Accession Number

2008.005.010

Alternate Name

hemmingbird

Description

A brass sewing clamp in the form of a bird on a cast metal clamp with thumbscrew, the thumbscrew head with an upside down heart-shaped void, the bird and clamp coated with deteriorated silver or aluminum-powder paint, below the bird's body a white velvet pincushion with its underside bearing the inscription "Norton's Improved Patent Applied For May 1853', the bird's body mounted on a sprung hinge so that when the tail is pressed downward, the beak opens to allow gripping of fabric when the tail is released. The bird's cast-metal body has a broad cross-hatch pattern.

Narrative

This style of table-mountable "hemmingbird" as it was popularly known in the 19th Century, was sometimes also referred to as a "third hand". Fabric could be grasped by the bird's mouth to aid the user, and pins could be stored on the cushion below the bird's neck.

History of Use

Unknown

Date

circa 1854

Dimensions

12.6 x 10 cm

Material

Metal; Metal, brass; Fabric, silk, velvet; Paint, powder

Technique

Cast; Painted; Pierced Metal; Machined