70 minute silent video of the Singer factory at Clydebank, Glasgow
 

If you have high speed internet, get the popcorn and watch this video.
You'll be amazed at how our favorite machines were made back in the mid 1930s.
You can full screen the video so your eyes don't cramp too.

{ http://ssa.nls.uk/film/1592 }


I thoroughly enjoyed this.

Joe

Amazing.

Those people, men and women, old and young worked so incredibly hard.

I've not finished watching the film yet and have already made an enquiry to purchase a DVD copy.

Thank you for posting this link.

Thanks Joe - I watched it all. Those machines are sturdy. No surprise we are still using and enjoying them. Women in the workforce. Primitive yet sophisticated manufacturing process. Not hard to believe a needle could be bent or have a burr. I wish I could see a brand spanking new machine from then. Only if someone got it and never opened the box. Very enjoyable.

OMG! Joe, how in the world did you find this? I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this!!! Thanks so much!!

Thanks for posting this. It was super, I also watched it all. I'm amazed at how much hands on attention each machine (and needle!) got. I cringed when they were put in the wood crates and the crates were tipped over to nail them shut. I guess they sure knew how to pack a machine!

WOW WOW WOW is all I can say! thank you for posting. watched it all and will do again to make sure I didn't miss anything. such labor intensive made machines. and the needles... I kept wondering about all the noise produced in the making. no machine guards and the belts to run the manufacturing machines are open. and how little they were paid for their work. just amazing. again, thank you for posting Joe.

Karen

Thanks for posting this. My goodness, it must have been hot in the summertime in those foundries! It would be interesting to see the company today, with the plastic parts all being farmed out to foreign countries.

Better internet in the new place then? Excellent!

The 222K, 201K23 and 320K were designed and made only in that factory. Makes me sad that it was an early victim of globalisation.

It was closed in 1980 and demolished in 1998.

Wow, thanks.....

I watched that film a few years ago and loved it. I tried to get a copy, and thought I had the deed done, but it never happened.

You have to send a request to the institute that owns the rights, then they will send you a price quote based on your use (if you plan to show it in movie houses it is more than if you are doing it for personal research... Then you can pay for and order the film. The DVD is great. I watch this from time to time just to "get in the head space" as it were..

Thank you for sharing this wonderful bit of history.......so many will never see this......so many thoughts flew thru my head as I watched...how many employees and pay per hour, hours per day, how large was that complex, noise level some of those depts., would today's employees work that deligently, what is on that vast property now, would like to see a "today" piecework/assembly line mfgr of a sewing machine......and so many more ???????

Thanks for the link. I have just requesting a quote and they said I should receive a reply within 10 days.

Can't wait to watch it! Thank you for posting it.

Maviskw & Caspharm - I just ordered a DVD copy for personal use a couple days ago. Did you fill out all of their forms before ordering the DVD?

It is a bit of a process, but so worth the effort.

First, I had to register with the National Library of Scotland and apply for a library card! How cool! Now I have a Scottish library card, at least the digital version with a 16-digit number!

The registration form asked for m name, mailing address, billing address (if different from the snail mail address) email address, and educational level. It had a list of library topics I may be interested in; I was to pick three. I did not consider this too nosey; all that information is available everywhere.

They emailed a confirmation, along with my library card number, and a temporay pass word. Then I had to click on the confirmation email, which took me to the site to change the pass word to one of my choice.

Then I ordered the DVD and used my PayPal account to purchase it. They converted the pounds to dollars at that time; how convenient! It was just over $24.

I received a "will hear back in 10 days" note, too." I hit the contact button and sent an email to ask for conformation of the order. A very nice woman answered the next day; she said they had received the payment and the DVD was mailed out this morning. I shoud expect it in 12-14 days.

You may have not completed the registration. If you try again I bet it will work. Just complete all the registration, apply for the library card, check the email confirmation, change your password, and then order the DVD.

...and then pack your bags; meet me in Minneapolis, and let's go try out our new cards at the Edinburgh library!

Here's the link to their home page...

http://www.nls.uk/

My copy of Birth of A Sewing Machine has arrived!

It actually arrived several days ago, but I just found the time to watch it for the first time. I will be watching it many, many times until I glean every nuance of information from the 74 minutes of 1934 time travel.

It arrived from Glasgow, Scotland, in perfect condition. It was in a heavier cardboard sleeve and addressed by hand. It was posted with an automatic postage meter so I missed out on seeing interesting Scottish postage stamps.

It arrived far quicker than mail sent from my home in Arkansas normally reaches me here in North Dakota.

It's a silent movie with intertitles to describe different processes; it's in glorious black and white; it was filmed in 1934 - and it is perfect.

I highly recommend my fellow vintage machine - and video - lovers to treat yourselves to this film.