt was straightened and cleaned with a solvent, while for the thread a steel wire wheel brush was used to remove the rust from the fine pitches.
-The machine was dry and chemically cleaned gradually to soften and remove the oil residues from the heavily soiled areas.
-The fine engravings on the cloth plate were cleaned with a solvent and a syringe needle, after bending its tip to form a hook and under magnification to avoid scratching the plate.
-All screws, washers and the machine’s bare base were treated similarly to the gantry’s handle bolt.
-With the aid of a stencil, an acrylic coating was applied to protect the original japanned surface and draw the decal’s letters. The letters were gilded using an acrylic gold size and gold skewings. Then they were toned down and protected with a tinted acrylic coating mixed with a matting agent.
Base
-The push pin was removed with a spatula after the wooden surface was protected to avoid dents and scratches. For the re-adhesion of the lifting veneer, animal glue was used. Then the base was cleaned with a soft brush and a natural sponge dampened into warm water.
Case
-First, antifungal treatment was undertaken to prevent the growth of mould inside the case.
-The paint and varnish spots were softened with a solvent on poultices while a wooden scraper was created to mechanically remove them. The watermarks and scratches were saturated with a clear varnish.
-Then, the case’s top was coated with a tinted varnish and wax to remove the varnish’s glossy finish.
-The lock was removed from the case and cleaned while the bent pin was repaired and a new key was found. The simple warded lock allowed the modification of its bit by filling.
-A ribbon was fixed under the lock as a handle, held by a screw, so it could be easily removed if needed. -Finally, the machine was oiled for optimal performance, while the frame and all the metal components present on both objects were sprayed with a lubricant to provide a light protective coating. The patina on the brass components was not treated since it serves as a protective barrier against the ambient environment while any corrosion was removed with solvents.
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