Figure 107.—Illustration from a brochure, marked in ink: “The National Portrait Gallery, 1855.” Singer Archives. (Smithsonian photo 48091-E.)

Figures 107 and 108.—The Nichols and Leavitt sewing machines. One of Elias Howe’s earliest licensees was J. B. Nichols. His machine, manufactured at first with George Bliss and later alone as J. B. Nichols & Co., was called Howe’s Improved Patent Sewing Machine. It was, however, no more a Howe machine than any of the others produced under the Howe patent.

In July 1855 Nichols went into partnership with Rufus Leavitt, and the company name changed to Nichols, Leavitt & Co. In 1857 it was changed again to Leavitt & Co., and finally in the mid-1860s to Leavitt Sewing Machine Co. By the 1870s, it was defunct.

The Nichols-Leavitt machines can be dated by their serial numbers approximately as follows:

Serial NumberYearCompany
1-281853Nichols & Bliss
29-2451854J. B. Nichols & Co.
246-3971855J. B. Nichols & Co.—Nichols, Leavitt & Co.
398-6321856Nichols, Leavitt & Co.
633-8271857Leavitt & Co.
828-9021858”
903-11151859”
1116-14361860”
1437-17571861”
1758-20771862”
2078-24001863”
2401-29001864”
2901-39001865Leavitt Sewing Machine Co.
3901-49001866”
4901-59511867”
5952-69511868”
6952-77221869”

There is no record that the company was in existence after 1869.

Figure 108.—Leavitt sewing machine of about 1868, serial number 6907. (Smithsonian photo 48328.)