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Friday, 3 August 2012

Little Wanzer? There's old ... And there's old!

We popped in to see my in-laws last weekend, we're helping them with their new iPad. At 80 and 75 they're doing pretty well, certainly better than they were with the old pc they had, which finally gave up the ghost. I always thought I was quite good at explaining stuff but I realised I'd pitched it wrong very quickly. Small steps, and this week we're practising forwarding and replying to emails.

Totally out of the blue my FiL, B, said he had something for me, used to belong to a Great Auntie Edith (there were several 'greats' but we couldn't establish quite how many). Just wow ...

I think it is a Little Wanzer Time Utilizer machine, but don't really know much at all, having just searched a bit on the internet.

We made a family tree album for my FiL a couple of years ago and, given the info B has I think the machine dates to about 1870-80. We know from the census that 2 ladies in the family were milliners at the time. Given the cost of sewing machines (equivalent to buying a car now) this would have been a really considered purchase which seems more likely if it was to earn a living.

I honestly feel overwhelmed to have this - and it works! A very big Wow :)





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2 comments:

  1. KaySaturday, August 11, 2012

    oh my goodness!! Never seen anything like this before..and it works! :) enjoy your new machine.

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    Replies
    1. Jacq CSaturday, August 11, 2012

      Hi, isn't it amazing, I'd never seen anything this shape before, it was a Canadian brand originally, if I've identified it correctly. The time Great Aunt Edith lived in London coincides with when the machines were manufactured there and in Paris, which seems to tally. I keep imagining the hats she would have made. I'm a bit tentative, it needs a clean and I want to make sure I don't do any damage.

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Thank you so much for taking the time to comment :)