Early 1900's stickers/paint...how did they do this?

[1982fxr]

The ornate gold, how was something like this done?

Some kind of heavy duty sticker transfers or something?

 

[Farmer J.]

I think they're water slide decals with a clear coat over them.
This guy supplies replacements for restorations:

Singer 27 127 Decals for Restorations Sphinx Design 3 Color

Worlds Largest Selection of Sewing Machine Restoration Decals

www.singerdecals.com

 

[Dumber than lumber]

The ornate gold, how was something like this done?

Some kind of heavy duty sticker transfers or something?

Isn't there a Sewing Machine Museum? That might be a cool place to take the wife. LOL

 

[four.cycle]

Bear in mind they didn't have at their avail the infinite variety of adhesives that we do today.
Water-transfer decals were common.

Glass doors were done with gold leaf and then had a clear coat applied over it. Tricky stuff. (You don't see many glass doors with gold lettering on them any more - they were fairly common in the 1930s through the 1950s.)

 

[slowtwitch73]

A lot of it was by hand. Not the example of the sewing machine, but many other things.. engines, machine tools, bicycles, etc etc.

Those old doors with the gold leaf are fantastic...the level of adornment back then from packaging to product on down was gorgeous.

 

[bcschief]

Silkscreen was available then

 

[wrenchguy]

This guy seems to know his stuff and calls them "Lithograph Industrial Transfers" (silver backed decals).