Looking at the old things on the grandmother's attic, you seem to be in some other world. It is not enough that everything around literally breathes the story, so also the purpose of many objects is unclear.
The present generation is hardly able to guess what is located inside this elegant wooden chest. But older people should immediately remember its contents.
Yes, yes, in such cases, manual sewing machines of the Podolsky mechanical plant, who were still thirty years ago were almost every family.
I remember, in childhood I really liked to consider the grandmother's sewing machine. I was delighted with intricate color patterns on a black lacquered body and could have been examined for a long-term ornament, which were generously decorated with metal parts.
It turned out that its history Podolsk sewing machines lead from pre-revolutionary times, and their prototypes were the products of the famous Factory "Zinger"! In those days there was a flourishing style of Modern, and even the most ordinary things and items producers tried to decorate the most.
The company "Zinger" was founded in 1851 and soon became the largest manufacturer of sewing machines. Products of this American firm were known throughout the world, including in Russia.
But by the beginning of the 20th century, supplying sewing machine to Russia from behind the ocean became unprofitable, because many competitors appeared, offering similar products for a smaller price. Then the management of Zinger decided to establish the production of sewing machines in the suburbs.
For this purpose, the land in the town of Podolsk was redeemed. At that time it was a very small settlement, which had only 5 thousand inhabitants, so the construction of a new plant cost relatively cheaply. Literally under the side there was a railway, which made the location of the factory is extremely profitable.
In just a dozen years, the new Zinger plant has become one of the largest in Europe. Before the beginning of the First World War, the factory produced 600,000 sewing machines per year! Only in the territory of Russia there were over 3,000 company stores of the company, besides, the machines sent to customers by mail.
The products of the Russian "Zinger" were highly valued abroad. Podolsknywriters willingly bought both in European countries and in China, Japan and Persia. By 1914, Russia ranked second in the world for the sale of sewing machines after the United States, selling them annually in the amount of 63.5 million rubles!
In St. Petersburg, a luxurious office of the company was built, which now decorates Nevsky Prospect. In addition to its beauty, the building could boast a whole range of advanced technical innovations that surprised citizens at the beginning of the 20th century, ranging from elevators and ending with automatic roof cleaning from snow.
By the way, it is in this building now the office of the company "VKontakte"!
Fortunately, the equipment of the plant managed to preserve, and in 1923 the production of sewing machines "Zinger" was restored. Only now they were produced under the names of the "Gosshweiver" and "PMZ" (Podolsky Mechanical Plant).
The design of the sewing machine "Singer" was so successful that the production of such machines continued for several decades actually unchanged! Even the decor remained practically the same, and the fashion patterns of the beginning of the 20th century were the proprietary peculiarity of Podolsk products.
By the way, many legends are associated with old sewing machines. According to one of them, in 1998, Zinger announced the search for its machines with a serial number starting from the unit. According to rumors, a happy owner of such a raritet awaits a remuneration of from 30 thousand to a million dollars, so antiquary began to massively buy cars. There is no official confirmation, but, as they say, there is no smoke without fire ...
On another legend, early samples of Russian "Zingerov" contained a valuable metal palladium. And recently, there was even a rumor that in the original needle rare cars is the rarest substance - red mercury!
As you can see, old sewing machines are much more than a simple tool.
A source