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HISTORY OF THE COMPANY


White sewing machines are among the most common models found by collectors today. They are extremely well made machines capable of sewing thick materials that many modern machines are incapable of handling. Along with Singer and New Home, White is one of the few older sewing machine companies still in business (currently owned by a Japanese corporation).

In 1858 at the age of 22, the founder of the company Thomas White began manufacturing �New England� type sewing machines which he sold for ten dollars apiece. The first machines were manufactured at the small Wilkinson Machine Shop in Templeton, Massachusetts. White and a business partner pooled together $350 to start their company. Funds were so scarce that each machine made had to be sold before White could afford to manufacture another. In 1866, sewing machine production was moved to Cleveland, Ohio. And in 1876, the White Sewing Machine Company was incorporated.

In terms of quality, White sewing machines were consistently ranked as a close second to those manufactured by Singer. The company earned many awards for its machines at many expositions including the Cuban Exposition of 1881, the New England Fair of 1883, the Paris Universelle Exposition of 1889, the Feria Exposition of 1889, the Southern Exposition of 1890, and the Texas Exposition.

However, in 1889, the company won its most prestigious award--the Universelle Exposition medal in Paris.

In the late 1890s, the company diversified its operation and began manufacturing such items as roller skates, bicycles, kerosene lamps, lathes, and screw machines. In 1901, the company produced its first automobile. Thomas White, still president of the company, gave control of the vehicle production to his three sons, Windsor, Rollin, and Walter.

When production requirements for the vehicles increased, a separate company was formed in 1906. Known as the White Motor Company, they continued to produce the steam engined vehicles. In 1909, the company introduced a gasoline powered automobile. In 1910, White Motor produced their first gasoline powered truck.

Like many other sewing machine manufacturers, White manufactured and labeled many sewing machines for retailers. After acquiring the Domestic Sewing Machine Company of Buffalo, New York, in 1924, White continued manufacturing the Domestic Franklin sewing machines for Sears Roebuck & Co. Domestic became a fully-owned subsidiary of White. In 1926, under the leadership of company president A.S. Rodgers, the company was reorganized as the White Sewing Machine Corporation.

From the mid-1920s through 1950s, White was the sole supplier of sewing machines to Sears Roebuck. Models sold through sears included the Minnesota, Franklin, and Kenmore. They were basic White models labeled with the Sears Company�s brand names.

In the late 1920s, the company introduced the first ever sewing machine with a flat crinkle finish. The mar-resistant paint was supposed to be easier on the operator�s eyes and more resilient to wear. In place of decalcomania decorations, fancy scroll work was cast into the head of the machine. This kind of �modern� finish became en vogue in the late 1920s, and other manufacturers including Singer and National followed with their own crinkle finished machines.

In 1940, a time capsule called the Crypt of Civilization was sealed and buried at Oglethorpe University. A crinkle finished White Model 77 was one of the few physical items enclosed.

During the Second World War, the company ceased producing sewing machines in favor of manufacturing more badly needed material for the war effort. White was given the Army and Navy �E� award in recognition for their effort.

After the war, there was a severe shortage of sewing machines. Seizing the initiative, the company expanded its plant and capacity to manufacture machines. The company also introduced a number of new models including an automatic zig-zag machine.

The postwar period also saw the introduction of foreign made machines to the American market, including advanced European models. However, the most devastation to White and the other American companies resulted through the wholesale dumping of cheap Japanese clones on the market. The American companies could not compete with cheap Asian labor (and the billions of American taxpayers� dollars spent to rebuild Japanese industries through the Marshall Plan). By 1960, all American manufacturers of domestic sewing machines, save Singer, had gone bankrupt or had been absorbed by foreign companies.

--From The Encyclopedia of Antique Sewing Machines, 3rd Edition

White Vibrating Shuttle

X-Ray view of White vibrating shuttle machine
White Vibrating Shuttle sewing machine (Photo courtesy of Neal Findley)

White Rotary

Position of stitch regulator and bobbin winder
Position of tension and regulator
Method of threading a White rotary machine
Method of replacing shuttle on the White rotary
White Rotary sewing machine (Photo)
Electric Portable White Rotary (Photo courtesy of Sharon Reese)
Rear View of Portable White Rotary (Photo courtesy of Sharon Reese)

White Model 8 (1930s-1950s)

Minnesota Model M (Photo)
Minnesota Model M, different angle (Photo)
Closer photo of the Model M (Photo)
Another photo of the Model M (Photo)



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