The pioneering spirit is there, but the business skills soon appear lacking. The Crystal blocks a significant amount of The radiation. They made them with wooden works until about 1840, then with brass gears and I like some of the early brass-geared American clocks. When many of these early Big Ben advertisements were still running, Gaston Le Roys life took a sudden and dramatic turn. My love is for the style 1 peg leg Big and Baby Bens; mostly Baby Bens. Soon, he was running the Western Clock Co. advertising department, and proving his worth with some clever marketing strategies. $25.99. Westclox Radium Dial Clock. Sometimes extensive casework can be more time consuming than getting the movement running. In terms of my own collection, Im still trying to find some of the really early Big Bens. 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. With alarm clocks, they were so common that when people repaired them they did whatever they could to get them going. When I walked along the street, Iwas aglow from the radium powder., [Mrs. Charlotte Purcell, like Catherine Donohue, was one of 15 former workers at the Radium Dial Company who contracted cancer and sought justice in the late 1930s]. [Workers assembling Big Ben alarm clocks at the Westclox plant, 1910s. when did westclox stop using radium. I wonder if the younger generations are as interested in the older things as we are, although there are some younger collectors out there learning how to do clock repair. Various lettering on the dial and various patent dates (later, numbers) on the Like style 1a non-luminous with dealer name on dial. In the United States there does not seem to have ever been prohibitory legislation passed banning the use of radium in clocks and watches. These folks here that are responsible for this are doing a marvelous job, Ristau said. As radium luminosity came under attack in the 1930s, Westcloxs other updates to the Big Ben design were far more practical and uncontroversial. He corresponded with Westclox General Manager Ernst Roth over the weeks that followed, but after a final letter that September, he went silent. Never underestimate the value of an alarm clock when yours broke two years ago and nobody has manufactured a new one since. At one time they employed about 3500 people, making about 35, 000 clocks and watches per day. That batch was in production non-continuously from 1939 to 1946, housed in gunmetal cases with nickel trim. This will broaden my view in the clock. I am looking to get an approxmiate value of this clock. While studying the types of Big Ben style 1 and 1A in WestcloxHistory.com, I noticed the reproduction style 1A, and have acquired about 5 of them. 0 Comments; Uncategorized newark advertiser obituaries 2021 . Fortunately, in the years since, theres been a noble effort to retain surviving parts of the building and some of the important local history that the empty factory once represented. 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. 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. Big Ben style, and there are other styles with names instead of numbers. Without a crystal poses a serious Health risk because the Radium paint flakes off and can become airborne. I try to get all the pictures I can and keep them all chronologically and study the history. 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. Theyre just scattered in different places all over the country, little collections of hands, springs, screws, and things like that. 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. Theyre making some really nice reproductions of it in China and if you dont know what youre looking for you could be fooled easily. 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. Any information would be very helpful. 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. It has a cracked front lens that I would like to replace. JavaScript is disabled. I Have a small brass alarm clock,which is 1-3/4 Hieght Length & Width. Was this done so the alarm could be more easily set on the quarter or half hour? I love the Hamiltons in particular, probably some of the best watches made in America. 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. All I really want to know is about the raised horizontal single eye type decoration on this top removable piece. The trademark "Westclox" which had appeared on their Big Ben alarm clocks as early as 1910 was officially registered in January 1916. Can anyone direct me on how to find this clock? 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. [7], Ingestion of radium has been linked to anemia, cataracts, broken teeth, and reduced bone growth.[8]. Frank Baker. 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. I would also like photo and more details of his clock, since I intend to write a follow-up article. 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. Within two decades she had lost all her teeth. 1888. It was a gift from him to her the year before they were married. In some respects, the early rise of the Western Clock MFG Co. is even more impressive considering the company didnt have all the resources of an established, major metropolis to draw from. In a way theyre preventing clocks from being thrown away so I cant totally condemn it, but it still seems like a funny thing to do. For example, Big Ben Style 1 and Style 1a are the leg model, and Style 2 is the first base model. $26.95. It would be greatly appreciated. Do you have an archival dept who could give us an idea of our Western Clock which we recently acquired? These styles constitute the "[5] However, radium is highly radioactive, emitting alpha, beta, and gamma radiation the effects of which are particularly deleterious if inhaled or ingested since there is no shielding within the body. Underneath the #12 on the face it says: G. Falconer & Co. LTD. Hong Kong. There are also some other makers clocks Ive gotten into, like the Seth Thomas 30 hour ogee, which is a weight-driven shelf clock. Westclox also made about 5000 gold-plated reproductions. 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. . 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. Among the rarities on display is a Westclox-made National Emergency Alarm Repeater. Matthiessen [pictured below], who owns the powerful Illinois Zinc Company and most other things in Peru / LaSalle, decides to swoop in and save Stahlbergs little clock business, incorporating it as the Western Clock Mfg. var year = today.getFullYear() Radium dials are watch, clock and other instrument dials painted with luminous paint containing radium-226 to produce radioluminescence. Stopping this practice drastically reduced the amount of radium ingested and therefore, the incidence of malignancy. Their factory in LaSalle, Illinois closed down in about 1980 when they moved all their production down south, but the building is still there. Westclox Big Bens and Baby Bens are full of the stuff. There are variations in the lettering on the dial and back. Its basically all forward momentum from here. By 1930, all dial painters stopped pointing their brushes by mouth. Medical researchers extended the use of radium to cure impotence in men and women by creating fertility drugs with the element to "stimulate" reproduction. The drinking fountain worked.. 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. I have a mantel clock,its floral in color,made by Ansonia Cock Co.USA.New York. Columbia, PA 17512 Over time, she contracted terrible cancerous tumors, lost most of her teeth, and suffered countless other health problems. I am pleased that I came across your article. 226RA has a half life of about 1600 years and the glow of the paint used on dials and hands decreases because of the damage the alpha particles emitted by the Radium do to the ZnS . Westclox Wrought Iron Look Wall Clock 12" 32021A. It looks like you mount it to the wall. Stahlbergs company goes bankrupt not once, but twice, within its first several years. The movement was then used with minor changes in Loud Alarm models until 1956. 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. Theyll take an old Big Ben from 1930 and make a new dial that says Indian Motorcycle or Victola, and put it on eBay. Most importantly, they were forbidden to point the tip with their lips, and they avoided to ingest or inhale the luminous paint. See the top of this page for a current list of 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. But for years the majority were wind ups, they were so popular. The internet is fantastic, you can find out anything about just any kind of clock, exchange pictures easily, correspond with people and work together on research. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I would like to find out about this clock. The clock can still give considerable amounts of radiation about 2-3 inches from the Crystal measured with a Geiger counter. Museum Artifacts: Luminous Big Ben & Baby Ben Clock Dials (1940s) and Style 1A Big Ben Alarm Clock (1920s), Made By: Western Clock MFG Company, aka Westclox, 350 5th St., Peru, Illinois [LaSalle]. . When I got out of college I started going to the watch and clock conventions and met a man who was giving a program about the history of Big Bens and Baby Bens. Its got a round brass dial and a painting in the door, really neat. Style Information: Plain dial: 1918 - 1935 Black luminous dial: 1921 - 1935 There are variations in the lettering on the dial and back. 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. [9] Prior to that date, "the federal government had a limited role, if any, in ensuring the safe use of radium," according to the NRC. Thanks. Dave, Your question about a Big Ben containing radium, and in fact about which clocks actually do contain radium, is a good one. The clock is shielded From the glass crystal. The whole clock seems to be origional and was maintained by my grandfather who was a watch/clock repairman. Radiums luminosity was part of its allure, Moore writes. Finally, with Catherine Donohue serving as a key witness from her death bed in 1938, a groundbreaking Supreme Court case finally delivered some long awaited justice to the victims. They worked in unvented rooms, they wore smocks that they laundered at home. My husband has a Big Ben clock that he inherited, it was took down from a mill and given to his grandma. As my first name is Ben, I started to collect these alarmclocks since about 1970. A 'radium cow' or sample of radium would continually yield a supply of the nuclide. How do you set the time on a old fashioned alarm clock? Collectors Weekly: When did you discover that there were other clock collectors? For the town of Peruwhich had tied much of its identity to Westclox for the better part of a centurythe damage went beyond financial. This fall, the museum will be open more frequently and for more events. We thought it was 1890 or older. There is a small dial inside of the clock face that has roman numerals like another clock face. When did westclox start making clocks? Production was back in full force and at an all-time high by 1956, with 3,000 employees on staff. I was looking at it and said, aha! 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. Copyright They were told that eliminating lip-pointing had ended earlier problems. In all my research I can not confirm that The Style 1 models every had 1) and 2) above. At this moment I study horology at West Dean College in the UK. For at least four generations, the Western Clock Manufacturing Company, aka Westclox, was the lifeblood and largest employer in the small town of Peru, Illinois (with a mailing address in its twin city of LaSalle). 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 Clock Construction and Quality. Richard Tjarks introduced During the early 1900's, the effects of radiation exposure were not well understood, and radium was frequently . The incidents occurred at three different factories in United States: one in Orange, New Jersey, beginning around 1917; one in Ottawa, Illinois, beginning in the early 1920s; and a third facility in Waterbury, Connecticut, also in the 1920s. Ristau said he remembered when the Westclox factory was the heart of the city, and recalled enjoying his time with Westclox. Westcloxs Manual for Employees read, We expect you to work hard, and the pay is accordingly large . 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. 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. knowledge about vintage and antique Westclox clocks and watches. I have a collection of alarm clocks, but slowly selling many. Before we get to that, though, we have to start with the issue of geography as it concerns the business in question. Thank you. 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. 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. So I brought it home and left it hanging and would wind it up every once in a while. Your email address will not be published. It was passed on to my sister and for years it was on their mantle along time until it stopped. US radium dial painting factory. Here you can see production dates, original retail prices and other can anybody tell me about this piece? Thanks, Teri. I know Bill Stoddards name from other publications on Westclox. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. hi, I have a cocacola square clock. Any guidance or help is appreciated. Has the mechanics of the clock been changed/upgraded or could there be another issue at play? It is and Elias Ingraham Brass Clock with a patent stamp of September 30, 1862. At the start of the decade, the company brought in a skilled new industrial designer named Henry Dreyfuss; a true modernist. It is encased in hard polymer Plastic and the ends have rivets . styles to organize them Buy Now. Well, the company certainly maintained some major salesrooms here, and many of their employees came from the city and its suburbs. It can be found with some other clocks in a case in the second floor hallway. The only thing I found is the word Germny engraved on the back. 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. I thought, oh boy, I just need four more and Ill have them all! then 4 symbols a crown an 18 and to unkown symbols in a square patern but on its side square pattern. any info would be appreciated. In the production of ordinary clocks adapted to the needs and means of the millions, America produces results of remarkable excellence. Inhaled or ingested particles may deposit a high local dose with a risk of radiation-caused lung or gastrointestinal cancer. 5 17 15 is May 17, 1915 . The work involved using luminous radium paint to make the numbers on clocks, watches and aeronautic dials glow in the dark. 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 only marking I can find are the letters ST in old english style inside of a diamond thats inside of a circle, on the clock works. I was given an Elias Ingraham Clock many years ago and would like to know a bit more about it and its value. Next to the original Westcloxes I have an interesting collection of European copies by a.o. A key point to bear in mind is this: the dial is still highly radioactive. 400-day clocks are also known as anniversary clocks, they would run 400 days on one winding. I spent many an evening here, watching him bowl.. Was just trying to find out any information on this clock or if you may have ever come across one like it I have an Pine State Ice Cream Milk clock that I would like to find out how much it may be worth. July 17th, 2008. Thank you. Behind the light, theyd been left in the dark. Some people just want one or two that they remember from childhood in good condition, so thats just the thing for them. Your cooperation would be greatly appreciated. I hope to document Style 5 Baby Bens this winter. 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. AD x Stoddard: I was pretty much on my own until college. 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. The movement was mounted to the inner case back. . . A few years later my grandma gave me one that worked, and my aunt gave me another one. Is Westclox a good brand? They worked for the United States Radium Corporation painting the numbers and hands on watch. I like to find the ones before that and study their history. I know that it is electric and it requires a dime deposit to set the alarm on it. Any help would be appreciated. They were officially Americas preferred wake-up call provider. [9] The element was phased out of use by industry acting under its own volition as superior and safer luminous materials entered the marketplace. Through it all, Peru remained the companys home base, as over 3,000 employees now enjoyed the rapidly expanding space of the factory and its attached campus, with gardens, tennis courts, a bowling alley, and other things worthy of a Matthiessen estate. It has ingraved on it 2-20-31. From that time on, Baby Bens first and then Big Bens were available with either the plain or luminous dial. 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 recently added the Big Ben Style 1 and Baby Ben Style 1 Dial and Back types. Theres a clock that came down the family, my great great granddad bought it used in about 1885, it was actually sold new in about 1839, one of the first of the weight-driven brass clocks. Technically speaking, though, Westclox did still produce clocks during the gap years that followed. Dont know if someone ingraved date on when took down or if the original. I have a sessions mantle clock duet#1. They had one in Brazil for a while and I think also in Hong Kong. lds missionary clothing stores; June 24, 2022 . Art and Mary Ann Windy [pictured] have been married for 49 years, met as Westclox employees and were present for the open house. 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. Charles Crow Penn Valley, Ca, I have run across and old clock that I would like to know something about. 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. 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. 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. $38.00. WECKER (CCW arrow) knob sets alarm time. It is in working order and chimes on the hour and half hour. It might be the only one in the country, Spayer said. 7&a half X 6..desk clock. We are very proud to be living in this building and would love to know more about this specific site. the clock face is 16, ca 1900. the clock belonged to pheobe appersons family at their ranch in sunol california. I will be watching for more articles from Bill Stoddard Can anyone tell me the meaning or significance of this eye? The movement is a windup almost identical to the original. Theres a seller on eBay now whos doing some really outstanding restorations of Big Bens. Westclox Classic Alarm Clock Full Size 47602. Richard Ristau Jr., former plant manager, said hes happy to see the space being used for the museum. I have been collecting, repairing, and restoring mostly Westclox Big Bens for several years. Radium was even used in medical applications during the 20th century. Before OSHA was set up, 14,000 people died on the job every year; today, it is just over 4,500. Big Ben Style Series. She was 18. His bigger job was to design a system so the power companies could regulate their generator so the clock could keep time. Westclox did make a couple of documented advertising clocks, but very few. thank you, My Husband and I just purchased an antique mantle/shelf clock at an estate sale. 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. This 1964 Westclox Christmas ad describes their features. Style 5 dial design]. Ive been trying to compare lots of different clocks to find out what original parts go together. These paints were used on the dials of clocks and watches to make them glow-in-the-dark. 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. The other thing is reproductions. So you find clocks where parts have been switched, so thats one challenge, determining originality. It is a wind up. Sometimes getting parts is tough, too, although it turns out Westclox made lots and lots of spare parts. I have a quite a few pieces of both of them I have even one big Ben pocket watch which is still working after , I do not know how many years. My Grandmother had a Westclox in her house. I have a collection of clocks, and amongst my collection are Westminster chime wall clocks, I have two Keinzle and two Junghans. Origin of the eye, forklore or legends surrounding????? By 1930, all dial painters stopped pointing their brushes by mouth. Ref comment #10 from Frank Baker. A Big Ben typical of those made from late 1910 to mid-1915. Stoddard: Some of the old American pocket watches are just beautiful so I have several in my collection. Thanks, Paula. Entertainment & Pop Culture; Geography & Travel; Health & Medicine; Lifestyles & Social Issues; Literature; Philosophy & Religion; Politics, Law & Government 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. When did Junghans stop manufacturing Westminster Chimes, and when did Keinzle stop manufacturing Westminster chimes. 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. Contact the Webmaster for perceived copyright infringement (DMCA Registration Number 1010287). Thank you That was the first antique clock I owned myself. When did Westclox stop using radium? If you do not expect to work hard and carefully, you are in the wrong place. credit: Northern Illinois University]. Stoddard: I was pretty much on my own until college. var today = new Date() He also recalled playing in the factory. 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. We are looking for any Westclox photographs, memorabilia etc between 1927- 1980s of the factory. 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. From 1917 to 1926, the United States Radium Corporation used radium to produce wristwatches and clocks. 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.