Sewing Machines : Jones lock-stitch sewing machine, c 1890

Sewing Machines : Jones lock-stitch sewing machine, c 1890. Jones is the most famous name in British sewing machine manufacturing. William Jones took out his first sewing machine patent in 1859 and founded a company which still manufactures sewing machines. This hand machine, commonly known as the 'Fiddlebase' machine (due to its fiddle-shaped base), was made at Jones' Guide Bridge factory in Lancashire (now Greater Manchester) and is of a type in production from 1879 to 1909. It was produced with a view to export to tropical countries so the unpainted parts were heavily metal-plated to combat rust in humid climates, and it came with its own steel carrying case. Photographie. ©SSPL/Science Museum