Domestic Sewing Machines
This page shows examples of Domestic sewing machines made prior to the company being purchased by White in 1924.
Domestic High Arm
The Domestic High Arm Vibrating Shuttle (VS) sewing machine was manufactured in the early 1870s and was much more modern than
its competitors and was the first true "high arm" machine. Some characteristic features are:
- high arm
- rectangular base
- vibrating shuttle
- leaf tension
- no clutch release knob
- bobbin winder on end of machine under hand wheel
- stitch length control knob behind pillar
- no access plate on the front or rear of the machine
- socket style feet
- SN located on front slide plate
photo courtesy of Donna Kohler
(modified with an automatic bobbin winder)
Domestic fiddlebase
Domestic produced a fiddlebase VS machine from 1876-1901. Some characteristics are:
- fiddlebase
- vibrating shuttle
- leaf tension
- bobbin winder on front of machines (early models have simple winder, later models have automatic winder)
- stitch length control knob behind pillar
- no access plate on the front or rear of the machine
- socket style feet
- SNs located on front slide plate, under front slide plate, and top of needlebar (only on slide plate of earliest models)
The fiddlebase was also sold with "Reliable" decals:
Domestic A and B Hand Cranks
Domestic manuals from the late 1870s mention a "Hand Machine, for invalids and travellers.
On the "Domestic" system, with modifications". I do not know how similar these were to the Domestic A and B
models because I have not found any ads for them
The Domestic A and Domestic B hand cranks were manufactured from the 1880's to the 1910s. They were smaller than
the treadle heads.
Design features include:
- rectangular base
- leaf tension OR disk tension on top of arm
- no access plate on front or rear of machine
- Domestic A stitch lenth control thumbscrew on front at base of pillar
- Domestic B stitch length control knob behind pillar
- socket style feet
- SN located on slide plates
"Little Domestic", precursor to Domestic A, photo courtesy of Judy in BC
(Note top disk tension). This machine does not have "A" in the decal but has the front thumbwheel stich length control like the Domestic A.
It has a lower serial number than the Domestic A shown below.
Domestic A photo courtesy of Marilyn Hale (Note top leaf tension)
Domestic B photo courtesy of Eleanor Beck. Early Domestic B's might
say "Reliable" on the arm instead of Domestic.
New Domestic
The next model was called the New Domestic, which was introduced in 1901 and likely ended with rollout of the Domestic D in 1909. Design features included:
- fiddlebase
- vibrating shuttle
- disk tension located on the face plate (end) of the machine
- stitch length control lever on the front of the machine at the base of the pillar
- access plate on the right end of the arm on the front of the machine
- socket style feet
- SN located under front slide plate
photo courtesy of Katie Farmer
Domestic C
The Domestic C was a lower priced model in the 1900s, approx 1901 to 1909.
rectangular base
leaf tension
no access plate on front of machine
vertical stitch length control lever on front of pillar (earlier machines) OR on bed in front of pillar (later machines)
top clamping feet (early), socket style feet (late)
SN located under front slide plate
photo courtesy of Gail Enos
Domestic D
The Domestic D was introduced in 1909 and made into the mid teens, probably 1915.
- fiddlebase
- barrel tension
- no access plate on front of machine
- stitch length control lever on bed in front of pillar
- top clamping feet
- SN located under front slide plate
- last patent date 10-24-1910
Domestic Vibrator (King class)
Domestic Vibrator machines were produced from approx 1915 into the 1930s. They were copies of the Singer Model 27/127 and were made by White after 1924.
Some identifying features are:
- rectangular base
- vibrating shuttle
- disk tension located on the front of the machine
- stitch length contol knob on front of pillar
- access plate on the left end of the arm on the front of the machine and at top of pillar on the back of the machine
- side clamping feet
- SN located under front slide plate (early) or on bed tag in front of pillar (late)
photo courtesy of Cathy Jones
Domestic Rotary, Type 1
This rotary is very similar to a Standard Rotary (except for fiddlebase shape), and in fact appears to take the same bobbin. Design features included:
- fiddlebase
- rotary hook
- disk tension located on the front of the machine
- stitch length control lever on the front of the machine at the base of the pillar
- top clamping feet
- SN located on stitch length control frame
photo by Kelly Pakes
Domestic Rotary, Type 2
This Domestic rotary has a last patent date of 1904, and all of the patents on the slide plate are identical to the dates
on the Standard Rotary. Some identifying features of this model are:
- rectangular base
- rotary hook
- disk tension located on the front of the machine
- stitch length control lever located on bed in front of pillar
- access plate at top of pillar on the back of the machine
- bobbin access plate flips up to left
- top clamping feet
- SN located on frame of stitch length control
photo by Kelly Pakes
Domestic Rotary, Type 3, Domestic 69 Hi-Speed Rotary
This Domestic rotary has a last patent date of 1919, and was made from 1919 to 1924.
Some identiying features are:
- rectangular base
- rotary hook
- disk tension located on the front of the machine
- stitch length control knob on front of pillar
- side clamping feet
- brown or black machine with gold decals
photo courtesy of Judith Baker
Franklin VS
The Franklin was a badged machine sold by Sears beginnging in 1911 and was made into the 1930s (by White after 1924). It was a copy of the Singer 27/127
Design features include:
- rectangular base
- vibrating shuttle
- disk tension located on the front of the machine
- stitch length contol knob on front of pillar
- access plate on the left end of the arm on the front of the machine and at top of pillar on the back of the machine
- side clamping feet
- SN located under front slide plate
Minnesota A
The Minnesota A was a badged machine sold by Sears beginnging in 1913 and was made into the 1930s (by White after 1924).
Design features include:
- rectangular base
- vibrating shuttle
- disk tension located on the front of the machine
- stitch length contol knob on front of pillar (early models) or vertical stitch length lever located on front of pillar (1920 and later models)
- access plate on the left end of the arm on the front of the machine (early machines only) and at top of pillar on the back of the machine
- side clamping feet
- SN located under front slide plate (early machines) or on frame of stitch length control (later machines)
photo courtesy of Kate Triplett (pre-1920)
photo courtesy of Bill in AK (1920 patent date)
Minnesota H
The Minnesota H was a badged machine sold by Sears beginnging in 1920 and was made into the 1930s (by White after 1924).
Design features include:
- rectangular base
- vibrating shuttle
- leaf tension
- vertical stitch length lever located on front of pillar
- access plate at top of pillar on the back of the machine
- side clamping feet
- SN located on frame of stitch length control
photo courtesy of Katie Farmer
New Willard
The New Willard was a badged machine beginning in 1915 and was made into the 1930s (by White after 1924).
Design features include:
- rectangular base
- vibrating shuttle
- disk tension located on the front of the machine
- vertical stitch length lever located on front of pillar
- access plate at top of pillar on the back of the machine
- side clamping feet
- SN located on bed tag in front or back of pillar, in groove under slide plate or on rim of vertical stitch length lever
photo courtesy of Bernie Pokorski
Badged machines in advertisements in 1901
If you have photos of these machines that you are willing to share, please email me
with "Domestic Info"
in the subject line.
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