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International Sewing Machine Collectors' Society

The purpose of the International Sewing Machine Collectors' Society is to foster the collecting of, and research into, sewing machines.

The No. 3 Standard

Singer's Number 3 Standard Sewing Machine

(Picture and Text Courtesy of Dorothy Brumleve)

In 1852 a modification of the first Singer machine was put on the market and was called the "No. 1 Standard"; it was essentially a machine for manufacturing purposes and several hundred thousand were sold previous to 1880.

It was succeeded by the "No. 2 Standard" in 1854. This also was similar to the "No. 1" but had greater capacity; it was fitted with either the rolling, the vibrating or the spring presser, according to the class of work it was to accomplish. It was heavier than the No. 1 and had more room under the arm.

In 1856 the "No. 3 Standard" was brought out. This too was similar to its predecessors in its mechanism but was especially designed for stitching leather in carriage trimming and harness manufacture. It has 18 inches clear space under the arm and is a standard machine to-day [1914] for its purpose.


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