I spent the morning sunday shooting with my friend larry who is light painting master, and we each did our best to do something unique at our local historical society. I chose an old sewing machine, and friends Margi and Dan loaned me several antique sewing items to help bring the shot to life. I used small pen flashlights and my big spotlight to accent the pieces, and the shot took me nearly an hour and a half to do. The best I could figure was this sewing machine is one made by the man who got the first patent for a lock stitch design in 1846, and his name was Elias Howe. Mr Howe had to defend his patent in court from 1849-1854, because he found that Isaac Singer, and Walter Hunt had been selling a facsimile of his machine and lockstitch design. He eventually won the case and won considerable royalties from singer. I can imagine the many hands that worked diligently on this machine in the late 1800s and early 1900s, creating garments and necessities for the family. My grandmother was a great quilter and I remember her working countless hours on her old sewing machine doing patches,and a few times over the years she would relay the stories of how a needle had gone straight through her finger and nail while sewing.
Tag Archives: fretwork
1893 Folk Art Clock
This post features my latest image that I shot this morning, and showcases the 1893 folk art clock, created by the gentleman shown above. He was Peter Kurtz, a native of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. His highly detailed and intricate folk art clock was made in 1893 and his obituary listed him as being of “a quiet, modest and retiring disposition”. He was born in 1832 and was the last of nine children. I lit this shot primarily with small flashlights to bring out the intricate detail in this amazing piece from the past.


