Musée Morinville Museum unveils antique and vintage sewing machine display

By Stephen Dafoe
The Musée Morinville Museum has unveiled its latest display, featuring a collection of antique and vintage sewing machines that showcase over a century of innovation.
This exhibit highlights the evolution of sewing technology through machines restored by board member and volunteer Dennis Belanger. Many of the donated machines arrived in rough condition, but Belanger’s dedication has returned each one and its accompanying case to its former glory for public viewing.
The collection defines “antique” as machines over 100 years old and “vintage” as less than a century old. Visitors can see various models from the renowned Singer Company, a significant brand in sewing history since 1851.
Among the display are hand-cranked and electric Singer machines from the United States, Scotland, and Canada, including a 1901 hand-crank machine and models produced in the 1920s and 1930s at the Singer factory in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, which closed in 1986.
Additionally, the museum showcases a rare Seidel and Naumann machine from Germany, produced around 1905, marking a pivotal moment in sewing machine history as one of the first to improve upon the high-armed Singer system.
This display not only offers a glimpse into technological advancements but also serves as a reminder of the craftsmanship and industrial progress of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Musée Morinville Museum Coordinator Donna Garrett noted how the exhibit came about. Four machines were from the original collection in the previous museum location from 1979 to 2006, and a couple were donated in the past couple of weeks.
“With six from the museum’s collection and another three, including the miniatures, on loan, it was a perfect opportunity to present this exhibit,” Garret said. “This special exhibit is for everyone to view these beautiful antique sewing machines. Sewing enthusiasts would especially enjoy these works of art.”
The Musée Morinville Museum, located at the back of St. Jean Baptiste Park in downtown Morinville, is open Wednesday to Saturday from noon until 5 p.m.