{"product_id":"franklin-rotary-sewing-machine-in-walnut-cabinet-white-fr-class-for-sears-roebuck-c-1926-1935","title":"Franklin Rotary Sewing Machine in Walnut Cabinet, White FR Class for Sears Roebuck, c. 1926–1935","description":"\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Piece\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eA handsome electrified rotary sewing machine in its original walnut cabinet. The head is finished in deep black japanning and decorated all over with gilt and green decals — slender laurel sprays climbing the pillar and the arm, a concentric wreath medallion on the shoulder, and a delicate running leaf border that traces the entire perimeter of the bed. The \u003cstrong\u003eFRANKLIN ROTARY\u003c\/strong\u003e name is lettered in gold within a scrolled cartouche on the arm. Nickel-plated slide plates, a tension dial marked LOOSE to TIGHT, a stitch-length lever marked SHORT to LONG, and a fitted sewing light complete the head.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe cabinet is walnut-veneered with a folding top that opens flat to make a full work surface, two drawers with turned wood pulls and pierced brass keyhole escutcheons, and fluted stiles rising to turned and shaped legs joined by a turned stretcher. Closed, it reads as a side table; open, it's a working machine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHistory \u0026amp; Provenance\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFranklin\u003c\/strong\u003e was Sears, Roebuck's house brand. Sears never manufactured sewing machines — it commissioned them from established firms and badged them, which is how the largest retailer in America put a machine in almost every household in the country by catalog.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe Franklin line began in 1911 with the \u003cstrong\u003eDomestic Sewing Machine Company\u003c\/strong\u003e of Buffalo, which sold directly to Sears. When the \u003cstrong\u003eWhite Sewing Machine Company\u003c\/strong\u003e of Cleveland acquired Domestic in 1926, White took over Franklin production — and alongside the older vibrating-shuttle Franklins, White supplied Sears with the \u003cstrong\u003eFranklin Rotary\u003c\/strong\u003e, a badged version of its own \u003cstrong\u003eFR-class rotary machine\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe rotary mechanism was the real advance. Where earlier machines drove a shuttle back and forth, a rotary hook spins continuously — quieter, faster, and smoother, with far less vibration. White built its reputation on it, and this machine is that reputation sold under someone else's name. American Franklin production ran until the Second World War ended it in 1945.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProduct Details\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv dir=\"ltr\" class=\"overflow-x-auto w-full pl-[var(--msg-block-inset,0.5rem)] pr-2 mb-6 print:overflow-x-visible\"\u003e\n\u003ctable class=\"min-w-full border-collapse text-sm leading-[1.7] whitespace-normal\"\u003e\n\u003cthead class=\"text-left\"\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth scope=\"col\" class=\"text-text-100 border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.6)] py-2 pr-4 align-top font-bold\"\u003eField\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth scope=\"col\" class=\"text-text-100 border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.6)] py-2 pr-4 align-top font-bold\"\u003eDetail\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/thead\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003eObject\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003eElectric rotary sewing machine in cabinet\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003eOrigin\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003eWhite Sewing Machine Company, Cleveland, Ohio, for Sears, Roebuck \u0026amp; Co.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003eMaterial\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003eJapanned cast iron head with gilt decals and nickel fittings; walnut-veneered cabinet\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003eDecoration\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003eGilt and green laurel sprays, wreath medallions, and running leaf border\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003eForm\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003eFlatbed rotary head in two-drawer cabinet with folding top on turned legs\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003eEra\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003ec. 1926–1935\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003eMarks\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003e\"FRANKLIN ROTARY\" in gilt to the arm\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003eElectrical\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003eOriginal motor, wiring, and sewing light; untested. Sold as decorative and as a restoration candidate; inspection and rewiring recommended before use.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003eCondition\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003eVery good for age. Head solid with bright japanning and decals largely intact, showing expected wear at the pillar and around the handled areas. Nickel plates present with light pitting. Cabinet sound and stable with good veneer, both drawers running, folding top operating correctly; light surface marks and wear consistent with age. Condition Guaranteed.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003eAvailability\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"border-b-0.5 border-[hsl(var(--border-300)\/0.3)] py-2 pr-4 align-top\"\u003eOne of a Kind — 1 Available\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy It Belongs in Your Home\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eMost people who buy one of these never sew on it, and that's fine — the cabinet is the point. Closed, it's a narrow side table with two working drawers, exactly the right depth for a hallway, a landing, or behind a sofa, and it stores things a console table can't. Open, it's a small desk or a craft surface. The drawers alone are worth the price for anyone with a house full of small objects and nowhere to put them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFor anyone who does sew, White rotaries are among the best of the old machines — quieter and smoother than a vibrating shuttle, built entirely of metal, and simple enough that a competent shop can bring one back to full service. They will still sew through material a modern plastic machine chokes on.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAnd it is a genuinely beautiful object. That gold laurel work on black japanning is the decorative high point of American industrial design in the period, applied by hand to a machine sold out of a catalog to ordinary households — which tells you something about what people expected their tools to look like.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Viridian Eclection","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47923642433641,"sku":null,"price":499.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0651\/0093\/9369\/files\/IMG_2740.jpg?v=1787218834","url":"https:\/\/viridianeclection.com\/products\/franklin-rotary-sewing-machine-in-walnut-cabinet-white-fr-class-for-sears-roebuck-c-1926-1935","provider":"Viridian Eclection","version":"1.0","type":"link"}