Posted 2 years ago
Bcannon12
(1 item)
Looking for some help to identify this old sewing machine. Recieved it from my husband's uncles after he passed. No name or branding on machine except for model/serial number which is hard to read. I believe it is 131561 or 151561. Also found the badge is a company badge for J. Silberg of Hamburg. From what information I can find on J.silberg he did not manufacture any machines but bought and sold many machines from different German makers. I came across a picture online of a machine that has the exact body and box but the detailing is just a bit different. It is labeled as an antique Hengstenberg Justus but I cannot find any other information on that type machine.
If anyone has any information that would be greatly appreciated.
Brittany
Hi, Bcannon12. :-)
Beautiful.
Yes, that medallion badge of a castle belongs to J. Silberg, a distributor of sewing machines made by others:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/277464027026588103/
https://sewalot.com/hengstenberg_machine_history.htm
Apparently, J. Silberg was founded in 1855:
https://ehive.com/collections/5495/objects/970575/sewing-machine
Perhaps you meant this Hengstenberg Justus?:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/687639056/antique-hengstenberg-justus-handcrank
It is very similar, right down to that extra finger-like doohicky on the bobbin winder (the name of that part escapes me at the moment), but the decal set is different.
This one's decal set is closer (the mermaid is holding an anchor instead of a ship's wheel), and the hardware is essentially the same:
https://www.quiltingboard.com/attachments/vintage-antique-machine-enthusiasts-f22/577766d1501529193-auction-sewing-machine.jpg
https://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage-antique-machine-enthusiasts-f22/anyone-know-machine-t290081.html
So, a lot of actual sewing machine maker names are getting thrown around: Anker, Hengstenberg, Frister & Rossmann, Winselman...
The bottom line for me is...I don't know. :-(
One of the other things said by a quiltingboard member with which I heartily concur is that the mechanical style of the machine is that of a Singer model 27 or 28:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Singer.Model27.IdentificationGuide.jpg
It's tempting to say that the actual maker might be Anker, because of the nautical theme of the decals.
I seem to be running out of time at the moment, so I might look into this again later.
Hi keramikos,
Thanks for responding so quickly. Yes that was the Hengstenberg Justus I was referring too. I noticed the hardware right down to the bobbin and arm are the exact same on the picture of the Justus and in the other picture you attached the bobbin has this extra part as well as a different style arm but like you said the decal is more similar to that of the one you posted. I also agree with the nautical feel of the ships wheel being linked to Anker. I have not been able to find an Anker with similar build or serial number. It's fair to say I am stumped on this one. If you happen to find out anything more that would be amazing and appreciated. Thanks Again
Hi again, Bcannon12. :-)
Sorry for the delay, but I've been a bit under the weather.
I found another Anker that's quite interesting to me:
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/antique-anker-german-sewing-machine-251811620
It looks like a slightly different model from yours, but it has that very similar decal set. Like the one at the quilting board, the only difference is that the mermaid is holding an anchor instead of a ship's wheel.
Well, that, and the central portion of the decal on the arm appears to be blank. On yours, it's filled in with more decoration, but it does seem like a pretty typical location for a company or model name.
Some background on Anker:
https://www.fiddlebase.com/german-machines/anker-werke-a-g/