[PW] Sewing machine power

[Edith Bailes]

Can anybody shed any light on the power source or the original context
of this picture?
- - - -

Since the device is sitting on a stove, I wonder if it's steam. It's hard to
see how that would work, though. Maybe this is just a fanciful illustration.

But the machine has no treadle, a common power source for early sewing
machines.

(Some of us still have treadle-operated machines, which are nice to have if
you want to sew while the power is off.)

Edie in Maine