Garvin were an American firm, based at Spring and Varick Streets in the heart of the shipping district in NewYork, N.Y. The company offered a wide range of products amongst which were millers in plain, horizontal, vertical, manufacturing, duplex and hand-operated types; smaller types of planers and profilers, "screw machines" (capstan lathes), a variety of spiral-gear and worm-milling attachments, spring-coiling machines, rotary tables, index centres of many kinds, dividing heads, countershafts, support bracketing, single and gang drill presses, headstocks  - and a small range of plain-turning lathes, illustrated below, of a type very common during the early years of the 20th Century and designed for hand work, polishing, forming and wood turning.

The lightest Garvin plain lathe built in 10-inch and 12-inch swings and designed for hand work, polishing, forming and wood turning.
Note the swing-down, quick-release handles used to lock the tailstock and tool rest - a thoughtful touch and obviously designed for a hard-working, industrial environment.

A heavier Garvin lathe - the 12-inch - fitted with a combined screw and lever-feed tailstock which could be changed from one action to the other by simple tightening or loosening a lever - further details of this device are at the bottom of the page.

The largest Garvin plain lathe was the 15-inch, available in capacities of 20.75",  23" and 28.5" between centres - with the latter machine weighting a not-inconsiderable 765 lbs.

The Garvin combination screw and lever-feed tailstock.
The tailstock barrel was carried inside a sliding sleeve which was normally free to move under the control of the lever (K). When the sleeve was locked by the handle (H) the normal action of a screw-feed barrel could be used by rotating the handwheel (N). A depth stop (G) was fitted to the side of the casting.