A Big Ben typical of those made from late 1910 to mid-1915. They had one in Brazil for a while and I think also in Hong Kong. Radium is highly radioactive. 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. For my 14th birthday I got a book called The Treasury of American Clocks and there was a picture showing the seven types of Baby Bens. So I swapped them, and its worked perfectly ever since. Both the Big and Baby Bens were housed in a newly refined bell-back clock case. From 1942 to 1945, Westclox ceased all production intended for domestic civilian sale and dedicated its production resources to the war effort. can anybody tell me about this piece? At the start of the decade, the company brought in a skilled new industrial designer named Henry Dreyfuss; a true modernist. Well, the company certainly maintained some major salesrooms here, and many of their employees came from the city and its suburbs. I took it all apart and asked my dad to help me put it back together, but he cut his finger on the spring. Without a crystal poses a serious Health risk because the Radium paint flakes off and can become airborne. Thank to several professionals who Ive met on Ebay, I have become quite skilled with my restorations plus making dials and alarm function indicators. Good old fashioned branding played a major role, as well. Collectors Weekly: When did you discover that there were other clock collectors? I have been collecting, repairing, and restoring mostly Westclox Big Bens for several years. I was given an Elias Ingraham Clock many years ago and would like to know a bit more about it and its value. The drinking fountain worked.. I have a similar clock. [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. Sep 23, 2011 I have looked high and low in my attempts to find out how any of these resproduction style 1A were produced. Theres a seller on eBay now whos doing some really outstanding restorations of Big Bens. I am reading, studying, and learning more about the Westclox. The style 7 Big Ben and Baby Ben (1956 to 1964, the first Bens with concentric alarm hand) has minute markings. These clocks were produced in the thousands and many can be bought on eBay for under $10. You just cant imagine the size of this factory its just gigantic. Don Spayer, volunteer and former Westclox employee, said the bulk of the museums collection was built through donations. That batch was in production non-continuously from 1939 to 1946, housed in gunmetal cases with nickel trim. When I walked along the street, Iwas aglow from the radium powder., The radium girls case was one of the first in which an employer was made responsible for the health of the companys employees. My clothes, hanging in a dark closet, gave off a phosphorescent glare. . Luminous Processes employees interviewed by a journalist in 1978 stated they had been left ignorant of radium's dangers. 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. I also like some of the older American weight-driven clocks. Handle on top: down alarm off; up alarm on. They had one in Brazil for a while and I think also in Hong Kong. I like to find the ones before that and study their history. Radiums luminosity was part of its allure, Moore writes. One time a friend and I were down there behind the factory and we got talking to a man who was leasing the back half of the factory to make machinery for bakeries. Matthiessen, 1904 Western Clock MFG Co. catalog cover, and the original Peru factory in 1905]. styles to organize them 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. About the only. The women also left a legacy to science that has been termed invaluable.. It is stamped on the back of the casing DRP&GM. As stated it is working and keeps time. I was told it was an antique at that time. The movement was mounted to the inner case back. its about 2 inches long maybe 1/2 in thick with holes on either end to be worn on a key chain perhaps? var year = today.getFullYear() When I was eight we moved to a new house and my mom and I were looking in the attic and found an old octagon wall clock made by Waterbury, probably dated about 1880. Stahlbergs company goes bankrupt not once, but twice, within its first several years. Charles Stahlberg headed a group from Waterbury, Connecticut, who came to Peru in 1884 to build clocks based on a new idea by Stahlberg. We are very proud to be living in this building and would love to know more about this specific site. She was 107 when she died on March 1 in Middlebury, Conn . Can you confirm? Westclox did make a couple of documented advertising clocks, but very few. Over time, she contracted terrible cancerous tumors, lost most of her teeth, and suffered countless other health problems. The movement was then used with minor changes in Loud Alarm models until 1956. I live in Scotland but my clock was made in USA. But hes taken some that are really rusty and had the backs replaced beautifully and reproduced some dials, and hes actually had some selling for several hundred dollars, so thats a totally different thing. Same as the nickel version but in a gold-plated case. These folks here that are responsible for this are doing a marvelous job, Ristau said. During the early 1900's, the effects of radiation exposure were not well understood, and radium was frequently . Beginning in the 1910s, the girls instructed to put radium in their mouths didn't bat an eyelash. I cannot date it. Luckily for Charles, however, he is living in the same small town as Frederick William Matthiessena fellow German, but one with a hell of a lot more money and business experience. The alarm mechanism was also improved as part of Kerns new patents, with an intermittent ringing that kind of acted as an archaic form of snooze alarm. As seen below, the company made something of a symbolic gesture out of honoring the last Big Ben to roll off the assembly line on July 31, 1942, the day when all production shifted to government contracts for the duration of the war. Their factory in LaSalle, Illinois closed down in about 1980 when they moved all their production down south, but the building is still there. A clock without hands might seem indifferent to the passage of time, but these old Big Ben and Baby Ben dials have some serious stories to tell. I believed it was manufacturing tag. Radium was discovered in 1898 by Marie Curie and Pierre Curie. 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. Radium dials are watch, clock and other instrument dials painted with luminous paint containing radium-226 to produce radioluminescence. Im trying to determine if it is a legit or reproduction that someone made. It is a wind up. Sometimes Ive seen them for 300 to 600 dollars. 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. I have a Westclox Magnet Key Part number 031723 I think was used to open a door as it has an arrow on 1 end. It looks like you mount it to the wall. Stoddard: Ive been there several times. Medical researchers extended the use of radium to cure impotence in men and women by creating fertility drugs with the element to "stimulate" reproduction. Contact the Webmaster for perceived copyright infringement (DMCA Registration Number 1010287). When did Westclox stop using radium? This practice resulted in the ingestion of radium, which caused serious jaw-bone degeneration and malignancy and other dental diseases. There is a small dial inside of the clock face that has roman numerals like another clock face. In 1919 the company was incorporated as Western Clock Company, Ltd. [Workers assembling Big Ben alarm clocks at the Westclox plant, 1910s. 1968 Who made westclox? Sometimes extensive casework can be more time consuming than getting the movement running. A Westclox Museum has been opened within the original facility, showing off rare collections from the millions of timepieces once manufactured there. [Left: The first national Big Ben advertisement appears in the. Stoddard: Some of the old American pocket watches are just beautiful so I have several in my collection. About 1920 the luminous dial using radium paint was introduced. I think it is a clock made by Sessions. and again 1243 is this an antique its gold but looks brand new but also an antique at the same time does anyone know what kind of pocket watch this is or if its gold or a replica of something or what it might be worth?? I know Bill Stoddards name from other publications on Westclox. lds missionary clothing stores; June 24, 2022 . I think we threw it away. This classic clock is known for its loud and distinct bell-like . Most are in nickel finish cases, but some were made in gold plated cases. Recently Ive seen people taking an old Baby Ben thats worth a few bucks or so and gluing rhinestones around the bezel on the clock. US radium dial painting factory. Westclox Big Ben Style 1a Alarm Clock Date Summary: 1918 - 1935 (and a reproduction was made in 1970) Characteristics: Ring on top, two legs in front, no screws through the front of the bezel. Was this done so the alarm could be more easily set on the quarter or half hour? Even today, with the considerable help of a thing called Interstate 80, its still about a two-hour journey from LaSalle Street to LaSalle County. [Westclox advertisements from WWII period, ft. 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. Your response or advice would be much appreciated. 1919 -1922, Luminous, Westclox in Roman text: 1923 - 1927, Luminous, projection on the "x": 1928 - 1935. The other thing is reproductions. Dreyfuss revised his changes at the end of the decade, designing the Style 5 and 5a Big Bens in 1938including the featured Loud Alarm dials from our museum collection. I always wondered why the dial of my Baby Ben clock, which I have had from late 60s, was marked off in 48ths of an hour instead of minutes. Advertisement: Illustrates crackle green Tiny Tim, crackle blue Big Ben and crackle pink Baby Ben clocks. On April 20, 1902, Marie and Pierre Curie successfully isolate radioactive radium salts from the mineral pitchblende in their laboratory in Paris. It also says that the patent was re-issued March 31, 1868. My Grandmother had a Westclox in her house. When the Radium Dial Company moved to Ottawa in the 20s to better serve its number one client, Westclox, they were welcomed with enthusiasm, particularly by the young, working class women in the town. So yes. Behind the light, theyd been left in the dark. These paints were used on the dials of clocks and watches to make them glow-in-the-dark. In the early 1920s, when the company introduced a new series of Big Ben and Baby Ben clocks with luminous dials, the work of painting on this special, glow-in-the-dark element was outsourced to the Radium Dial Companyan independent business located just up the road in the neighboring town of Ottawa, IL. While promoting Westclox products in Europe, the breakout of World War I and the laws of mandatory military service in his native France forced Le Roy to get his affairs in order and head for the front in 1914. Westcloxs Manual for Employees read, We expect you to work hard, and the pay is accordingly large . Company in 1888 and installing another talented German, Ernst Roth, as the general manager. 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. As my first name is Ben, I started to collect these alarmclocks since about 1970. Dave, Your question about a Big Ben containing radium, and in fact about which clocks actually do contain radium, is a good one. Has the mechanics of the clock been changed/upgraded or could there be another issue at play? Omega stopped using radium around 1963. Westclox Big Ben and Baby Ben Identification Guide , Remembering the Great War and The Clock That Caused a Near Riot . I have been purchasing these clocks as and when I got an opportunity. Buy Now. It can be found with some other clocks in a case in the second floor hallway. It was a gift from him to her the year before they were married. Westclox also made about 5000 gold-plated reproductions. Before OSHA was set up, 14,000 people died on the job every year; today, it is just over 4,500. The massive success of the Big Ben design wasnt just about function and style. I have an Pine State Ice Cream Milk clock that I would like to find out how much it may be worth. So, rather than having the classic oversized bell or double-bell on top of the unit (to smash with your palm at 6am), the ringing mechanism was housed inside the back of the case, and a big winding key occupied the summit. However, there`s no easy way for you to tell; there were no labeling requirements then as we have now. Westclox Big Ben Alarm Clock Vintage. First, if your clock is for display only, I think it is harmless if the paint on the hands is not disturbed. While the painting technique of the Ghost Girls was replaced with supposedly safer methods like silk screening, traces of radium were still used by many companies to get that desired glow effect throughout the 1940s and even as late as the 60s. I took it back and the repairman told me it was like a large Timex watch and just not worth being fixed. I have an antique mantle clock given to my Aunt & Uncle for a wedding gift (approximately 1949) FROM my great grandparents. Clocks produced in the early 1900's are particularly concerning in this regard. knowledge about vintage and antique Westclox clocks and watches. Soon, he was running the Western Clock Co. advertising department, and proving his worth with some clever marketing strategies. Seeking the Big 3 goals of convenience, cleanliness, and cheap production, Dreyfuss rolled out his new-look Big Ben in 1931. The factory contained a bowling alley, and Ristau said his father was an excellent bowler. Going back further in time, here is a pretty hypnotizing silent film released by Westclox in the early 1920s to promote the Big Ben and other products. Thanks, I have come across a mantle clock that has been in my husbands family for as long as he can remember He estimates his bother purchased the clock around 1950. When did Bulova stop using radium? Westclox Scotland produced its first clock on 21 September 1948; a spring wound alarm with a 4-inch (10cm) dial. Westclox Big Bens and Baby Bens are full of the stuff. Theyll take an old Big Ben from 1930 and make a new dial that says Indian Motorcycle or Victola, and put it on eBay. It led to life-saving regulations and, ultimately, to the establishment of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which now operates nationally in the United States to protect workers. 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. For example, Big Ben Style 1 and Style 1a are the leg model, and Style 2 is the first base model. The phosphor deterioration means you can't see a glow anymore, but . Were finally at a point, where were ready to do more than just sit here, said Ruth Spayer, curator for the museum. When Did They Stop Using Radium On Clock Hands? But for years the majority were wind ups, they were so popular. Next year, well have been married for 49 years, Mary Ann said. Westclox closed its Peru factory 35 years ago. But the chances that you have a radium clock are slim, unless it is very old. Your cooperation would be greatly appreciated. The style 8 Big and Baby Bens were introduced in 1964. 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. In 1931 it merged with Seth Thomas Clock Co. and both became divisions of General Time Corp. In 1913, with help from the US government, Dr. Douglas formed the National Radium Institute, to mine radium from uranium ores recently discovered in Colorado. The Windys said their union confirms an old Westclox employee rumor about the long-lasting nature of a relationship struck up near a certain fountain. Do you have an archival dept who could give us an idea of our Western Clock which we recently acquired? German: WECKER (alarm); UHR (clock). I never realized, even working here, they made so many different models.. . 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. You do not want to open them up, lest you breath radioactive dust from old paint or spread it around. Because it was one degree removed from the radium business itself, Westclox seems to have largely dodged the controversy and lawsuits altogether. Thank you for your input. Origin of the eye, forklore or legends surrounding????? In 1914, Dr. Sabin Arnold von Sochocky and Dr. George S. Willis founded the Radium Luminous Material Corporation. when did westclox stop using radium old restaurants in lawrence, ma . Westclox made an excellent, almost exact, reproduction of the style 1a Big Ben in 1970. It is battery operated and takes a D battery. The lume used on vintage Rolex watches was radium-based, and radium remained the standard for nearly all Rolex lume until 1963, when growing health concerns forced a shift away from it. I have a small westclox alarm clock. Ref comment #10 from Frank Baker. Here you can see production dates, original retail prices and other There are many Westclox alarm clock models named Big Ben. At the top was a clock covered with a glass door. [citation needed] After about 20minutes this delivers the equivalent of one whole day's worth of normal background radiation. Radium dials held near the face have been shown to produce radiation doses in excess of 10Sv / hour. $25.99. I was about 3ft high and recessed into the wall. They were officially Americas preferred wake-up call provider. Gordon Goodrum 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. Next to the original Westcloxes I have an interesting collection of European copies by a.o. Style 1 has three screws through the bezel visible from the front, style 1a doesnt (compare figures 3 and 7); Style 1 has two screws holding the bell back, style 1a has three. Penetrating gamma radiation produced by some dials also represents a significant health risk. It is 3 diameter with Westclox on the back and PAT.APLOFOR. That was the first antique clock I owned myself. The whole clock seems to be origional and was maintained by my grandfather who was a watch/clock repairman. Could you suggest how I could go about finding out this information. . It still works. Another thing people do is make fake advertising clocks. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. I try to get all the pictures I can and keep them all chronologically and study the history. When did Westclox close? Henry Warren invented a little synchronous motor that could go inside a clock. Immediately after, substances like promethium and tritium were used as a luminous material, and they're still being used today. Eventually we became best friends and started researching together. I have a Westclox Bachelor alarm clock from probably the 50s as it was always there when I was growing up. The standard operating procedure of their daily work involved literally placing radium flecked paint brushes between their lips to create a finer point before application. If you want to identify an item, try posting it in our Show & Tell gallery. Clock Repair and Hermle Chime, Mantel and Wall Clocks for Sale at Bill's Clockworks. I have a collection of clocks, and amongst my collection are Westminster chime wall clocks, I have two Keinzle and two Junghans. Located at 41.3275 N, 89.1290 W on the map, the companys former plant is admittedly on the absolute fringes of what would typically be designated Chicagoland turf. hi, I have a cocacola square clock. AD x Stoddard: I was pretty much on my own until college. Despite Westcloxs deep German roots, the Illinois factory was a huge contributor to the U.S. military again during World War II, supplying upwards of a billion small parts for use in various defense products. I would like to know the value of a #4 black, #321(in original cardboard Christmas box), mint condition, Baby Ben alarm clock is. when did westclox stop using radiumcapricorn and virgo flirting. In her 2017 book, The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of Americas Shining Women, author Kate Moore notes that many of the new girls at the Radium Dial factory started out painting the famous Westclox Big Ben clocks before moving on to the smaller and more challenging Baby Ben, and finally the Pocket Ben and Scotty pocket watches, all produced at the Westclox Works. Theres a clock called a Crystal Regulator which is about a foot tall with a brass case and glass on all four sides. Before we get to that, though, we have to start with the issue of geography as it concerns the business in question. They can be identified by having the modern type of flat head screws with shoulders instead of round head screws, and by having a 1910 patent date on the back even though the case is style 1a. into groups of similar models. 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. Junghans, Kienzle,Mauthe,Kaiser, Peter, (all from Germany) Veglia (Italy), CNIS ( France), Ingersoll (UK) as well as some Hong Kong made items. The Canadian Clock Museum (http://www.canclockmuseum.ca/) may have some information. 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. Ristau said he remembered when the Westclox factory was the heart of the city, and recalled enjoying his time with Westclox. . $26.95. The disease, radium-induced osteonecrosis, was recognized as an occupational disease in 1925 after a group of radium painters, known as the Radium Girls, from the United States Radium Corporation sued. 1978. While most of our Big Ben dials are black with luminous numbers, there were also white dials with black numerals in production at the same time. Stoddard: Its really hard to say. They worked for the United States Radium Corporation painting the numbers and hands on watch. . T. tkarter Registered User. In the United States there does not seem to have ever been prohibitory legislation passed banning the use of radium in clocks and watches. It had beneath that four long tubes and they were the chimes for the door bell. From that time on, Baby Bens first and then Big Bens were available with either the plain or luminous dial. But it had always just been a matter of time (pun less intended) before industrial mass production made a wide-scale phenomenon like the Big Ben possible. Its got a round brass dial and a painting in the door, really neat. A lot of the American Shelf clocks from the 1820s up to 1900 have reverse paintings in the door, on the backside of the glass. 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. It is and Elias Ingraham Brass Clock with a patent stamp of September 30, 1862. 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. By the 1970s, radium was no . i have a large ansonia wall clock 32 1/2 x 32. People will still look for a good wind up but the quality declined in the later years just because the companies tried so hard to keep the prices low. Required fields are marked *. Your email address will not be published. By Dave Margulius If you do not expect to work hard and carefully, you are in the wrong place. credit: Northern Illinois University]. How can people be exposed to Radium? who can refurbush big ben still runs good perfect time purchased in 1950 cataloge #885(885). I am sure I can give Mr. Shields further information about his clock. Purchased from a man who claimed to have salvaged them from the backroom of an unnamed Chicago watch repair shop, each round and weathered face represents the lasting work of an international manufacturing giant at the peak of its powers. . UHR (CW arrow) knob sets clock time. There are also some specialty chapters, like an alarm clock chapter and a 400-day clock chapter, one that specializes in wristwatches and one on early American pocket watches. (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. Westclox made an excellent, almost exact, reproduction of the style 1a Big Ben in 1970. Is Westclox a good brand? His ideas were patented on as US patent #326,602. So you find clocks where parts have been switched, so thats one challenge, determining originality. the knobs have foreign words ie wecker & UHR.would like to know about his clock Eventually, safer options were discovered, and the use of radium was discontinued in the 1960s. Posted on 1 second ago; June 24, 2022 . I have a mantel clock,its floral in color,made by Ansonia Cock Co.USA.New York. JavaScript is disabled. From that point on I really liked those. Style 1a has four holes in the back to access the movement cap screws; Style 1 has the legs and pendant riveted to the case, on style 1a they screw on. [Workers assembling Big Ben alarm clocks at the Westclox plant, 1910s. I know very little about clocks in general. After the discovery of radioactivity in 1896 by French physicist and Nobel Prize winner, Antoine Henri Becquerel, many other scientists began to search for uses of radioactivity. The use of radium was discontinued since the 1960s. In clocks, as in all other lines of goods, there are two classes of consumersthe millions and the millionaires. As the 1960s began, over 50 million Big Ben clocks had been produced in total, and additional Westclox plants were now in operation everywhere from Athens, Georgia, and Ontario, Canada, to Scotland and Australia. [7], Ingestion of radium has been linked to anemia, cataracts, broken teeth, and reduced bone growth.[8]. 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. Leg model with ring on top, dustproof case. 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. Theyre just scattered in different places all over the country, little collections of hands, springs, screws, and things like that. That summer at an antique store I came across one that wasnt even in the book, and I thought that was exciting. Ive recently acquired a New Haven decorative wall clock. The company made luminescent paint. Dates Stamped on Big Ben and Baby Ben Clock Movements Dates were stamped on a movement plate of most Big Ben and Baby Ben alarm clocks made up until mid-1970's. Numbers are used for the month, day and year; or just the month and year (e.g. Radium was also used until the early 1970s in "glow-in-the-dark" paints, e.g., for dials on clocks, and in other industrial applications such as instrument calibration. Donohue, like many of her young peers in the radium industry, eventually realized that her amusing glow had been a warning of severe exposure to a radioactive substance. 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. They were told that eliminating lip-pointing had ended earlier problems. A few years later my grandma gave me one that worked, and my aunt gave me another one. I have a Seth Thomas Mantle clock that my older sisters husbands Aunt had on her mantle for years.

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