This particular clock is made in China while other similar Westclox alarm clocks at the time were made in Taiwan. Its basically all forward momentum from here. Up until this point in time (pun intended), quality time pieces had been considered a rich mans game. They had one in Brazil for a while and I think also in Hong Kong. It looks like you mount it to the wall. I have a similar clock. That way I got myself another Baby Ben, bringing my collection to three by age 12. Charles Stahlberg had an idea for making a better, but less expensive alarm clock. Stoddard: Its really hard to say. Thanks very mutch, I just acquired a sir w.h. 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. The other thing is reproductions. George Kern died on July 27, 1918 from a ruptured appendix, but his basic clock design lived on for years. 1970s Many of these workers developed bone cancer . On April 20, 1902, Marie and Pierre Curie successfully isolate radioactive radium salts from the mineral pitchblende in their laboratory in Paris. The NAWCC is dedicated to providing association services, promoting interest in and encouraging the collecting of clocks and watches including disseminating knowledge of the same. Before we get to that, though, we have to start with the issue of geography as it concerns the business in question. They worked in unvented rooms, they wore smocks that they laundered at home. Origin of the eye, forklore or legends surrounding????? My clothes, hanging in a dark closet, gave off a phosphorescent glare. Which is interesting because many of the electrics are scarcer but people just arent into collecting electric clocks. Similarly, The Canadian Clock Museum (http://www.canclockmuseum.ca/) may have some information. His ideas were patented on as US patent #326,602. 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. I have an Pine State Ice Cream Milk clock that I would like to find out how much it may be worth. I believed it was manufacturing tag. Entertainment & Pop Culture; Geography & Travel; Health & Medicine; Lifestyles & Social Issues; Literature; Philosophy & Religion; Politics, Law & Government [3] The Radiolite series, made in various sizes and models, became a signature of the Connecticut-based company. Theyll take an old Big Ben from 1930 and make a new dial that says Indian Motorcycle or Victola, and put it on eBay. I am sure I can give Mr. Shields further information about his clock. 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.. I think it is a clock made by Sessions. I love the Hamiltons in particular, probably some of the best watches made in America. Unfortunately, they also hint at a tragic chapter in American industrial history, when the appeal of a luminous new kind of paint wound up putting hundreds of workersmostly young womenat great personal risk. From 1942 to 1945, Westclox ceased all production intended for domestic civilian sale and dedicated its production resources to the war effort. At one time they employed about 3500 people, making about 35, 000 clocks and watches per day. Any guidance or help is appreciated. The Westclox Big Ben Alarm Clock Vintage is an iconic timepiece that has been around since the early 1900s. You just cant imagine the size of this factory its just gigantic. its about 2 inches long maybe 1/2 in thick with holes on either end to be worn on a key chain perhaps? The only problem is a standard size D battery does not fit. The thing I remember most is working with the people, Ristau said. The clock is several houndred pounds, and keeps great time. Safety They were told that eliminating lip-pointing had ended earlier problems. Read more about "Radium Girls" here. As various larger corporate interests got involved in the years ahead, however, and as increasing competition from electronic clockmakers slowed the Big Bens dominance, the inevitable slow down began. Stoddard: The prices for larger wall clocks, three feet tall and up, have increased dramatically, while prices on some of the more common clocks have remained the same for the past 20 years. Before OSHA was set up, 14,000 people died on the job every year; today, it is just over 4,500. Among the rarities on display is a Westclox-made National Emergency Alarm Repeater. when did westclox stop using radium; when did westclox stop using radium. Is radium still used on watches? Westclox Wrought Iron Look Wall Clock 12" 32021A. The movement was then used with minor changes in Loud Alarm models until 1956. It was put away for years and last year it was given to me as I have small collection of United novelty clocks. The story begins with a Connecticut clockmaker named Charles Stahlberg getting a patent for a new alarm clock design in 1885. I am trying to determine the age. Were finally at a point, where were ready to do more than just sit here, said Ruth Spayer, curator for the museum. At this moment I study horology at West Dean College in the UK. Good old fashioned branding played a major role, as well. Site of the Old Westclox factory 211-201 Hunter Street, Peterborough Ontario. I have a collection of alarm clocks, but slowly selling many. 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. Would you please direct me to someone that can do this for me? I never realized, even working here, they made so many different models.. In 2006 I started collecting vintage advertisements. 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. Based in Flora, Indiana, Bill can be reached via his website, clockhistory.com, which is a member of our Hall of Fame. 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. Westclox Big Bens and Baby Bens are full of the stuff. . German: WECKER (alarm); UHR (clock). Thanks, Teri. Immediately after, substances like promethium and tritium were used as a luminous material, and they're still being used today. I would like to know the value of a #4 black, #321(in original cardboard Christmas box), mint condition, Baby Ben alarm clock is. 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. Medical researchers extended the use of radium to cure impotence in men and women by creating fertility drugs with the element to "stimulate" reproduction. Radium - The First Rolex Luminous Material. My love is for the style 1 peg leg Big and Baby Bens; mostly Baby Bens. It is encased in hard polymer Plastic and the ends have rivets . Am I missing something here? 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. A 'radium cow' or sample of radium would continually yield a supply of the nuclide. 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. It was a gift from him to her the year before they were married. The magical glow, as was widely understood by everyone involved, was created by radiuma radioactive element discovered by Marie Curie in 1898. When did Bulova stop using radium? At the end of one hand is a star and the other hand is the moon. Is this a product that the company would have made or something someone created? By 1930, all dial painters stopped pointing their brushes by mouth. I am reading, studying, and learning more about the Westclox. I have an antique mantle clock given to my Aunt & Uncle for a wedding gift (approximately 1949) FROM my great grandparents. Technically speaking, though, Westclox did still produce clocks during the gap years that followed. There are some blemishes on the wood on the right side. it has a picture of a huck finn type boy,carying 2 bottles of coke& a fishing pole,with his dog. Same as the nickel version but in a gold-plated case. 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. 514 Poplar Street I recently added the Big Ben Style 1 and Baby Ben Style 1 Dial and Back types. 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. When did clocks stop using radium? bailey oceans tide clock dated 1880, with a Fusee movement. Westclox style series. We have photos of all the employees between 1927-1945 at the Peterborough Ontario Location but not much else. So I brought it home and left it hanging and would wind it up every once in a while. Radium paint itself was eventually phased out and has not been used in watches since 1968. I worked here for 28 years. Kind regards, Ben van Vliet. This classic clock is known for its loud and distinct bell-like . Westclox - An Identification and Price Guide, and I added even more in 2012. 5 17 15 is May 17, 1915 . [Workers assembling Big Ben alarm clocks at the Westclox plant, 1910s. 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. 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. 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. Well, the company certainly maintained some major salesrooms here, and many of their employees came from the city and its suburbs. 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. On 3rd January 2099, Terry Shields asked if anyone had information regarding his clock signed G .Falconer, Hong Kong. JavaScript is disabled. Radiums luminosity was part of its allure, Moore writes. Selling for $2.50 in the years before World War I (or about $60 in modern money), the 5-inch diameter Big Ben and its half-pint cousin the Baby Ben combined to move over 900,000 units in just 1913 alone, and the Western Clock MFG Companynot yet officially known as Westcloxwas producing more than twice that many clocks annually in total. Both the Big and Baby Bens were housed in a newly refined bell-back clock case. Radium dials held near the face have been shown to produce radiation doses in excess of 10Sv / hour. It emits alpha, beta, and gamma radiation. In 1931 it merged with Seth Thomas Clock Co. and both became divisions of General Time Corp. I took it all apart and asked my dad to help me put it back together, but he cut his finger on the spring. He corresponded with Westclox General Manager Ernst Roth over the weeks that followed, but after a final letter that September, he went silent. 1978. It is a wind up. Omega stopped using radium around 1963. They can be identified by having the modern type of flat head screws Westclox - An Identification and Price Guide, The Westclox Big Ben and Baby Ben Identification Guide, Clock Repair and Hermle Chime, Mantel and Wall Clocks for Sale at Bill's Clockworks. It is too large (wide). Helen. I think we threw it away. Eventually, scientists and medical professionals realized that these workers' illnesses were being caused by internal contamination from the radium they ingested. It is battery operated and takes a D battery. My husband has a Big Ben clock that he inherited, it was took down from a mill and given to his grandma. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. Style 10 is the last numbered There is a small dial inside of the clock face that has roman numerals like another clock face. But the chances that you have a radium clock are slim, unless it is very old. 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. How can people be exposed to Radium? Thank you. Westclox also made about 5000 gold-plated reproductions. Your email (will not be published) (required), The Timeless Appeal of the Westclock Big and BabyBens, The National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors, Not Your Grandmas Cuckoo: Decapitating, Rat-Eating Clocks of the Black Forest, The Care and Repair of 19th-Century American Clocks. By the 1970s, radium was no . My father (Richard Ristau Sr.) worked here for 48.. i use a 1980s I believe westclox pocket ben sweep 2nd hand, I actually had a westclox bullseye from the early 1990s when I was in elementary school. "[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. 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. 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. Style Information: Plain dial: 1918 - 1935 Black luminous dial: 1921 - 1935 There are variations in the lettering on the dial and back. When Westclox changed over to the style 8 Big Ben and Baby Ben in 1964, they used 4 divisions per 5 minutes, I believe to make the alarm easier to set. Radium dials were produced throughout most of the 20th century before being replaced by safer tritium-based luminous material in the 1970s and finally by non-toxic, non-radioactive strontium aluminatebased photoluminescent material from the middle 1990s. In 1898, the Curies discovered the existence of. Thanks so much its a Gold coloring and the bottom is well worn like it was slid into something regularily. The only thing I found is the word Germny engraved on the back. 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. Thanks for any info you may be able to supply The women also left a legacy to science that has been termed invaluable.. Luminous Processes employees interviewed by a journalist in 1978 stated they had been left ignorant of radium's dangers. 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. Jessie, good observation. 1919 -1922, Luminous, Westclox in Roman text: 1923 - 1927, Luminous, projection on the "x": 1928 - 1935. Here you can see production dates, original retail prices and other knowledge about vintage and antique Westclox clocks and watches. I live in Scotland but my clock was made in USA. Another thing people do is make fake advertising clocks. 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. 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. It was passed on to my sister and for years it was on their mantle along time until it stopped. I have been purchasing these clocks as and when I got an opportunity. 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 first style 1a cases had double-hexagon legs, but after about a year they were changed to standard single hex form. The style 7 Big Ben and Baby Ben (1956 to 1964, the first Bens with concentric alarm hand) has minute markings. She was 107 when she died on March 1 in Middlebury, Conn . After several changes of ownership, it became . When did westclox stop using radium? AD x Stoddard: I was pretty much on my own until college. they played a deep rich tone. When radium was discovered in the early 1900s, people were fascinated by its mysterious glow and it was added to many everyday products, including paints. Clocks produced in the early 1900's are particularly concerning in this regard. My Grandmother had a Westclox in her house. It has a cracked front lens that I would like to replace. Not to mention theres the Big Bens so that doubles it right there. Although old radium dials generally no longer produce light, this is due to the breakdown of the crystal structure of the luminous zinc sulfide rather than the radioactive decay of the radium. I have a small westclox alarm clock. 0 Comments; Uncategorized newark advertiser obituaries 2021 . I recently wrote an article on Hong Kong Watch and Clockmakers for the Antiquarian Horology Society Journal. 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. Handle on top: down alarm off; up alarm on. Technically speaking, though, Westclox did still produce clocks during the gap years that followed. Annie Moussin designer intrieur. 2023 by Andrew Clayman. hi, I have a cocacola square clock. National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors Inc (A 501c3 non-profit corporation). They were officially Americas preferred wake-up call provider. It is and Elias Ingraham Brass Clock with a patent stamp of September 30, 1862. Westclox set up a factory in England in the 1940s and also in Scotland. 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. when did westclox stop using radiumcapricorn and virgo flirting. Buy Now. Frank Baker. 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. Dave, Your question about a Big Ben containing radium, and in fact about which clocks actually do contain radium, is a good one. As my first name is Ben, I started to collect these alarmclocks since about 1970. dated:1990 ,decorated :hong cong.made in japan.cocacola tradmark. I have been collecting, repairing, and restoring mostly Westclox Big Bens for several years. 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. 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. I cant find out anything about him or any other clocks by him. I have a collection of clocks, and amongst my collection are Westminster chime wall clocks, I have two Keinzle and two Junghans. The greater surprise, though, is that they didnt abandon the use of radium in the years that followed. 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. This past weekend, thanks to the Westclox Museum, its doors were opened and former workers were welcomed back for Homecoming Day. Art and Mary Ann Windy [pictured] have been married for 49 years, met as Westclox employees and were present for the open house. Leg model with ring on top, dustproof case. I would like to find the value of it. 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. Westclox Classic Alarm Clock Full Size 47602. It would be very interesting if you could provide me with some pictures of the clock. Stoddard: Some of the old American pocket watches are just beautiful so I have several in my collection. Seeking the Big 3 goals of convenience, cleanliness, and cheap production, Dreyfuss rolled out his new-look Big Ben in 1931. 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. 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. Westclox 0.9" LED Plasma Screen Alarm Clock with USB Charging Port 71014X. Westclox set up a factory in England in the 1940s and also in Scotland. It is in good condition and has the original pendulum and key. So I swapped them, and its worked perfectly ever since. Most importantly, they were forbidden to point the tip with their lips, and they avoided to ingest or inhale the luminous paint. 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]. Was westclox ever manufactured in germany and if so when? $26.95. I have a Westclox Big Ben 1910 style 1a and have not been able to find out the present value/worth. Radium dials usually lose their ability to glow in the dark in a period ranging anywhere from a few years to several decades, but all will cease to glow at some point. 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. I have looked high and low in my attempts to find out how any of these resproduction style 1A were produced. I am pleased that I came across your article. Welcome to the Westclox Clock and Watch History Database. The policy of the company is one of highly specialized production. var year = today.getFullYear() The phosphor deterioration means you can't see a glow anymore, but . Westclox Model 66 Movement Series Welcome to the Westclox Clock and Watch History Database. Their use in prostate brachytherapy dates from 1926. They did some limited production (less than 200) in 1908, when they were still perfecting the design, then quite a few in 1909, but it really wasnt nationally advertised until September of 1910. 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. . [Workers assembling Big Ben alarm clocks at the Westclox plant, 1910s. When did they stop using radium for watches? During the early 1900's, the effects of radiation exposure were not well understood, and radium was frequently . Don Spayer, volunteer and former Westclox employee, said the bulk of the museums collection was built through donations. Your email address will not be published. My dad was one of the top bowlers here, Ristau said. When Did They Stop Using Radium On Clock Hands? The Radium Girls were female factory workers who contracted radiation poisoning from painting watch dials with self-luminous paint. Westclox Scotland produced its first clock on 21 September 1948; a spring wound alarm with a 4-inch (10cm) dial. Because it was one degree removed from the radium business itself, Westclox seems to have largely dodged the controversy and lawsuits altogether. From that time on, Baby Bens first and then Big Bens were available with either the plain or luminous dial. 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. The movement was mounted to the inner case back. 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. The company made luminescent paint. First, if your clock is for display only, I think it is harmless if the paint on the hands is not disturbed. It sits on a small brass stand with Westclox on it. 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.
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