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The Torchon Lace Company: The fine line between entrepreneurship and fraud
Walking down a street in Chicago in 1901, Sylvester G. Lewis saw a large group of women enthralled with a lady making lace in a window display. Lewis also recognized a business opportunity for making a reputation and fortune for himself by capitalizing on lacemaking opportunities in America. The 20th century was in its infancy and the possibilities were unlimited for a budding entrepreneur. He learned about bobbin lacemaking, which is a type of off-loom weaving of an open-work fabric, made by hand with threads wound on bobbins. Satisfied with his basic knowledge, in 1902 he started The Torchon Co-operative Lace Co., which produced and sold equipment and instruction books needed for mastering lacemaking. The Chicago-based company invested heavily in advertising in the leading ladies' magazines. The Princess Lace Loom was patented by Sylvester G. Lewis in 1903. He added a roller for the finished lace to the type of lace pillows pictured in lace manuals from the late 1800s, called it an “improved little loom,” and took out a patent. It is set up with lace being made on one of the Torchon Lace Co. patterns. (2016.0048.01)
Sylvester G. Lewis obtained patent no. 745,206 for his Lace Machine in 1903.
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