The Los Altos History Museum presents another of its gallery talks, 7:30 p.m., Thursday. Longtime Palo Alto resident Rich Douglas, of Douglas’ Sewing Machines and Fabrics, will present this spring’s talk, “A Thread of History.”

In conjunction with the museum’s current exhibit featuring the history of sewing machines, Douglas will discuss his multi generational family business.

Douglas’ father’s experiences selling sewing machines in the early 1920s parallel those of the original machine salesmen of the 19th century - demonstrations in remote locations, monthly payment rounds and farmers’ hospitality that included sampling of local products.

Started by his parents in 1926, the Palo Alto business was simply named The Sewing Machine Store. A separate store, The Fabric Shop, opened by his mother after World War II in a building believed to have been a house of ill repute, merged with the original business to become a prototype of what we know today - fabric, notions and sewing machines all under one roof.

The museum store and museum will open early, at 7 p.m., for this talk. The talk will start at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free.

The mission of the Los Altos History Museum is “dedicated to collecting, preserving, interpreting and communicating the history of Los Altos and the surrounding areas.”

Permanent exhibits at the museum include the interactive “Crown of the Peninsula: Los Altos Land Use Over Time,” the J. Gilbert Smith History House and outdoor agricultural exhibits.

The Museum is a partnership between the Association of the Los Altos Historical Museum, a private non-profit organization and the city of Los Altos.

Museum hours are noon to 4 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays. It is located at 51 S. San Antonio Road.

Admission is free. For more information, call 948-9427 or visit www.losaltoshistory.org.