This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. 400-day clocks are also known as anniversary clocks, they would run 400 days on one winding. . Clocks produced in the early 1900's are particularly concerning in this regard. Now I know that theres probably 14 basic shapes, but a lot more variations than that depending on how far you want to take things. So, does Westclox really belong in the Made In Chicago Museum? In terms of my own collection, Im still trying to find some of the really early Big Bens. It still works. American manufacturers were quick to see that the millionaires are a negligible quantity as consumers, and that, not chronometersnot marvels of intricacy and originalitywere needed, but timepieces within the reach and want of all. Stoddard: Some of the old American pocket watches are just beautiful so I have several in my collection. The movement was mounted to the inner case back. Once I was winding it and one of the main springs broke, so I decided to take it all apart and fix the main spring. There are some blemishes on the wood on the right side. I met somebody then who told me about the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors and then I joined that and in their bi-monthly magazine I found a man looking for early Westclox information, he is now one of the foremost Westclox researchers. Thank you, i have a pocket watch that says (inscribed inside) g. falconer ,,,rona & london or kona & london i dont know its in old english and says kona or hona it has 1243 all inscribed on the inside where when u open it u can see the gears, looks like an a8 and a crown with a 18 on the middle inside cover (that covers the gears) and also a 1243 and what looks like an 8 or an infinite symbol (sideways 8)then again on the part that clasps over everything on the inside an A3 or A8? Did westclox stop using radioactive paint by the 1960s? Westclox made an excellent, almost exact, reproduction of the style 1a Big Ben in 1970. A 2015 article by Ben Hohenstatt in the Illinois Valleys News Tribune included interviews with a few former Westclox workers who returned to see the museum and remember old times. Radium paint itself was eventually phased out and has not been used in watches since 1968. I have been collecting, repairing, and restoring mostly Westclox Big Bens for several years. It has a removable bottom decorative piece as well as a top rounded top flat piece of wood with a verticle wooden slat on the back extending to become a peg-like extension to fit and secure the decorative piece into the top of the clock. I read (but cant remember where) that about 40,000 were made. Can you help My husband has a Big Ben clock that he inherited, it was took down from a mill and given to his grandma. Lynda Hinshaw, At this moment I am research a clock by Falconer& co HongKong. This practice resulted in the ingestion of radium, which caused serious jaw-bone degeneration and malignancy and other dental diseases. It was passed on to my sister and for years it was on their mantle along time until it stopped. Back then, radium wasn't considered to be dangerous in small doses. When I was 11 or 12, I started mowing lawns for money and paid another man to repair it for me, but when it came back it would run for a while and then stop, pretty erratic. Radium - The First Rolex Luminous Material. when did westclox stop using radium. By 1930, all dial painters stopped pointing their brushes by mouth. Within two decades she had lost all her teeth. I'll start with a 19j Bunn, Looking for Somebody with Some Bandwidth to do a Repair. I just had it repaired & it works & looks great. Has the mechanics of the clock been changed/upgraded or could there be another issue at play? That was the first antique clock I owned myself. theres the problem, there were two gears that were in backwards. [citation needed] The use of radium to provide luminescence for hands and indices on watches soon followed. [7], Ingestion of radium has been linked to anemia, cataracts, broken teeth, and reduced bone growth.[8]. [6] Decaying radium also produces the gas radon, recognized as the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States[6] and the United Kingdom. Just as pilots in World War II had radium on the dials in their cockpits for all-condition visibility, many people who purchased Big Ben alarm clocks during the same periodincluding the very style in our museum collection (made from 1939-1946)went to bed each night sleeping next to a tiny box of radioactivity. I recently added the Big Ben Style 1 and Baby Ben Style 1 Dial and Back types. Was this done so the alarm could be more easily set on the quarter or half hour? $38.00. It emits alpha, beta, and gamma radiation. any info would be appreciated. I was told it was an antique at that time. They typically have a round brass base with a glass dome over them; they were made in Germany from the 1890s up through the 1970s, and a lot of people collect them. The front is in Roman Numerals with a dome shaped raised glass. Both the Big and Baby Bens were housed in a newly refined bell-back clock case. When did they stop using radium on clocks? It is too large (wide). I spent many an evening here, watching him bowl.. var year = today.getFullYear() I have purchased 1) Style 1 Baby and Big Ben with the Gold Leaf dial (seller stated raised letters); and, 2) a Style 1 Baby Ben with Baby Ben De Luxe on the dial. In a few short years, thanks to Dr. Douglas's efforts, the amount of radium available in the US more than quintupled. The aim of the Western Clock MFG Co. in entering the manufacture of alarms was to apply to nickel clocks, features which were previously found only in high-priced timepieces, and prohibited in low-priced lever clocks by the high cost of production involved. These styles constitute the This end has been achieved by what is known as the Western Processa process in which the component parts of a clock are cast, or, so to speak, cemented together with an alloy, instead of staked, and in which all hand labor is replaced by automatic machinery., [Automatic machinery certainly sped up the manufacturing process, by plenty of human skill and attention was still required to make the Big Ben. That batch was in production non-continuously from 1939 to 1946, housed in gunmetal cases with nickel trim. Initially hired as a low level clerk, Le Roy worked his way up the company ladder in the early 1900s as an on-the-road sales rep, soliciting business from Chicago to New York to parts unknown. Sometimes Ive seen them for 300 to 600 dollars. One employee, R.D. Hi I need the face plate for a black face big ben with the alarm dial on its face do you have any you could sell me alonf with the radio dials, it was probably outsourced meaning westclox sold some watches to hot wheels, I had a westclox electric dialite like that. when did westclox stop using radium; when did westclox stop using radium. Leg model with ring on top, dustproof case. The sound is very good when I compare it with the Howard Miller and the Jauke I just purchases, its loud and resonates very well. This classic clock is known for its loud and distinct bell-like . I will be watching for more articles from Bill Stoddard WECKER (CW arrow)/UHR (CCW arrow) knob with ring: CW winds alarm; CCW winds clock. They were sold in a very attractive hexagonal box which has pictures of antique items on the sides (tricycle, telephone, carriage, etc.) At the start of the decade, the company brought in a skilled new industrial designer named Henry Dreyfuss; a true modernist. Ruth Spayer at the Westclox Museum tracked down a newspaper story from the Daily Post-Tribune on March 21, 1944, describing a scene in which three women fainted, several clerks were trampled, and four showcase windows were shattered before police untangled a jam of 2,500 women and a few stout-hearted men who converged on the store.. [9] The element was phased out of use by industry acting under its own volition as superior and safer luminous materials entered the marketplace. Seeking the Big 3 goals of convenience, cleanliness, and cheap production, Dreyfuss rolled out his new-look Big Ben in 1931. From that point on I really liked those. Their factory in LaSalle, Illinois closed down in about 1980 when they moved all their production down south, but the building is still there. Technically speaking, though, Westclox did still produce clocks during the gap years that followed. We have photos of all the employees between 1927-1945 at the Peterborough Ontario Location but not much else. My Grandmother had a Westclox in her house. Instead, it would be better to take the box outside and remove the lid there, which would allow any built-up gas to rapidly dissipate." The watches tested were produced from the 1920s through the '60s, and are a mix of British, Swiss, and American origin. American manufacturers were quick to see that the millionaires are a negligible quantity as consumers, and that, not chronometersnot marvels of intricacy and originalitywere needed, but timepieces within the reach and want of all. Any suggestions of where to get a replacement preferably in Canada? All I really want to know is about the raised horizontal single eye type decoration on this top removable piece. [Left: The first national Big Ben advertisement appears in the Saturday Evening Post in 1910: Big Ben is a thin, beautiful and punctual sleepmeter with a silent motor that will not annoy you on your lie-awake nights and a deep musical voice that will call you on your sleepiest mornings. Right and Below: A style 1A Big Ben from our museum collection, circa 1920s.]. When I went home and washed my hands in a dark bathroom, they would appear luminous and ghostly, an original Ghost Girl named Catherine Donohue (nee Wolfe) later testified. CAN SOMEONE TELL ME HOW TO RELEASE THE CLICK ON A WESTCLOX MANS WRISTWATCH MODEL A-201? Even so, our case-less dials are certainly best left behind glass and out of reach, a sad reminder of a terrible and preventable episode in industrial history, the effects of which continued to plague the town of Ottawa for many years afterward. i have a large ansonia wall clock 32 1/2 x 32. I know Bill Stoddards name from other publications on Westclox. I thought, oh boy, I just need four more and Ill have them all! With George Kerns new alarm clock, specifically, Le Roy decided it would be wise to craft a new brand name, and to leave the Western name off of the clock face entirely, since the company was overly associated with cheap goods at the time. Just remember, old luminous clocks are full of radium! Your cooperation would be greatly appreciated. Any guidance or help is appreciated. If you look at a Baby Ben in the 1959 Sears catalog, they sold for about nine dollars and if you go to a Wal Mart today you can still buy a Baby Ben for about nine dollars, but the quality isnt the same. When he made his first clock and plugged it into the wall it worked fine except it wasnt accurate, it was off by plus or minus a half hour a day, because the 60 cycles were not regulated at that time, so it could vary quite a bit. How do you date a Westclox Baby Ben? 514 Poplar Street Westclox Big Ben and Baby Ben Identification Guide , Remembering the Great War and The Clock That Caused a Near Riot . Stoddard: The main thing is the originality of the dial and if its a wooden shelf clock, having the original painting in the door would be really important. That way I got myself another Baby Ben, bringing my collection to three by age 12. I live in Scotland but my clock was made in USA. Westcloxs Manual for Employees read, We expect you to work hard, and the pay is accordingly large . I like to find the ones before that and study their history. For the town of Peruwhich had tied much of its identity to Westclox for the better part of a centurythe damage went beyond financial. The alpha particles emitted by the radium, which is taken up in bone, will kill off surrounding bone tissue, resulting in a condition loosely referred to as radium jaw. If you do not expect to work hard and carefully, you are in the wrong place., Big Ben is a handsome, well built, refined and bright looking fellow with a clean-cut open face and a deep cheerful voice,, A well-dressed, steady and punctual chap, up to the minute and always on the job., Big Ben always comes to you straight from home, LaSalle, Illinois,, But he only comes upon receipt of signed price agreement. Their Scottish factory was a full manufacturing plant, at which all their clocks were assembled from start to finish with only the basic raw materials being brought in by outside suppliers. They worked for the United States Radium Corporation painting the numbers and hands on watch. They asked me to give some programs myself at some of the chapter meetings so I became a little bit better at being a public speaker, and its been great meeting people. Dont know if someone ingraved date on when took down or if the original. The Ingersoll Watch division of the Waterbury Clock Company, a nationally-known maker of low-cost pocket and wristwatches, was a leading popularizer of the use of radium for watch hands and indices through the introduction of their "Radiolite" watches in 1916. All the rods in my clocks are verticle that is from top to bottom of the case, four on each side at the back of the movement. Can anyone tell me about this? . They were officially Americas preferred wake-up call provider. Clock Repair and Hermle Chime, Mantel and Wall Clocks for Sale at Bill's Clockworks. Stoddard: The first Big Bens and Baby Bens went on the market in 1910 and they were wind ups. In 1918 the Big Ben case was improved to make it dustproof, as described in patent #1,300,278 issued to Kern on April 15, 1919. Westclox style series. Within in another ten years, the workforce had tripled again, powered by employee George Kerns 1908 invention of the first Big Benthe sleek, iconic model that basically set the template for the 20th century wind-up alarm clock. Theres a clock called a Crystal Regulator which is about a foot tall with a brass case and glass on all four sides. Credit: pinimg. I never realized, even working here, they made so many different models.. "Westclox" in italics, double hexagon legs: 1918, "Westclox" in italics, regular legs: 1918 -1922, "Westclox" in italics, very narrow lettering at bottom: "MADE BY WESTERN CLOCK CO., LA SALLE, ILL., U.S.A.", ca. Apr 14, 2011 501 1 18. Above all else, though, the rise and fall of Westcloxand the deeper history of these Big Ben clocks, in particularis simply far too intriguing to dismiss just because of a long-distance commute. By the 1960s production went offshore to achieve economies of scale . I hope to document Style 5 Baby Bens this winter. Thank you. He also recalled playing in the factory. Radium is highly radioactive. This will broaden my view in the clock. Before OSHA was set up, 14,000 people died on the job every year; today, it is just over 4,500. Like many East Coasters, he decides to pursue his fortune out West, but unlike many of his peers, he skips the bustling Second City in favor of a promising river & railroad region downstate; where the towns of Peru, LaSalle and Ottawa intersect. I cant find out anything about him or any other clocks by him. That summer at an antique store I came across one that wasnt even in the book, and I thought that was exciting. Any information would be very helpful. You just cant imagine the size of this factory its just gigantic. Thanks. I know the site informs readers the amount of Big Bens produced in any one year, but does NOT for the reproduction model produced in 1970. It has a cracked front lens that I would like to replace. Collectors Weekly: When did you discover that there were other clock collectors? Is Westclox a good brand? But the chances that you have a radium clock are slim, unless it is very old. Your email address will not be published. In clocks, as in all other lines of goods, there are two classes of consumersthe millions and the millionaires. Radium was discovered by Marie and Pierre Curie in 1898[1] and was soon combined with paint to make luminescent paint, which was applied to clocks, airplane instruments, and the like, to be able to read them in the dark.[2]. I hung it on my wall and we tried to get it fixed but the repairman couldnt fix it. The end of the Great War began what was, in many respects, a halcyon time for Westclox, now arguably the best-known timekeeping brand in the world. Many folks might not realize that early vintage clock dials were painted with radioluminescent paint, which is a mixture of fluorescent salts (these produce the glow) and radium-226, which is a dangerous and highly radioactive element. I am looking to get an approxmiate value of this clock. they played a deep rich tone. Thanks for any info you may be able to supply the knobs have foreign words ie wecker & UHR.would like to know about his clock The radium isotope (226Ra) used has a half-life of about 1,600years,[6] so radium dials remain essentially just as radioactive as when originally painted 50 or 100 years ago, whether or not they remain luminous. I have a small westclox alarm clock. Former employees showed up to view a collection of watches, clocks, tools, photographs of the old factory, a short black and white film of the factory in action and remember working for Westclox. Quite a few who try to get every basic model, but fewer who get into the rarer models and do research. I tried selling some of my surplus electric Big Bens on eBay and they just didnt go, you could get only about $0.99 for them. So yes. Would you please direct me to someone that can do this for me? (All images in this article courtesy Bill Stoddard, www.clockhistory.com), I found this article very complimentary to the Westclox company and an intriguing piece to read. The style 1a can be distinguished from style 1 in several ways: The movement was changed for style 1a so that the mounting nuts were on the back. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that watches with radium dials should not be taken apart[5] without proper training, technique, and facilities. Condition is important, but clocks can be restored. Without a crystal poses a serious Health risk because the Radium paint flakes off and can become airborne. Don Spayer, volunteer and former Westclox employee, said the bulk of the museums collection was built through donations. Debbie Blake, I have a small Westclox wind up clock dating around 1937. I tend to be a nitty gritty detail kind of guy. It has ingraved on it 2-20-31. People did some bad things over the years just to get them running. He invited us in to look around, so we got to go up and down the big freight elevator and he found some old music boxes that were never used that he gave to us (Westclox made one or two little clocks with a music box in them). These efforts, combined with an ahead-of-its-time factory welfare department and employee benefits packages, led to a lot of workers spending their whole lives with Westclox. thank you, My Husband and I just purchased an antique mantle/shelf clock at an estate sale. The NAWCC has an online forum with a lot of different categories. Big Ben style 1a continued in production until its discontinuation in 1935. I was pained to learn how the girls had suffered while working here and sacrificed their lives to give the name of the company which it has today. I believed it was manufacturing tag. Never underestimate the value of an alarm clock when yours broke two years ago and nobody has manufactured a new one since. Entertainment & Pop Culture; Geography & Travel; Health & Medicine; Lifestyles & Social Issues; Literature; Philosophy & Religion; Politics, Law & Government It looks like you mount it to the wall. During World War II they had some fantastic ads that you can see on my website like, Victory Wont Wait for the Nation Thats Late, and Guard Your Big Ben where they show a bulldog and a soldier with a gun guarding a Big Ben because during the war they stopped making clocks for the consumer market and totally switched over to military work. We pay his railroad fare on all orders for a dozen or more, we brand him with your name in lots of 24., unconsciously characterized the manunaffected, direct, devoted to his cause., Radiums luminosity was part of its allure,, The dial painters soon became known as the ghost girls because by the time they finished their shifts, they themselves would glow in the dark. By Dave Margulius Dozens of radium dial painters around the country developed similar symptoms, although the effects could take years to manifest, making it more difficult to pinpoint the phenomenon from its first cases in the early 1920s. Its hard to fathom in retrospect, but in the early 20th century, it was generally believed that small amounts of radium were perfectly harmless to humans, and thus, the substances natural, long-lasting glow actually made it something of an attractive novelty of the time periodnot just on clock dials, but in the worlds of quack medicine, fashion, cosmetics, and even a proto version of energy water, called Radithor.. Some people just want one or two that they remember from childhood in good condition, so thats just the thing for them. Most are in nickel finish cases, but some were made in gold plated cases. Charles Stahlberg headed a group from Waterbury, Connecticut, who came to Peru in 1884 to build clocks based on a new idea by Stahlberg. . . Westcloxs Manual for Employees read, We expect you to work hard, and the pay is accordingly large . We pay his railroad fare on all orders for a dozen or more, we brand him with your name in lots of 24.. Penetrating gamma radiation produced by some dials also represents a significant health risk. [citation needed] This rate probably only represents the dose rate from gamma emission, as the alpha emission will be stopped by the lacquer, or crystal, or case; hence, the dose rate following ingestion or inhalation of the dust could be much higher. credit: Northern Illinois University], According to a 1909 article in Commercial America, In clocks, as in all other lines of goods, there are two classes of consumersthe millions and the millionaires. Was westclox ever manufactured in germany and if so when? Ive recently acquired a New Haven decorative wall clock. It was only with the passage of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 that the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) was given oversight of the use of radium. My moms father had a small collection of antique clocks and when I was a little boy he showed me how to wind them and regulate them. The new features, according to a synopsis from the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum, included: shifting from serif to sans-serif typefaces and from slightly ornate to more streamlined minute and second hands, all of which eased legibility; setting the clock face closer to the glass, reducing shadows; and creating a slightly smaller form overall.. Theyre making some really nice reproductions of it in China and if you dont know what youre looking for you could be fooled easily.
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