A lot of sewing techniques being taught and used today came from the mind of one innovator: Helen Blanchard. She held 28 patents, most related to sewing, and she shaped the way the garment industry functioned.

Research:
“1854 – Walter Hunt’s Patent Model of a Sewing Machine.” Smithsonian. National Museum of American History. https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object/nmah_1070410
“1873 - Helen A. Blanchard's Sewing machine Patent Model (buttonhole).” Smithsonian. National Museum of American History. https://www.si.edu/object/1873-helen-blanchards-sewing-machine-patent-model-buttonhole%3Anmah_1069711
“A Woman’s Pluck.” The Portland Daily Press. Aug. 24, 1886. https://www.newspapers.com/image/875134248/?match=1&terms=%22Helen%20A.%20blanchard%22
Blanchard, Helen A. “Improvement in Sewing Machines.” USPO. Aug. 19, 1873. https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/11/99/2a/c5331644eba132/US141987.pdf
Blanchard, Helen A. “IMPROVEMENT IN ELASTIC GORINGS FOR SHOES.” USPO. Sept. 14, 1875. https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/e4/91/7f/d5eca5e95653b8/US167732.pdf
Blanchard, Helen A. “IMPROVEMENT IN ELASTIC SEAMS FOR GARMENTS.” USPO. April 13, 1875. https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/22/f6/ab/176ada1cf78526/US162019.pdf
Blanchard, Helen. A. “Surgical Needle.” USPO. Oct. 9, 1894. https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/55/6a/29/283ec2c85e7b0d/US527263.pdf
Blanchard, Helen A. “Improvement in Welted and Covered Seams.” USPO. Aug. 19, 1875. https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/7b/34/59/3e6a0f48970df6/US174764.pdf
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "panic." Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Apr. 2020, https://www.britannica.com/money/panic-economics
DiPhilippo, Kathryn Onos. “Window on the Past – Local Women in History: Helen Blanchard.” Portland Herald. June 24, 2020. https://www.pressherald.com/2020/06/24/window-on-the-past-6/#:~:text=Around%201881%2C%20Helen%20and%20Louise%20Blanchard%20started,own%20company%2C%20the%20Blanchard%20Overseam%20Machine%20Company.
“Helen A. Blanchard has filed …” The Philadelphia Inquirer. Dec. 23, 1900. https://www.newspapers.com/image/168365258/?match=1&terms=%22Helen%20A.%20blanchard%22
“Helen Blanchard: Sewing Machine Improvements.” Lemelson-MIT. https://lemelson.mit.edu/resources/helen-blanchard
“Helen Blanchard - Zig-Zag Sewing Machine.” National Inventors Hall of Fame. https://www.invent.org/inductees/helen-blanchard
Herzberg, Rudolph, tr. By Upfield Green. “The Sewing machine: Its History, Construction, and Application.” London. E. & F.N. Spon. 1864. https://archive.org/details/sewingmachineit00herzgoog
“Miss Helen Blanchard … “ Portland Sunday Telegraph. Dec. 3, 1899. https://www.newspapers.com/image/846596628/?match=1&terms=%22Helen%20A.%20blanchard%22
“Motor and Lumber Companies Incorporated.” Boston Evening Transcript. May 09, 1900. https://www.newspapers.com/image/735352621/?match=1&terms=%22Helen%20A.%20blanchard%22
“NO AUCTION SALE.” Portland Sunday Telegram. Jan 31, 1915. https://www.newspapers.com/image/846796566/?match=1&terms=%22Helen%20A.%20blanchard%22
“The Portland Advertiser states … “ Bangor Daily Whig and Courier. Jul. 09, 1853. https://www.newspapers.com/image/663005747/?match=1&terms=thomas%20knight%20shipyard%20fire
Stanley, Autumn. “Mothers and Daughters of Invention.” Rutgers University Press. 1995.
“Superior Court.” The Portland Daily Press. Dec 22, 1900. https://www.newspapers.com/image/875209480/?match=1&terms=%22Helen%20A.%20blanchard%22
Willard, Frances Elizabeth. “A Woman of the Century.” Moulton. January 1893. Accessed online: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=zXEEAAAAYAAJ&rdid=book-zXEEAAAAYAAJ&rdot=1
“Woman Inventor Was Last of an Old Time Family.” Evening Express. Jan 13, 1922. https://www.newspapers.com/image/851331069/?article=4c97fcf5-4fbc-4149-8dc4-4160e6411049 

A lot of sewing techniques being taught and used today came from the mind of one innovator: Helen Blanchard. She held 28 patents, most related to sewing, and she shaped the way the garment industry functioned.
Research:
<ul>
<li>&ldquo;1854 &ndash; Walter Hunt&rsquo;s Patent Model of a Sewing Machine.&rdquo; Smithsonian. National Museum of American History. https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object/nmah_1070410</li>
<li>&ldquo;1873 - Helen A. Blanchard's Sewing machine Patent Model (buttonhole).&rdquo; Smithsonian. National Museum of American History. https://www.si.edu/object/1873-helen-blanchards-sewing-machine-patent-model-buttonhole%3Anmah_1069711</li>
<li>&ldquo;A Woman&rsquo;s Pluck.&rdquo; The Portland Daily Press. Aug. 24, 1886. https://www.newspapers.com/image/875134248/?match=1&amp;terms=%22Helen%20A.%20blanchard%22</li>
<li>Blanchard, Helen A. &ldquo;Improvement in Sewing Machines.&rdquo; USPO. Aug. 19, 1873. https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/11/99/2a/c5331644eba132/US141987.pdf</li>
<li>Blanchard, Helen A. &ldquo;IMPROVEMENT IN ELASTIC GORINGS FOR SHOES.&rdquo; USPO. Sept. 14, 1875. https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/e4/91/7f/d5eca5e95653b8/US167732.pdf</li>
<li>Blanchard, Helen A. &ldquo;IMPROVEMENT IN ELASTIC SEAMS FOR GARMENTS.&rdquo; USPO. April 13, 1875. https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/22/f6/ab/176ada1cf78526/US162019.pdf</li>
<li>Blanchard, Helen. A. &ldquo;Surgical Needle.&rdquo; USPO. Oct. 9, 1894. https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/55/6a/29/283ec2c85e7b0d/US527263.pdf</li>
<li>Blanchard, Helen A. &ldquo;Improvement in Welted and Covered Seams.&rdquo; USPO. Aug. 19, 1875. https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/7b/34/59/3e6a0f48970df6/US174764.pdf</li>
<li>Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "panic."&nbsp;Encyclopedia Britannica,&nbsp;10 Apr. 2020, https://www.britannica.com/money/panic-economics</li>
<li>DiPhilippo, Kathryn Onos. &ldquo;Window on the Past &ndash; Local Women in History: Helen Blanchard.&rdquo; Portland Herald. June 24, 2020. https://www.pressherald.com/2020/06/24/window-on-the-past-6/#:~:text=Around%201881%2C%20Helen%20and%20Louise%20Blanchard%20started,own%20company%2C%20the%20Blanchard%20Overseam%20Machine%20Company.</li>
<li>&ldquo;Helen A. Blanchard has filed &hellip;&rdquo; The Philadelphia Inquirer. Dec. 23, 1900. https://www.newspapers.com/image/168365258/?match=1&amp;terms=%22Helen%20A.%20blanchard%22</li>
<li>&ldquo;Helen Blanchard: Sewing Machine Improvements.&rdquo; Lemelson-MIT. https://lemelson.mit.edu/resources/helen-blanchard</li>
<li>&ldquo;Helen Blanchard - Zig-Zag Sewing Machine.&rdquo; National Inventors Hall of Fame. https://www.invent.org/inductees/helen-blanchard</li>
<li>Herzberg, Rudolph, tr. By Upfield Green. &ldquo;The Sewing machine: Its History, Construction, and Application.&rdquo; London. E. &amp; F.N. Spon. 1864. https://archive.org/details/sewingmachineit00herzgoog</li>
<li>&ldquo;Miss Helen Blanchard &hellip; &ldquo; Portland Sunday Telegraph. Dec. 3, 1899. https://www.newspapers.com/image/846596628/?match=1&amp;terms=%22Helen%20A.%20blanchard%22</li>
<li>&ldquo;Motor and Lumber Companies Incorporated.&rdquo; Boston Evening Transcript. May 09, 1900. https://www.newspapers.com/image/735352621/?match=1&amp;terms=%22Helen%20A.%20blanchard%22</li>
<li>&ldquo;NO AUCTION SALE.&rdquo; Portland Sunday Telegram. Jan 31, 1915. https://www.newspapers.com/image/846796566/?match=1&amp;terms=%22Helen%20A.%20blanchard%22</li>
<li>&ldquo;The Portland Advertiser states &hellip; &ldquo; Bangor Daily Whig and Courier. Jul. 09, 1853. https://www.newspapers.com/image/663005747/?match=1&amp;terms=thomas%20knight%20shipyard%20fire</li>
<li>Stanley, Autumn. &ldquo;Mothers and Daughters of Invention.&rdquo; Rutgers University Press. 1995.</li>
<li>&ldquo;Superior Court.&rdquo; The Portland Daily Press. Dec 22, 1900. https://www.newspapers.com/image/875209480/?match=1&amp;terms=%22Helen%20A.%20blanchard%22</li>
<li>Willard, Frances Elizabeth. &ldquo;A Woman of the Century.&rdquo; Moulton. January 1893. Accessed online: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=zXEEAAAAYAAJ&amp;rdid=book-zXEEAAAAYAAJ&amp;rdot=1</li>
<li>&ldquo;Woman Inventor Was Last of an Old Time Family.&rdquo; Evening Express. Jan 13, 1922. https://www.newspapers.com/image/851331069/?article=4c97fcf5-4fbc-4149-8dc4-4160e6411049&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

Join Holly and Tracy as they bring you the greatest and strangest Stuff You Missed In History Class in this podcast by iHeartRadio.

Stuff You Missed in History Class

Helen A. Blanchard, Sewing Machine Innovator

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/d118bf95-0079-4628-9e7f-b24f0044b3c7/transcript

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