Singer Sewing Machines
Museums Galleries Scotland Recognition
West Dunbartonshire Council's Singer Sewing Machine Collection and Singer Archive is Recognised as a Nationally Significant Collection by Museums Galleries Scotland. It has an outstanding collection of machines and artefacts from the Singer Sewing Machine Factory.
The collection shows the history and development of sewing machines and is the largest in Europe. It includes some of the first sewing machines from 1850. The museum also has a rare first model of Singer's Number 1 and the first domestic model, the Turtleback.
Singer Clock
The museum holds the only known examples of the first sewing machines made in the UK and the last machine made at the Clydebank factory before it closed in 1980.
Along with the machines, the collection shows how the Singer factory worked. It also tells the story of the 16,000 people who worked there and the area's industrial history.
Old Singer Sewing Machine
Cllr Michelle McGinty, Convener of Educational Services, said: "The Singer factory in Clydebank is a big part of our history. It touched almost every family in Clydebank with more than 16,000 people working there. We are delighted to receive this national recognition for our collection. It is thanks to everyone who donated machines to the museum for others to enjoy."
Gala Queen 1940
Cllr John Mooney, Depute Convener of Educational Services, said: "This is an exceptional collection built with the help of the community for over 100 years. Many people remember working at the factory or hearing stories from parents. This is a proud moment, and it is important we maintain the collection for future generations."
Ray Macfarlane, Chair of Museums Galleries Scotland's Recognition Committee, said: "This collection is of national and international importance. It is the largest of its kind in Europe and second only to the Smithsonian Institution in the world."
Old Singer Sewing Machine
Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs, said: "The Scottish Government's Recognition Scheme supports the most important and best-quality collections in our museums. Clydebank's Sewing Machine Collection and Singer Archive is now one of 39 Recognised Collections in Scotland. I encourage everyone interested in Scotland's culture to explore these treasures."
Some of the rarest and most prized machines are on permanent display at Clydebank Town Hall Museum and Gallery, Dumbarton Road, Clydebank.
Sewing machine collection and Singer archive at Clydebank Museum Video
Images of Singers Factory
Click on the large image to start the full screen slide show.
For General Enquiries
You can call us on 01389 737555
If you wish to make a Singer/Sewing Machine related donation please contact Andrew Graham.
Email: singer@west-dunbarton.gov.uk
Tel: 07920812685
Use our online enquiry form: Submit our online enquiry form.
Or write to us at:
Clydebank Museum
Clydebank Town Hall
Dumbarton Road
Clydebank
West Dunbartonshire
G81 1UE