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Isaac Singer's iteration of a mechanised sewing machine received US Patent Number 8294 on 12th August, 1851.\xa0\nBy refining an existing design by Elias Howe, and improving it with a straight-line shuttle and straight needle, Singer\u2019s prototype produced 900 stitches a minute, compared to 40 stitches by hand, drastically reducing the time it took to make garments; a beacon of efficiency that slashed production time from hours to mere minutes.\nIn this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explore the racier chapters of Singer\u2019s private life; marvel at his Steve Jobs-level business acumen; and explain how he turned his initially business-to-business product into a hitherto unprecedented multinational corporation\u2026\nFurther Reading:\n\u2022\xa0\u2019How Singer Won the Sewing Machine War\u2019 (Smithsonian Magazine, 2015): https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/how-singer-won-sewing-machine-war-180955919/\n\u2022 \u2018Business: Red S\u2019 (TIME, 1929): https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,737940,00.html\n\u2022 \u2018How the Sewing Machine Changed Daily Life\u2019 (Henry Ford's Innovation Nation, 2020): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3kh2CDAccU\n\n\ufeffThis episode first premiered in 2023, for members of \U0001f334CLUB RETROSPECTORS\U0001f334 - where you can also DITCH THE ADS and get weekly bonus bits, unlock over 100 bits of extra content and support our independent podcast. Join now via Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Thanks!\n\xa0\nWe'll be back tomorrow! Follow us wherever you get your podcasts: podfollow.com/retrospectors\n\xa0\nThe Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.\nTheme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart.\nCopyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2024.\n\n\n\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices