Description and research notes
Original 1931 Singer Sewing Machine Company service and instruction booklet issued in Cairo and bearing multiple Singer-specific revenue stamps tied with dated cancellations. The booklet includes several printed pages detailing machine adjustments, maintenance procedures, and warranty conditions in both English and Arabic, reflecting Singer’s deep integration into the Egyptian consumer market during the interwar period.
Of particular significance are the attached Singer-branded revenue stamps—Egypt’s only sector-specific fiscal adhesives—each tied to the booklet with clear 1931 datestamps. These fiscal issues were produced exclusively for Singer to validate paid services and mechanical work performed at authorized workshops. Surviving examples tied to complete booklets are exceptionally scarce; most were detached, used separately, or lost to heavy wear.
This intact booklet provides a rare, comprehensive view of Singer’s technical and commercial presence in Egypt. It documents early 20th-century consumer mechanics, foreign retail networks, and the fiscal imprint of international corporations operating in Cairo. Among Egyptian commercial ephemera, it is one of the few artifacts combining branded revenues, instruction text, and full commercial context—a true museum-level piece.