Mashin di kose

It is easy to see something in an object that fits a certain belief or bias. For example, look at that one detail on this sewing machine. The seal hidden in the middle. It raises questions about the manufacturer. You can say: this machine is not an original. Those Europeans only sent second-rate machines our way. Just as easily, a Dutchman can claim that European goods were often counterfeited abroad. The past is ideally suited to confirm your view of the world. With a selective view, you only take in those stories that confirm your own.

Having put aside our own prejudices, we looked for the story of this sewing machine. One such story is relatively easy to imagine. Anyone who delves into the Curaçao of the last century can imagine that a sewing machine had a lot to offer for those people who owned one.

At a time when cheap ready-to-wear clothing from Bangladesh and China did not yet exist, a sewing machine made it possible to sew your own clothes or patch up old clothes. But do you know another story? Let us know!

"For example, look at that one detail on this sewing machine."