The Singer sewing machine revolutionized both industry and boutique fashion. The eponymous inventor, Isaac Merrit Singer, was born to modest circumstances in Pittstown, NY in the early 1800s. After trying his hand as an actor in his 20s and 30s, Singer began tinkering in inventing. Eventually, although burdened by two simultaneous marriages and multiple children from each, Singer managed to develop an advanced sewing machine. Singer's machine was not the first of its kind, and he became embroiled in a epic patent war against other people who claimed to have invented automatic sewer. These rivals included Walter Hunt and Elias Howe. Eventually, Singer's international success brought him great fortune, and a man by the name of Frederick Bourne took over the helm of his company. Bourne ruled the Singer Manufacturing Company for many years and helped oversee the construction of a colossal skyscraper in New York City called the Singer Building. At the time of its construction, it was the largest skyscraper on the planet, though the building was later demolished to make way for other city projects. Throughout the 20th century, the Singer sewing machine empire grew, acquiring smaller machining enterprises and mid-size firms, such as the Packard Bell Electronics Company in the mid '60s. From Isaac Singer's prototype machine, the Jenny Lind, which he constructed with the help of investor George Zieber, the Singer company has expanded to become a worldwide force in consumer electronics, and the company now creates tens of thousands of electronic sewing machines annually.
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