- Elias Howe patented the first American sewing machine in 1846. His machine was capable of producing a lock stitch, a technology that would be used in many other popular models of sewing machines for years to come. Howe struggled to protect his patent, as other sewing machine innovators copied his technique, including Isaac Singer, who built the first up-and-down action sewing machine in the 1850s.
- It would be 20 years before Elias Howe would begin producing sewing machines for sale. Shortly after registering his own patent, he was forced to begin litigating against other sewing machine manufacturers, who were using his prototype for their own machines. Finally, in 1856, he was awarded a royalty of $5 for each machine sold in the United States.
- A.B. Howe, Elias' brother, founded the Howe Sewing Machine Company. The machines A.B. Howe produced were successful in the United States, and A.B. Howe registered patents for the design in England and began exporting machines overseas. He went on to produce several different models of Howe sewing machines, models A, B, C and D.
- Each model was based on the classic design, but each was modified slightly for a variety of uses. Letter A was a home machine for every day use. Letter B was a larger, more commercial machine for tailors and cobblers. Letter C was heavier and had more durable components for working with leather. Letter D was a small machine with a free-arm cylinder. Letter E was a slight variation on the Letter D, also with a free-arm cylinder.
- In 1873, A.B. Howe and his son B.P. Howe sold the company and it became Howe Manufacturing Company. As production increased to keep up with demand, the new company expanded to include a modified machine with the trademark brass medallion of the Stockwell Brothers. This model is what most collectors recognize today as the classic Howe machine, according to the International Sewing Machine Collectors' Society.
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