Sharon, I have often wondered what stories these machines could tell, if they were people. Some of the ones I have bought have been literally worn out, like the old Singer 15-91 knee-bar portable that i bought in WV. I didn't think it possible to wear out a Singer, but that one was one of the earliest and I think it must have been run 24/7. The motor was toast, but the entire mechanism of that machine had so much slop and play in it that it started to clank again 5 minutes after I oiled it. Then, there were some gorgeous Singer 201 machines that didn't have a scratch on their paint, because they'd never been used, but they were so rusted and siezed from dis-use that it took a lot of effort to get them running again.
Here's another machine from my family, that's still in the family. My mother has it. A 3/4 size clone of a Singer 15, probably Morse Debutante, badged "Gimbels Special." The instruction manual says Debutante. The motor has a Morse nameplate. Gimbels was a department store chain, and this machine most likely was purchased at the Pittsburgh store.
It's probably a postwar '40s or early '50s machine. The hardware is chrome plated. The tension control and the scrolled faceplate and backplate, the bare metal lamp, and the chrome rim on the handwheel are prewar fashion.
http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...164361-33.html
Mire pics:
http://s889.photobucket.com/user/sad...bels_Debutante