RARE 1889 Singer Puzzle Box Dark Wood Finish W/ Attachments And Original Velvet

Description

Beautiful Antique Singer Puzzle Box For Sale
This Singer puzzle box was a storage solution for seamstresses in the 1800s and 1900s, invented by John Greist. The boxes are marked by a signature "Patented February 19, 1889" on the top of the box and are beautiful triangular fold out boxes with velvet linings.
This particular piece is a dark-finished oak with purple velvet. It comes with multiple attachments fort treadle-era Singer machines, including multiple feet, hem rollers, extra thread bobbins and needles. It is missing some attachments, but the included attachments are in good shape. The box includes:
A Singer shuttle
A large angled leatherwork needle (seemingly for hand use)
Multiple Singer attachments, including
25526,
25528,
25529,
25530,
25531,
25532,
25533,
25542, and
26152
There is very little damage to the box. As it is current, the box latches and fits together well, with no cracking to the wood. The velvet has lifted along the exterior edges on the first and second panel, but is intact with NO tears. The velvet itself has very minimal fraying and is still soft to the touch and malleable.
What We Have Done To Protect And Preserve The Box
The box is in its original state as it was when we purchased it initially. At this point, we have done little to restore it because we'd rather you have the power to make any restorations without combatting unnecessary chemicals, modern epoxies or other products.
We have chosen to not reattach the velvet because restoration glue can be relatively high-touch. Many antique restorationists use hide glue from animals. Others choose to use modern compound glues or uphostery glue. In this case, we are including a resource on antique repair glues in the section following.
All we have done is:
Taken a light lint roller to the velvet
Sprayed the internal components and box with compressed air to remove any dirt
Cleaned the wood box with biodegradable, diluted wood surface cleaner and Murphy's Oil Soap with a soft microfiber cloth
Dusted the cleaned wood lightly with Pledge (not applied directly to the wood. We applied it to a cloth and ran the cloth over the wood to prevent damage)
Cleaned any rust and tarnish with CLR and a clean, soft cloth
Our cleaning is all minimal intervention meant to remove only major damage, rather than doing a full restoration. As is, the piece is beautiful and needs very little work.
Read More About Singer Puzzle Boxes And Why Sewing Collectors Love Them
Many resources about the Singer Puzzle boxes are spread across many different hobbyist forums. While many museum collections have the boxes on display, they are generally included as notable side pieces in a larger collection and do not get the attention they deserve. You can learn from fellow hobbyists about the boxes at:
Vintage Sewing Machines Blog:
https://vintagesmcolette.co.uk/post/188321289993/a-singer-puzzle-box
The Quilting Board Forums:
https://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage-antique-machine-enthusiasts-f22/singer-style-box-one-do-i-have-t292263.html
The Throughout History Blog:
https://www.throughouthistory.com/?p=2945
The Victorian Sweatshop Forum:
https://www.victoriansweatshop.com/post/singer-puzzle-box-info-7974353?trail=100
For Some Additional Information On Repair Glue
Please note, that you of course can take the box to a professional restorationist. Should you choose to reglue the velvet yourself, please do additional research. What we have listed here is only an initial starting point.
Locust Valley Restoration:
https://locustvalleyrestoration.com/glues
Thomas Johnson Antique Furniture Restoration:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmFot8H_2Kk
Our Commitment To Quality
At Finders Keepers MN, we want to make sure every purchase experience is a good one. If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to us through the eBay message feature and let us know. We'd be happy to speak with you, answer any questions you have and help you find a solution that works.
Best,
Bree and Karen