TABITHA SEWING MACHINE
Tabitha Toy Sewing Machine This small rare sheet brass travel / toy sewing machine dates from the late 1800's and was manufactured in America by the Manhattan Brass Co. of New York. It was patented in 1888 by a T. H. Martin, patent US 379.175. There are several different variations of this sewing machine that can be found and examples marked "Pearl" are very similar. There is one pictured in Glenda Thomas' book in its original box and it mentions and pictures other differently marked versions that can be found. This is a earlier version and is marked Patent Appl'd For in the base.
PATENTS
US 379.175 Thomas Herbert Martin March 6, 1888
Improved Sewing. Machine
for which I have obtained patents in:
Great Britain, GB 12.369, dated September 29, 1886
France, No. 180.203, dated December 9, 1886
Belgium, No. 75,673, dated December 21, 1886
Germany, No. 40.797, dated December 14, 1886
Norway, No. 290, dated December 16, 1886
Sweden, No. 25 35 15 1,009, dated December 22, 1886
Spain, No. 6.623/10.514, dated March 11, 1887
Victoria, No. 5,039, dated April 27, 1887
New South Wales, No. 2.115, dated July 30, 1887
Austria-Hungary, No. 12.354 and No. 35.948, dated September 15, 1887
Italy, No. 306, Vol. XLII, dated May 3, 1887
