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Auto Upholstery in the Early 1900s

September 6, 2012 By Nadeem Muaddi

Trimmers have a long and storied past – one that we should all be proud of. Those who came before us upholstered everything from horse carriages to bicycles until cars came along. And when the airplane was invented, guess who they called upon to design their seats?

While researching a little bit of our history online, I came across three beautiful pictures that depict what it was like working as an auto trimmer in the early to mid 1900s. They’re featured below.

Vehicle trim and upholstery factory owned by Fisher Body Corporation / General Motors, 1934

A woman sewing motor covers at the Ford Motor Company Willow Run Bomber Plant, 1943.

Men sewing vehicle seat covers at Britain’s Austin Motor Company, circa 1950.

Filed Under: Archive, Industry History, THR Favorites Tagged With: Austin Motor Company, Auto Trim, Auto Upholstery, Car Interior, Fisher Body Corporation, Ford Motor Company, General Motors

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Karen Edwards says

    September 6, 2012 at 7:37 pm

    Love these pics!

  2. Naseem Muaddi says

    September 6, 2012 at 11:13 pm

    Awesome pictures! I bet those Singer machines are still running today.

  3. Selvage says

    September 6, 2012 at 11:54 pm

    I think I owned one of those machines once!

  4. CousinVinny says

    September 7, 2012 at 1:24 am

    If they’re using treadle machines, they must have legs like rugby players!

  5. EDWARD MUNDAY says

    September 7, 2012 at 10:23 am

    RETIRED… LOOKS LIKE THE AUTO MAUFACTURES HAD SWEATSHOPS ALSO. SO THATS HOW FORD PUT A FORD IN EVERY DRIVEWAY.

  6. Queiros says

    September 7, 2012 at 12:52 pm

    I thought exactly the same thing that Naseem comented when i saw the first picture!!

  7. Nadeem Muaddi says

    September 8, 2012 at 6:25 pm

    I’m glad that you all enjoyed the photos. I’m working on tracking down a few more!

  8. Gjudd says

    September 11, 2012 at 9:19 pm

    I think we have one of them old singers…..

  9. rich says

    September 13, 2012 at 1:44 am

    Excellent pictures! Check out the lady sewing in a jacket…gotta be sweatin on a hot day.

  10. Edward Munday says

    May 31, 2014 at 3:55 pm

    Retired…Reminds Me Of Some Of The Furniture Shops I Worked In In The Late 60’s And Early 70’s. I Also Worked In A Shop Called Trapuntos Which If You Look Up the word Traputo It Means, A Puffy, Decorative Feature. They Made The Sample Cards Like In “The Detroit Book”. And They All Looked Like Sweat Shops But Some Who Worked There Are Probably Millionairs Today.

  11. Ron Henningsen says

    July 15, 2023 at 9:23 am

    I’m researching sewing methods for the banding trim on old sun visors. No one seems to have any info on how this precision stitching was done. A 5/8″ very thin band of vinyl or plastic vinyl was stitched around the outside of the sun visor maintaining a accurate distance from the edge for the entire length.
    Was this set up in a jig? From taking apart a lot of these units no glue was used.
    Thanks,

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