Radium dials held near the face have been shown to produce radiation doses in excess of 10Sv / hour. A Westclox Museum has been opened within the original facility, showing off rare collections from the millions of timepieces once manufactured there. Stoddard: My grandma gave me an old Baby Ben alarm clock that didnt work when I was seven. [Workers assembling Big Ben alarm clocks at the Westclox plant, 1910s. 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. 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. Only reason I can think of and it looks pretty odd not to have minutes on a clock face. Clock Repair and Hermle Chime, Mantel and Wall Clocks for Sale at Bill's Clockworks. Theres a seller on eBay now whos doing some really outstanding restorations of Big Bens. Accueil; Services; Ralisations; Annie Moussin; Mdias; 514-569-8476 Technically speaking, though, Westclox did still produce clocks during the gap years that followed. 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? 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. It would be greatly appreciated. I have an Pine State Ice Cream Milk clock that I would like to find out how much it may be worth. 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. About 1920 the luminous dial using radium paint was introduced. I like to find the ones before that and study their history. Created with WordPress. I hung it on my wall and we tried to get it fixed but the repairman couldnt fix it. Westclox Big Ben Alarm Clock Vintage. They were officially Americas preferred wake-up call provider. then 4 symbols a crown an 18 and to unkown symbols in a square patern but on its side square pattern. Stoddard: Its really hard to say. A Big Ben typical of those made from late 1910 to mid-1915. 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. Stoddard: I was pretty much on my own until college. Stoddard: Pay attention to quality. Immediately after, substances like promethium and tritium were used as a luminous material, and they're still being used today. var today = new Date() In 1898, the Curies discovered the existence of. From 1917 to 1926, the United States Radium Corporation used radium to produce wristwatches and clocks. Question: Are both 1) and 2) marriages of Style 2 mechanisms put in a Style 1A Big Ben and Style 1 Baby Ben. 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? 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. Dont know if someone ingraved date on when took down or if the original. So yes. Big Ben style, and there are other styles with names instead of numbers. July 17th, 2008. Westclox also made about 5000 gold-plated reproductions. [6] Decaying radium also produces the gas radon, recognized as the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States[6] and the United Kingdom. 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. Buy Now. 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. I also need it repaired so that it will be functional and need to find someone that will do that for me. I was given an Elias Ingraham Clock many years ago and would like to know a bit more about it and its value. The pioneering spirit is there, but the business skills soon appear lacking. 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]. Big Ben style 1a continued in production until its discontinuation in 1935. 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. When Did They Stop Using Radium On Clock Hands? It was put away for years and last year it was given to me as I have small collection of United novelty clocks. 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. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. It is a wind up. 0 Comments; Uncategorized newark advertiser obituaries 2021 . The other thing is reproductions. Back then, radium wasn't considered to be dangerous in small doses. I have a collection of alarm clocks, but slowly selling many. 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. As radium luminosity came under attack in the 1930s, Westcloxs other updates to the Big Ben design were far more practical and uncontroversial. That summer at an antique store I came across one that wasnt even in the book, and I thought that was exciting. AD x Stoddard: I was pretty much on my own until college. It is a Medbury-4W #4910. How do you set the time on a old fashioned alarm clock? In 1919 the company was incorporated as Western Clock Company, Ltd. Handle on top: down alarm off; up alarm on. Thanks so much 400-day clocks are also known as anniversary clocks, they would run 400 days on one winding. Its hard to fathom in retrospect, but in the early 20th century, it was generally believed that small amounts of radium were perfectly harmless to humans, and thus, the substances natural, long-lasting glow actually made it something of an attractive novelty of the time periodnot just on clock dials, but in the worlds of quack medicine, fashion, cosmetics, and even a proto version of energy water, called Radithor.. The whole clock seems to be origional and was maintained by my grandfather who was a watch/clock repairman. On April 20, 1902, Marie and Pierre Curie successfully isolate radioactive radium salts from the mineral pitchblende in their laboratory in Paris. Would you please direct me to someone that can do this for me? How do you date a Westclox Baby Ben? 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. The movement is a windup almost identical to the original. knowledge about vintage and antique Westclox clocks and watches. It is encased in hard polymer Plastic and the ends have rivets . Thanks, Teri. Am I missing something here? The women also left a legacy to science that has been termed invaluable.. When did Bulova stop using radium? Charles Stahlberg had an idea for making a better, but less expensive alarm clock. Hundreds of thousands of clocks were produced a year, until closing its doors in 1980. It sits on a small brass stand with Westclox on it. It is and Elias Ingraham Brass Clock with a patent stamp of September 30, 1862. There is a small dial inside of the clock face that has roman numerals like another clock face. By 1930, all dial painters stopped pointing their brushes by mouth. 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. Seeking the Big 3 goals of convenience, cleanliness, and cheap production, Dreyfuss rolled out his new-look Big Ben in 1931. It is battery operated and takes a D battery. 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. 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. 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. 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. Stoddard: Some of the old American pocket watches are just beautiful so I have several in my collection. Radium was even used in medical applications during the 20th century. Entertainment & Pop Culture; Geography & Travel; Health & Medicine; Lifestyles & Social Issues; Literature; Philosophy & Religion; Politics, Law & Government 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. Ruth Spayer at the Westclox Museum tracked down a newspaper story from the Daily Post-Tribune on March 21, 1944, describing a scene in which three women fainted, several clerks were trampled, and four showcase windows were shattered before police untangled a jam of 2,500 women and a few stout-hearted men who converged on the store.. 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. The style 7 Big Ben and Baby Ben (1956 to 1964, the first Bens with concentric alarm hand) has minute markings. T. tkarter Registered User. Charles Stahlberg headed a group from Waterbury, Connecticut, who came to Peru in 1884 to build clocks based on a new idea by Stahlberg. It is too large (wide). You just cant imagine the size of this factory its just gigantic. I have been purchasing these clocks as and when I got an opportunity. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. In the production of ordinary clocks adapted to the needs and means of the millions, America produces results of remarkable excellence. Westclox Model 66 Movement Series Welcome to the Westclox Clock and Watch History Database. They have meetings every two months, and educational programs, so thats a really great way to meet collectors and get all kinds of advice. it has a picture of a huck finn type boy,carying 2 bottles of coke& a fishing pole,with his dog. Radium was discovered in 1898 by Marie Curie and Pierre Curie. 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. This past weekend, thanks to the Westclox Museum, its doors were opened and former workers were welcomed back for Homecoming Day. His bigger job was to design a system so the power companies could regulate their generator so the clock could keep time. The front is in Roman Numerals with a dome shaped raised glass. 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. All I really want to know is about the raised horizontal single eye type decoration on this top removable piece. 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. . 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. The work involved using luminous radium paint to make the numbers on clocks, watches and aeronautic dials glow in the dark. So you find clocks where parts have been switched, so thats one challenge, determining originality. Your cooperation would be greatly appreciated. The Canadian Clock Museum (http://www.canclockmuseum.ca/) may have some information. 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. How can people be exposed to Radium? I have a Westclox Bachelor alarm clock from probably the 50s as it was always there when I was growing up. 514 Poplar Street 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. Thank you. Production was back in full force and at an all-time high by 1956, with 3,000 employees on staff. Stoddard: The National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCC) is headquartered in Pennsylvania but has chapters throughout the country. 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. [3] The Radiolite series, made in various sizes and models, became a signature of the Connecticut-based company. We pay his railroad fare on all orders for a dozen or more, we brand him with your name in lots of 24.. See the top of this page for a current list of [Former Westclox workers Art and Mary Ann Windy (standing), 2015], This is amazing, Art said. While most of our Big Ben dials are black with luminous numbers, there were also white dials with black numerals in production at the same time. [7], Ingestion of radium has been linked to anemia, cataracts, broken teeth, and reduced bone growth.[8]. Thanks, Paula. My dad was one of the top bowlers here, Ristau said. They call it Shabby Chic and sell it on eBay for 60 to 80 dollars. 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. Any suggestions of where to get a replacement preferably in Canada? He also recalled playing in the factory. Can anyone tell me about this? Site of the Old Westclox factory 211-201 Hunter Street, Peterborough Ontario. Was just trying to find out any information on this clock or if you may have ever come across one like it Westclox set up a factory in England in the 1940s and also in Scotland. Frank Baker. I have a sessions mantle clock duet#1. Sometimes extensive casework can be more time consuming than getting the movement running. 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. Is this a product that the company would have made or something someone created? Can anyone tell me the meaning or significance of this eye? There are variations in the lettering on the dial and back. 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. [Left: The first national Big Ben advertisement appears in the. After the discovery of radioactivity in 1896 by French physicist and Nobel Prize winner, Antoine Henri Becquerel, many other scientists began to search for uses of radioactivity. Most are in nickel finish cases, but some were made in gold plated cases. There are some blemishes on the wood on the right side. 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. When did the use of radium stop? Never underestimate the value of an alarm clock when yours broke two years ago and nobody has manufactured a new one since. Its basically all forward momentum from here. That batch was in production non-continuously from 1939 to 1946, housed in gunmetal cases with nickel trim. 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. My father (Richard Ristau Sr.) worked here for 48.. 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. the clock face is 16, ca 1900. the clock belonged to pheobe appersons family at their ranch in sunol california. It was a gift from him to her the year before they were married. The movement was mounted to the inner case back. Style 10 is the last numbered 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. into groups of similar models. The NAWCC has an online forum with a lot of different categories. They made the most of the perk, wearing their good dresses to the plant so theyd shine in the dance halls at night, and even painting radium onto their teeth for a smile that would knock their suitors dead.. 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., [Automatic machinery certainly sped up the manufacturing process, by plenty of human skill and attention was still required to make the Big Ben. 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 clock without hands might seem indifferent to the passage of time, but these old Big Ben and Baby Ben dials have some serious stories to tell. I think the clock was electric but could have been a wind up or maybe even a pendulum. Westclox Big Ben and Baby Ben Identification Guide ClockHistory.com, Keeping Time in Peru Chicago Tribune, October 18, 1998, Remembering the Great War and The Clock That Caused a Near Riot WestcloxMuseum.com, For That Healthy Glow, Drink Radiation Popular Science, August 17, 2004, The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of Americas Shining Women, by Kate Moore, 2o17, The Forgotten Story Of The Radium Girls, Whose Deaths Saved Thousands Of Workers Lives, by Kate Moore, Buzzfeed.com, One-Day and Alarm Clocks Commercial America, Vol VI, 1909, A Rude Awakening: The History of Alarm Clocks ThroughoutHistory.com. 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. [citation needed] After about 20minutes this delivers the equivalent of one whole day's worth of normal background radiation. . I am trying to determine the age. 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. Both the Big and Baby Bens were housed in a newly refined bell-back clock case. Radium - The First Rolex Luminous Material. 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. 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. I tend to be a nitty gritty detail kind of guy. 1978. For example, Big Ben Style 1 and Style 1a are the leg model, and Style 2 is the first base model. I just had it repaired & it works & looks great. UHR (CW arrow) knob sets clock time. Without a crystal poses a serious Health risk because the Radium paint flakes off and can become airborne. I think we threw it away. Advertisement: Illustrates crackle green Tiny Tim, crackle blue Big Ben and crackle pink Baby Ben clocks. Over time, she contracted terrible cancerous tumors, lost most of her teeth, and suffered countless other health problems. Radium paint can be ingested by inhaling flaking paint particles. I recently wrote an article on Hong Kong Watch and Clockmakers for the Antiquarian Horology Society Journal. I also like some of the older American weight-driven clocks. For the town of Peruwhich had tied much of its identity to Westclox for the better part of a centurythe damage went beyond financial. It led to life-saving regulations and, ultimately, to the establishment of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which now operates nationally in the United States to protect workers. I would like to find the value of it. its a Gold coloring and the bottom is well worn like it was slid into something regularily. Any help would be appreciated. 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. This has probably been discussed before but my search turned up nothingdo the luminous hands on a Big Ben alarm clock contain painted radium? 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. Henry Warren invented a little synchronous motor that could go inside a clock. I recently added the Big Ben Style 1 and Baby Ben Style 1 Dial and Back types. Don Spayer, volunteer and former Westclox employee, said the bulk of the museums collection was built through donations. It is in good condition and has the original pendulum and key. As Kate Moore explains it, The radium girls case was one of the first in which an employer was made responsible for the health of the companys employees. Westclox style series. Kind regards, Ben van Vliet. The Westclox Big Ben Alarm Clock Vintage is an iconic timepiece that has been around since the early 1900s. . They had one in Brazil for a while and I think also in Hong Kong. When did they stop using radium for watches? 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. I was told it was an antique at that time. For me its kind of an inexpensive hobby because as a boy I could find them for about a dollar a piece, sometimes in good condition. 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. Before OSHA was set up, 14,000 people died on the job every year; today, it is just over 4,500. Richard Tjarks introduced Next to the original Westcloxes I have an interesting collection of European copies by a.o. thank you, My Husband and I just purchased an antique mantle/shelf clock at an estate sale. It started early in the 20th century, around 1910, when some companies began to use radium on watch dials and hands to create a "glow in the dark" effect. Im trying to determine if it is a legit or reproduction that someone made. Before we get to that, though, we have to start with the issue of geography as it concerns the business in question. $38.00. From that time on, Baby Bens first and then Big Bens were available with either the plain or luminous dial. The only problem is a standard size D battery does not fit. 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. 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. Radium paint itself was eventually phased out and has not been used in watches since 1968. Style 5 dial design]. A few years later my grandma gave me one that worked, and my aunt gave me another one. Before OSHA was set up, 14,000 people died on the job every year; today, it is just over 4,500. Could you please try to help me find out what kind of clock this is. I cannot date it. Stahlbergs company goes bankrupt not once, but twice, within its first several years. Many thanks. Contact the Webmaster for perceived copyright infringement (DMCA Registration Number 1010287). First, if your clock is for display only, I think it is harmless if the paint on the hands is not disturbed. As my first name is Ben, I started to collect these alarmclocks since about 1970. Ristau said he remembered when the Westclox factory was the heart of the city, and recalled enjoying his time with Westclox. He invited us in to look around, so we got to go up and down the big freight elevator and he found some old music boxes that were never used that he gave to us (Westclox made one or two little clocks with a music box in them). Here you can see production dates, original retail prices and other 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 was discovered by Marie and Pierre Curie in 1898. It still works. 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. I always wondered why the dial of my Baby Ben clock, which I have had from late 60s, was marked off in 48ths of an hour instead of minutes.
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