Huh

 Well, okay. . . .

My first thought: yay, it's a Singer!

Second thought: nice wrapping on the cord. Firm and still intact; has probably withstood the test of time better than today's electrical tape would've.

Third thought: that's not a 110 plug.

I can only assume I wanted her for her body, because that square head (on the machine, not the plug) is a silhouette I didn't have in my collection. The Victorian decal was new to me too.

Some cursory inspection showed the shuttle was present (whew!)

A look at the back confirmed that this was a machine wired for Europe/UK.

The round cap to the right of the label holds in the motor's carbon brush.

The motor isn't securely attached and kind of flops around right now. I suspect this old girl started as a foot-driven machine but was retro-fitted with this electric monstrosity. She might fit quite nicely into my treadle base. When I poke around more thoroughly I'll see if replacing this with a 110 motor might be feasible too.

I could go online to find her specs, but I have a fun Singer guide that walks me through identifying models based on their characteristics (printed out so it fits in a binder. I'm very analog, but the online version is fast and links to additional information about your machine.) I'm flipping that open now.

Question one: Are the slide and needle plates very thin and positioned to form a cross?

If No: While facing your machine as if you were going to sew, where is the Tension Adjustment Dial/Knob? (Front or on side?)

If Front: Does your machine have a set of typewriter-like keys on the top of the arm? (No, but I'd love to see one of those in person!)

If No: Does your machine have a large Knob/Dial in the middle of the arm?

If No: Are the Slide and Needle Plates a) 1 square plate that slides to the left of a D-shaped needle plate, or b) 1 square plate that slides to the left of a rectangular needle plate, or c) 2 narrow slide plates that slide front & back.

If C: You have either the Model Series 27/28 or 127/128. Is the bobbin winder a) up and near the hand wheel or b) down by the bed?

If Down: You have a Model 27 or 28 or one of their variations such as the 28K.

The full-sized model (27) has a 14"-15" bed, and the 28 is a 3/4-sized model with a 12"-13" bed. Stepping away to measure that . . .

. . . and it appears I have a Model 28.

Now I'll go online and use this to get more information:

 

Okay, she's a 28K, definitely an antique, and one of a quarter of a million made in 1908. While looking for her decal (also on the ISMACS site), I found an second possibility for her power: a hand crank.

This looks exactly like her base/case, and makes much more sense.

Final thought: that bent clasp is the least of my problems right now! 

While I can't sew with her yet, this has been a good process for documenting my machines for future reference. Taxes are due within the week so my mind and energy are focused on that (times two--I'll be doing my parents' as well). Until those are done I'll put off deciding whether I want to get her up and running this month (either electrically or human-driven).

P.S. As I was putting the lid back on I realized I hadn't noticed a foot pedal. Taking the motor off (easily done--it was practically falling off anyway) and inspecting it, I couldn't see any evidence that a foot pedal had ever been wired to it. I wonder how the original owner sewed with this!