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. Debbie Blake, I have a small Westclox wind up clock dating around 1937. Westclox Big Ben Alarm Clock Vintage. Not everyone involved with the manufacturing of Westclox products was employed directly by Westclox, however. Sometimes extensive casework can be more time consuming than getting the movement running. 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. 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. You just cant imagine the size of this factory its just gigantic. Theres a seller on eBay now whos doing some really outstanding restorations of Big Bens. 1970s Many of these workers developed bone cancer . It sits on a small brass stand with Westclox on it. Luminous Processes employees interviewed by a journalist in 1978 stated they had been left ignorant of radium's dangers. Radium paint can be ingested by inhaling flaking paint particles. This has probably been discussed before but my search turned up nothingdo the luminous hands on a Big Ben alarm clock contain painted radium? That was the first antique clock I owned myself. This past weekend, thanks to the Westclox Museum, its doors were opened and former workers were welcomed back for Homecoming Day. Theyll take an old Big Ben from 1930 and make a new dial that says Indian Motorcycle or Victola, and put it on eBay. Site of the Old Westclox factory 211-201 Hunter Street, Peterborough Ontario. I never realized, even working here, they made so many different models.. I cant find out anything about him or any other clocks by him. In this interview Bill Stoddard talks about collecting antique Westclox Big Ben and Baby Ben alarm clocks, and discusses clock collecting in general. A lot of American clocks have veneer over the base wood so if thats starting to peel it can be really expensive to get fixed. 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. [3] The Radiolite series, made in various sizes and models, became a signature of the Connecticut-based company. Westclox Wrought Iron Look Wall Clock 12" 32021A. bailey oceans tide clock dated 1880, with a Fusee movement. [7] A 2018 study by researchers from the University of Northampton found that a collection of 30 vintage military watches with radium dials kept in an small, unventilated room produced a radon concentration 134 times greater than the UK's recommended "safe" level. I have been purchasing these clocks as and when I got an opportunity. Westcloxs Manual for Employees read, We expect you to work hard, and the pay is accordingly large . the knobs have foreign words ie wecker & UHR.would like to know about his clock Westclox made an excellent, almost exact, reproduction of the style 1a Big Ben in 1970. I thought, oh boy, I just need four more and Ill have them all! The Westclox Big Ben Alarm Clock Vintage is an iconic timepiece that has been around since the early 1900s. Matthiessen, 1904 Western Clock MFG Co. catalog cover, and the original Peru factory in 1905]. I am trying to determine the age. July 17th, 2008. its a Gold coloring and the bottom is well worn like it was slid into something regularily. They were, incredibly enough, instructed to ingest a radioactive poison all day, every day, and never properly warned of any potential hazards. They made them with wooden works until about 1840, then with brass gears and I like some of the early brass-geared American clocks. We are very proud to be living in this building and would love to know more about this specific site. [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. i have a large ansonia wall clock 32 1/2 x 32. Radium dials held near the face have been shown to produce radiation doses in excess of 10Sv / hour. Most importantly, they were forbidden to point the tip with their lips, and they avoided to ingest or inhale the luminous paint. 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. Some years ago I intended to do a write-up on my collection and started researching on the internet and found the Westclox history site with a wealth of info. The use of Radium changed over several years but it was not until late 1960ies when the last were made. Also Telechron, which was a big maker of electric clocks. In 1931 it merged with Seth Thomas Clock Co. and both became divisions of General Time Corp. 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. Then my friend and I went around the neighborhood asking people if they had anything they wanted to give away, like old clocks and cameras and tape recorders. Next to the original Westcloxes I have an interesting collection of European copies by a.o. Even if the Western Clock Co. wasnt born in Chicago or headquartered here, the immediate aftershocks of the companys cultural and industrial impact certainly reached our shores in a hurry, no interstate required. It still works. A key point to bear in mind is this: the dial is still highly radioactive. Accueil; Services; Ralisations; Annie Moussin; Mdias; 514-569-8476 When did Westclox close? 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. Art and Mary Ann Windy [pictured] have been married for 49 years, met as Westclox employees and were present for the open house. By 1930, all dial painters stopped pointing their brushes by mouth. They make alarm and one-day lever clocks only, and with practically two different articles, known as the 4-inch and 2-inch movements, they have an output of in their factory at LaSalle, Ill., of nearly two million clocks a year. styles to organize them George Kern died on July 27, 1918 from a ruptured appendix, but his basic clock design lived on for years. US radium dial painting factory. 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.. Your cooperation would be greatly appreciated. Is this a product that the company would have made or something someone created? By the 1960s production went offshore to achieve economies of scale . I would like to know the value of a #4 black, #321(in original cardboard Christmas box), mint condition, Baby Ben alarm clock is. The precise, delicate skill of painting clock dials with radium powder promised a much higher salary than most factory jobs available to women at the time (upwards of $18 a week), and the company soon employed as many as 200 female workers in its Ottawa plant. 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. It was a gift from him to her the year before they were married. Dave, Your question about a Big Ben containing radium, and in fact about which clocks actually do contain radium, is a good one. The movement is a windup almost identical to the original. 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. Omega stopped using radium around 1963. 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. 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. The center is in the shape of the world map. Entertainment & Pop Culture; Geography & Travel; Health & Medicine; Lifestyles & Social Issues; Literature; Philosophy & Religion; Politics, Law & Government Behind the light, theyd been left in the dark. 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. About 1931 they made the first electric Big Ben, and they were plug ins. The movement was then used with minor changes in Loud Alarm models until 1956. Yet Mrs. Keane was a survivor who later conquered colon and breast cancer. 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. The next month, Roth got a cablegram from London; his friend and valued co-worker Le Roy had died for his country. Those simple words, Roth later wrote in the November 1914 issue of the company newsletter, Tick Talk, unconsciously characterized the manunaffected, direct, devoted to his cause., [Images from a 1922 issue of the Westclox company newsletter, the very cleverly titled Tick Talk]. The whole clock seems to be origional and was maintained by my grandfather who was a watch/clock repairman. This classic clock is known for its loud and distinct bell-like . Instrument dials painted with radium-based paint, United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, "WWII Military Watches 'Potentially Pose Serious Cancer Risk,', "Health Effects of Radium Radiation Exposure,", "How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Radium Dials,", "Lume 101: Watch Luminescence Explained,", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Radium_dial&oldid=1123475907, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2022, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Jane Brickman, "Radium Girls: Women and Industrial Health Reform, 19101935,", This page was last edited on 23 November 2022, at 23:30. It is in the manufacture of alarm and one-day clocks that these results are the most noticeable, because in this field the quality of the product had always been subordinated to the market value, and the general feeling was one of let good enough alone., In this particular branch of the clock industry the Western Clock Manufacturing Company has achieved great results in the last twenty years. At this moment I study horology at West Dean College in the UK. At the end of one hand is a star and the other hand is the moon. Style 5 dial design]. There are many Westclox alarm clock models named Big Ben. I also like some of the older American weight-driven clocks. "[4], According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, "radioactive antiques [including watches] are usually not a health risk as long as they are intact and in good condition. I think it is a clock made by Sessions. 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, read another. Sep 6, 2008. potz said: Afaik Radium was used right up to the 1950's. Some sources even say it was used up to 1968 in watches and 1978 in clocks. 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. When did Junghans stop manufacturing Westminster Chimes, and when did Keinzle stop manufacturing Westminster chimes. Copyright Richard Tjarks introduced This eye is horizontally elliptical in general shape, about 4 3/4 long and 1 3/4 tall with a circle in the middle making it look like a single eye. The Crystal blocks a significant amount of The radiation. Your email address will not be published. Am I missing something here? In fact, one of their designs for the military, the terrifying sounding "WarAlarm," spurred a small shopping riot in Chicago in 1944 when a small batch of the clocks was made available for commercial purchase at a downtown store. In the comprehensive Big Ben & Baby Ben Identification Guide, organized by researchers Richard Tjarks and Bill Stoddard, they credit the original brilliant marketing of these little wonders almost entirely to one mana 28 year-old French immigrant named Gaston Le Roy. Condition is important, but clocks can be restored. As the dark cloud of fear and suspicion grew over the small town of Ottawa into the 30s, the Radium Dial Company itself refused to take any responsibility, claiming innocence and ignorance. T. tkarter Registered User. knowledge about vintage and antique Westclox clocks and watches. Helen. CAN SOMEONE TELL ME HOW TO RELEASE THE CLICK ON A WESTCLOX MANS WRISTWATCH MODEL A-201? My father (Richard Ristau Sr.) worked here for 48.. 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. I read (but cant remember where) that about 40,000 were made. Early in the 20th century there was a medical practice that revolved around a new treatment involving the radioactive material called radium. 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. [left to right: F.W. In 2006 I started collecting vintage advertisements. When many of these early Big Ben advertisements were still running, Gaston Le Roys life took a sudden and dramatic turn. dated:1990 ,decorated :hong cong.made in japan.cocacola tradmark. Im trying to determine if it is a legit or reproduction that someone made. Westclox began as the United Clock Company in Peru, Illinois in 1885. 7&a half X 6..desk clock. How did I get interested in clocks? . thank you, My Husband and I just purchased an antique mantle/shelf clock at an estate sale. Lynda Hinshaw, At this moment I am research a clock by Falconer& co HongKong. Beginning in the 1910s, the girls instructed to put radium in their mouths didn't bat an eyelash. I'll start with a 19j Bunn, Looking for Somebody with Some Bandwidth to do a Repair. 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. AD x Stoddard: I was pretty much on my own until college. The only thing I found is the word Germny engraved on the back. Can you help As my first name is Ben, I started to collect these alarmclocks since about 1970. Production was back in full force and at an all-time high by 1956, with 3,000 employees on staff. According to Chemistry Explained, radium is extracted today from uranium ores in much the same way that Marie and Pierre Curie did in the late 1890s and early 1900s. [Former Westclox workers Art and Mary Ann Windy (standing), 2015], This is amazing, Art said. I also need it repaired so that it will be functional and need to find someone that will do that for me. That summer at an antique store I came across one that wasnt even in the book, and I thought that was exciting. I would also like photo and more details of his clock, since I intend to write a follow-up article. 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? Nowadays, Super-LumiNova, which is entirely non-radioactive and non-toxic, is the most used lume in watchmaking. I was given an Elias Ingraham Clock many years ago and would like to know a bit more about it and its value. They were told that eliminating lip-pointing had ended earlier problems. Radium was discovered in 1898 by Marie Curie and Pierre Curie. When did the use of radium stop? . Thank to several professionals who Ive met on Ebay, I have become quite skilled with my restorations plus making dials and alarm function indicators. The other thing is reproductions. I took it all apart and asked my dad to help me put it back together, but he cut his finger on the spring. In its place, he ironically dubbed the little bedside clock Big Ben (apparently not copyrighted by the British Parliament), and introduced it to the public in early ads as a gendered he instead of an it., Big Ben is a handsome, well built, refined and bright looking fellow with a clean-cut open face and a deep cheerful voice, one ad read. I know very little about clocks in general. The magical glow, as was widely understood by everyone involved, was created by radiuma radioactive element discovered by Marie Curie in 1898. 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. It might be the only one in the country, Spayer said. Importantly, the health risks tied to these old clocks is generally believed to be quite minimal, so long as one avoids long-term exposure or directly ingesting the paint as the Ghost Girls had. Here you can see production dates, original retail prices and other 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. Any information would be very helpful. Old Rose (pink) crackle finish Baby Ben with luminous dial: 1929 1930. There is a small dial inside of the clock face that has roman numerals like another clock face. They were officially Americas preferred wake-up call provider. Safety Baby Ben and other Westclox clocks and watches have been assigned styles. 1919 - 1920 on a small proportion of clocks, "Westclox" in Roman text, Wide lettering at bottom: 1923, "Westclox" in Roman text, Narrow lettering at bottom:1924 to 1927, "Westclox" in Roman text, Projection on the "x": 1928 - 1935, Luminous, "Westclox" in italics: ca. they played a deep rich tone. 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. Charles Stahlberg had an idea for making a better, but less expensive alarm clock. 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. Westclox Model 66 Movement Series Welcome to the Westclox Clock and Watch History Database. 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. People did some bad things over the years just to get them running. Westclox Big Bens and Baby Bens are full of the stuff. Seeking the Big 3 goals of convenience, cleanliness, and cheap production, Dreyfuss rolled out his new-look Big Ben in 1931. I have a Westclox Bachelor alarm clock from probably the 50s as it was always there when I was growing up. 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. 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. With a half-life of only 3.8 days, radon "seeds" (Rn gas contained in thin walled gold tubing, crimped and cut into units up to 1cm in length) could be left permanently implanted in the body. Radium dials are watch, clock and other instrument dials painted with luminous paint containing radium-226 to produce radioluminescence. 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. 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. Stoddard: Its really hard to say. The massive success of the Big Ben design wasnt just about function and style. Which is interesting because many of the electrics are scarcer but people just arent into collecting electric clocks. Eventually, safer options were discovered, and the use of radium was discontinued in the 1960s. I have a Seth Thomas Mantle clock that my older sisters husbands Aunt had on her mantle for years. It is and Elias Ingraham Brass Clock with a patent stamp of September 30, 1862. Any suggestions of where to get a replacement preferably in Canada? Westclox 0.9" LED Plasma Screen Alarm Clock with USB Charging Port 71014X. can anybody tell me about this piece? On March 31, 1980, the Peru-LaSalle plant was officially closed, narrowly missing its 100-year anniversary.
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