The Importance of the Sewing Machine

The sewing machine is an integral part of the lane’s history with it historically being known as a centre for fashion and textiles. This can be seen in the images from Paul Trevor where he documents the workers in clothing factories as well as cobblers.

The sewing machine is also important in my own story too with my family being involved in the textiles industry for many generations. My father comes from a family of cobblers, with even our surname identifying that we belong to that industry. On my mother’s side, family members have worked in clothes factories, including my grandmother. The sewing machine has become an important part of my heritage as well as the lane’s. 

The significance of the machine was seen even further, with my great grandmother’s sewing machine being passed down to me. This will become a crucial element of my project as it shows my heritage as well as the type of machines some workers would have been using in the clothing factories in the lane.