Objects conservator Claire Curran recently completed treatment of a early 20th century Singer sewing machine. While somewhat unremarkable in in itself, the machine has a remarkable history. It was used at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, where a 1911 fire killed 146 garment workers (mostly Italian and Jewish immigrant girls and women between the ages of 13-23) and helped spark major reforms in labor law, fire safety, and workers’ rights.

This treatment focused on quiet but essential work: gently reducing rust and stabilizing the balance wheel, so the machine can survive long into the future. Rust was reduced with fine tools and lubricants, then protected with a thin layer of wax to prevent future corrosion.

The balance wheel presented an especially meaningful challenge. Many of its past repairs weren’t from a conservator—they were done by factory workers themselves, trying to keep the machine running under the pressures of production. Claire stabilized these original, worker-made repairs, so essential to telling the story of the object, with minimal intervention, adding only subtle, reversible fills where needed to restore alignment and ensure long-term stability.

These meticulous steps may be nearly invisible, but they honor both the object and the people whose labor shaped it. They ensure this sewing machine—and the stories of the garment workers who once used it—remain preserved with integrity and care.

We’re grateful to the New York State Museum for the privilege of preserving such an important cultural object.

Sometimes preservation’s greatest impact is the one you don’t notice at all.