Over time, she contracted terrible cancerous tumors, lost most of her teeth, and suffered countless other health problems. In terms of my own collection, Im still trying to find some of the really early Big Bens. Stoddard: My grandma gave me an old Baby Ben alarm clock that didnt work when I was seven. Helen. I live in Scotland but my clock was made in USA. I am a retired mechanical engineer, the quality has floored me, hats off to this company. 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. I never realized, even working here, they made so many different models.. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. It was discovered by Marie and Pierre Curie in 1898. Any information would be very helpful. Westclox set up a factory in England in the 1940s and also in Scotland. . Baby Ben and other Westclox clocks and watches have been assigned styles. 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). When did the use of radium stop? Columbia, PA 17512 Stoddard: Some of the old American pocket watches are just beautiful so I have several in my collection. My husband has a Big Ben clock that he inherited, it was took down from a mill and given to his grandma. 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 other thing is reproductions. when did westclox stop using radium. Was westclox ever manufactured in germany and if so when? Radium dials are watch, clock and other instrument dials painted with luminous paint containing radium-226 to produce radioluminescence. [7], Ingestion of radium has been linked to anemia, cataracts, broken teeth, and reduced bone growth.[8]. UHR (CW arrow) knob sets clock time. 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. Did Westclox use radium? On April 20, 1902, Marie and Pierre Curie successfully isolate radioactive radium salts from the mineral pitchblende in their laboratory in Paris. With alarm clocks, they were so common that when people repaired them they did whatever they could to get them going. 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 1898, the Curies discovered the existence of. 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. 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. I have been searching for one like as the clock went with the house after my Grandmother passed away. Early in the 20th century there was a medical practice that revolved around a new treatment involving the radioactive material called radium. Im trying to determine if it is a legit or reproduction that someone made. 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 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. when did westclox stop using radiumcapricorn and virgo flirting. (All images in this article courtesy Bill Stoddard, www.clockhistory.com), I found this article very complimentary to the Westclox company and an intriguing piece to read. The only thing I found is the word Germny engraved on the back. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. It is a Medbury-4W #4910. The story begins with a Connecticut clockmaker named Charles Stahlberg getting a patent for a new alarm clock design in 1885. From 1942 to 1945, Westclox ceased all production intended for domestic civilian sale and dedicated its production resources to the war effort. Stahlberg knows that no other noteworthy clock company has ever succeeded west of the Hudson, let alone smalltown Illinois, but he dives into the challenge, establishing his first factory. It was a gift from him to her the year before they were married. . 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. Radiums luminosity was part of its allure, Moore writes. 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. 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. I was pained to learn how the girls had suffered while working here and sacrificed their lives to give the name of the company which it has today. Chronic exposure to high levels of radium can result in an increased incidence of bone, liver, or breast cancer. Charles Crow Penn Valley, Ca, I have run across and old clock that I would like to know something about. I took it back and the repairman told me it was like a large Timex watch and just not worth being fixed. 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. 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. They worked for the United States Radium Corporation painting the numbers and hands on watch. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that watches with radium dials should not be taken apart[5] without proper training, technique, and facilities. Up until this point in time (pun intended), quality time pieces had been considered a rich mans game. 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. A key point to bear in mind is this: the dial is still highly radioactive. Don Spayer, volunteer and former Westclox employee, said the bulk of the museums collection was built through donations. Most importantly, they were forbidden to point the tip with their lips, and they avoided to ingest or inhale the luminous paint. Debbie Blake, I have a small Westclox wind up clock dating around 1937. It might be the only one in the country, Spayer said. They made them with wooden works until about 1840, then with brass gears and I like some of the early brass-geared American clocks. Underneath the #12 on the face it says: G. Falconer & Co. LTD. Hong Kong. Copyright var year = today.getFullYear() They are just gorgeous watches and very well made. 400-day clocks are also known as anniversary clocks, they would run 400 days on one winding. First, if your clock is for display only, I think it is harmless if the paint on the hands is not disturbed. How can people be exposed to Radium? My clothes, hanging in a dark closet, gave off a phosphorescent glare. Radium - The First Rolex Luminous Material. They managed to extract 1 mg of radium from ten tonnes of the uranium ore pitchblende (uranium oxide, U 3 O 8), a considerable feat, given the chemically methods of separation available to them.They identified that it was a new element because its atomic spectrum revealed new lines. Ive been trying to compare lots of different clocks to find out what original parts go together. It was put away for years and last year it was given to me as I have small collection of United novelty clocks. Ironically, the war that had cost them Gaston Le Roy had also stifled much of the companys European competition, opening up an even bigger share of the world marketplace in the 1920s. Radium is highly radioactive. Kind regards, Ben van Vliet. 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. [3] The Radiolite series, made in various sizes and models, became a signature of the Connecticut-based company. I am pleased that I came across your article. 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. 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. 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. the clock face is 16, ca 1900. the clock belonged to pheobe appersons family at their ranch in sunol california. US radium dial painting factory. I read (but cant remember where) that about 40,000 were made. It would be greatly appreciated. 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. Is Westclox a good brand? 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. I know it was purchased in 1937 because it belonged to my elderly friends who were married in 1938. Radium dials were typically painted by young women, who used to 'point' their brushes by licking and shaping the bristles prior to painting the fine lines and numbers on the dials. Charles Stahlberg headed a group from Waterbury, Connecticut, who came to Peru in 1884 to build clocks based on a new idea by Stahlberg. I am trying to determine the age. The movement is a windup almost identical to the original. That batch was in production non-continuously from 1939 to 1946, housed in gunmetal cases with nickel trim. thanks for your time, was doing research.. Appears from search engine a conversation about D batteries but cant find it in the text.. Can anyone inform me of the different size of D? 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. Jessie, good observation. Art and Mary Ann Windy [pictured] have been married for 49 years, met as Westclox employees and were present for the open house. When I went home and washed my hands in a dark bathroom, they would appear luminous and ghostly, an original Ghost Girl named Catherine Donohue (nee Wolfe) later testified. I am looking to get an approxmiate value of this clock. A pair of teenage boys broke into the abandoned factory and set a fire that quickly spread and enveloped much of the central complex. In 1914, Dr. Sabin Arnold von Sochocky and Dr. George S. Willis founded the Radium Luminous Material Corporation. 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. then 4 symbols a crown an 18 and to unkown symbols in a square patern but on its side square pattern. Westclox Radium Dial Clock. Westclox Big Ben Alarm Clock Vintage. They were, incredibly enough, instructed to ingest a radioactive poison all day, every day, and never properly warned of any potential hazards. They were told that eliminating lip-pointing had ended earlier problems. 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. 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 they stop using radium on clocks? George Kern died on July 27, 1918 from a ruptured appendix, but his basic clock design lived on for years. It looks like you mount it to the wall. The Westclox Big Ben Alarm Clock Vintage is an iconic timepiece that has been around since the early 1900s. At the end of one hand is a star and the other hand is the moon. I hung it on my wall and we tried to get it fixed but the repairman couldnt fix it. Sometimes Ive seen them for 300 to 600 dollars. His ideas were patented on as US patent #326,602. They had one in Brazil for a while and I think also in Hong Kong. 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]. For the town of Peruwhich had tied much of its identity to Westclox for the better part of a centurythe damage went beyond financial. Richard Ristau Jr., former plant manager, said hes happy to see the space being used for the museum. I would also like photo and more details of his clock, since I intend to write a follow-up article. I know Bill Stoddards name from other publications on Westclox. 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. AD x Stoddard: I was pretty much on my own until college. it has a picture of a huck finn type boy,carying 2 bottles of coke& a fishing pole,with his dog. The front is in Roman Numerals with a dome shaped raised glass. Frank Baker. 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. About 1931 they made the first electric Big Ben, and they were plug ins. 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. It is and Elias Ingraham Brass Clock with a patent stamp of September 30, 1862. These styles constitute the So you find clocks where parts have been switched, so thats one challenge, determining originality. How do you date a Westclox Baby Ben? Stoddard: The National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCC) is headquartered in Pennsylvania but has chapters throughout the country. It is in good condition and has the original pendulum and key. The pioneering spirit is there, but the business skills soon appear lacking. [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. When did Westclox stop using radium? 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. Stoddard: Pay attention to quality. Here you can see production dates, original retail prices and other styles to organize them The clock is shielded From the glass crystal. 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. T. tkarter Registered User. The Ghost Girls might have been the envy of the other girls in town, but no one yet realized just how much danger they were being subjected to. 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. [Left: The first national Big Ben advertisement appears in the Saturday Evening Post in 1910: Big Ben is a thin, beautiful and punctual sleepmeter with a silent motor that will not annoy you on your lie-awake nights and a deep musical voice that will call you on your sleepiest mornings. Right and Below: A style 1A Big Ben from our museum collection, circa 1920s.]. The movement was mounted to the inner case back. I first saw the clock in 1957. There is a small dial inside of the clock face that has roman numerals like another clock face. It emits alpha, beta, and gamma radiation. WECKER (CW arrow)/UHR (CCW arrow) knob with ring: CW winds alarm; CCW winds clock. Before OSHA was set up, 14,000 people died on the job every year; today, it is just over 4,500. 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. . Can anyone tell me about this? 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. 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. The factory contained a bowling alley, and Ristau said his father was an excellent bowler. 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. 7&a half X 6..desk clock. They have meetings every two months, and educational programs, so thats a really great way to meet collectors and get all kinds of advice. For example, Big Ben Style 1 and Style 1a are the leg model, and Style 2 is the first base model. its about 2 inches long maybe 1/2 in thick with holes on either end to be worn on a key chain perhaps? I have a Seth Thomas Mantle clock that my older sisters husbands Aunt had on her mantle for years. 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 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. Radium paint can be ingested by inhaling flaking paint particles. 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. 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. I would like to know the value of a #4 black, #321(in original cardboard Christmas box), mint condition, Baby Ben alarm clock is. They call it Shabby Chic and sell it on eBay for 60 to 80 dollars. But this is not how the story of Westclox began. 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.
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