Richard Ristau Jr., former plant manager, said hes happy to see the space being used for the museum. Theyre just scattered in different places all over the country, little collections of hands, springs, screws, and things like that. Eventually, safer options were discovered, and the use of radium was discontinued in the 1960s. One of the objects on display in the Benton County Historical Society's Corvallis Museum is this Westclox Radium Dial Clock. It was put away for years and last year it was given to me as I have small collection of United novelty clocks. Thanks so much In the comprehensive Big Ben & Baby Ben Identification Guide, organized by researchers Richard Tjarks and Bill Stoddard, they credit the original brilliant marketing of these little wonders almost entirely to one mana 28 year-old French immigrant named Gaston Le Roy. This practice resulted in the ingestion of radium, which caused serious jaw-bone degeneration and malignancy and other dental diseases. Hundreds of thousands of clocks were produced a year, until closing its doors in 1980. A pair of teenage boys broke into the abandoned factory and set a fire that quickly spread and enveloped much of the central complex. 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. Westclox Radium Dial Clock. I was about 3ft high and recessed into the wall. So I brought it home and left it hanging and would wind it up every once in a while. Westclox began as the United Clock Company in Peru, Illinois in 1885. However, there`s no easy way for you to tell; there were no labeling requirements then as we have now. From 1917 to 1926, the United States Radium Corporation used radium to produce wristwatches and clocks. I would also like photo and more details of his clock, since I intend to write a follow-up article. Ref comment #10 from Frank Baker. The story begins with a Connecticut clockmaker named Charles Stahlberg getting a patent for a new alarm clock design in 1885. AD x Stoddard: I was pretty much on my own until college. 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. Am I missing something here? 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. Apr 14, 2011 501 1 18. I have a collection of clocks, and amongst my collection are Westminster chime wall clocks, I have two Keinzle and two Junghans. 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. 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. 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. 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. I think it is a clock made by Sessions. 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.. They are just gorgeous watches and very well made. 1980 By the early 1950s, Westclox employed thousands of LaSalle-Peru residents. 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. After several changes of ownership, it became . Radium was discovered in 1898 by Marie Curie and Pierre Curie. A few years later my grandma gave me one that worked, and my aunt gave me another one. The Ingersoll Watch division of the Waterbury Clock Company, a nationally-known maker of low-cost pocket and wristwatches, was a leading popularizer of the use of radium for watch hands and indices through the introduction of their "Radiolite" watches in 1916. The use of Radium changed over several years but it was not until late 1960ies when the last were made. 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. WECKER (CCW arrow) knob sets alarm time. 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. It is in good condition and has the original pendulum and key. How do you date a Westclox Baby Ben? The lume used on vintage Rolex watches was radium-based, and radium remained the standard for nearly all Rolex lume until 1963, when growing health concerns forced a shift away from it. Omega stopped using radium around 1963. Thank you Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that watches with radium dials should not be taken apart[5] without proper training, technique, and facilities. In this interview Bill Stoddard talks about collecting antique Westclox Big Ben and Baby Ben alarm clocks, and discusses clock collecting in general. lds missionary clothing stores; June 24, 2022 . Nowadays, Super-LumiNova, which is entirely non-radioactive and non-toxic, is the most used lume in watchmaking. This will broaden my view in the clock. I will be watching for more articles from Bill Stoddard 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. I tend to be a nitty gritty detail kind of guy. So, rather than having the classic oversized bell or double-bell on top of the unit (to smash with your palm at 6am), the ringing mechanism was housed inside the back of the case, and a big winding key occupied the summit. Westclox set up a factory in England in the 1940s and also in Scotland. 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. I cant find out anything about him or any other clocks by him. On April 20, 1902, Marie and Pierre Curie successfully isolate radioactive radium salts from the mineral pitchblende in their laboratory in Paris. If you do not expect to work hard and carefully, you are in the wrong place. credit: Northern Illinois University]. It is in the manufacture of alarm and one-day clocks that these results are the most noticeable, because in this field the quality of the product had always been subordinated to the market value, and the general feeling was one of let good enough alone., In this particular branch of the clock industry the Western Clock Manufacturing Company has achieved great results in the last twenty years. By the 1970s, radium was no . As my first name is Ben, I started to collect these alarmclocks since about 1970. It also says that the patent was re-issued March 31, 1868. when did westclox stop using radium old restaurants in lawrence, ma . In 1914, Dr. Sabin Arnold von Sochocky and Dr. George S. Willis founded the Radium Luminous Material Corporation. They arent hurting it permanently, its just kind of weird. First, if your clock is for display only, I think it is harmless if the paint on the hands is not disturbed. Would you please direct me to someone that can do this for me? Through a friend I purchased an apparently antique key wind up long wooden and glass cased clock. Is this a product that the company would have made or something someone created? Matthiessen, 1904 Western Clock MFG Co. catalog cover, and the original Peru factory in 1905]. I believed it was manufacturing tag. With George Kerns new alarm clock, specifically, Le Roy decided it would be wise to craft a new brand name, and to leave the Western name off of the clock face entirely, since the company was overly associated with cheap goods at the time. This has probably been discussed before but my search turned up nothingdo the luminous hands on a Big Ben alarm clock contain painted radium? When did they stop using radium on clocks? The style 8 Big and Baby Bens were introduced in 1964. 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. How do you set the time on a old fashioned alarm clock? The only problem is a standard size D battery does not fit. With alarm clocks, they were so common that when people repaired them they did whatever they could to get them going. Im trying to determine if it is a legit or reproduction that someone made. Henry Warren invented a little synchronous motor that could go inside a clock. $26.95. Many folks might not realize that early vintage clock dials were painted with radioluminescent paint, which is a mixture of fluorescent salts (these produce the glow) and radium-226, which is a dangerous and highly radioactive element. 1978. 0 Comments; Uncategorized newark advertiser obituaries 2021 . 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. [Left: The first national Big Ben advertisement appears in the. 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). 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. Here you can see production dates, original retail prices and other knowledge about vintage and antique Westclox clocks and watches. Safety 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. Immediately after, substances like promethium and tritium were used as a luminous material, and they're still being used today. There is a small dial inside of the clock face that has roman numerals like another clock face. The style 7 Big Ben and Baby Ben (1956 to 1964, the first Bens with concentric alarm hand) has minute markings. I have a small westclox alarm clock. Their factory in LaSalle, Illinois closed down in about 1980 when they moved all their production down south, but the building is still there. 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. Without a crystal poses a serious Health risk because the Radium paint flakes off and can become airborne. Collectors Weekly: When did you discover that there were other clock collectors? Theyre making some really nice reproductions of it in China and if you dont know what youre looking for you could be fooled easily. The precise, delicate skill of painting clock dials with radium powder promised a much higher salary than most factory jobs available to women at the time (upwards of $18 a week), and the company soon employed as many as 200 female workers in its Ottawa plant. Many thanks. I have been collecting, repairing, and restoring mostly Westclox Big Bens for several years. When he made his first clock and plugged it into the wall it worked fine except it wasnt accurate, it was off by plus or minus a half hour a day, because the 60 cycles were not regulated at that time, so it could vary quite a bit. Westclox began as the United Clock Company of Peru, Illinois in 1885. . Westcloxs Manual for Employees read, We expect you to work hard, and the pay is accordingly large . As stated it is working and keeps time. Chronic exposure to high levels of radium can result in an increased incidence of bone, liver, or breast cancer. German: WECKER (alarm); UHR (clock). Read more about "Radium Girls" here. UHR (CW arrow) knob sets clock time. By 1930, all dial painters stopped pointing their brushes by mouth. About 1931 they made the first electric Big Ben, and they were plug ins. I was told it was an antique at that time. We pay his railroad fare on all orders for a dozen or more, we brand him with your name in lots of 24.. When did Junghans stop manufacturing Westminster Chimes, and when did Keinzle stop manufacturing Westminster chimes. It is in working order and chimes on the hour and half hour. About the only. the clock face is 16, ca 1900. the clock belonged to pheobe appersons family at their ranch in sunol california. 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. There are variations in the lettering on the dial and back. any info would be appreciated. On March 31, 1980, the Peru-LaSalle plant was officially closed, narrowly missing its 100-year anniversary. 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. As the 1960s began, over 50 million Big Ben clocks had been produced in total, and additional Westclox plants were now in operation everywhere from Athens, Georgia, and Ontario, Canada, to Scotland and Australia. I have a sessions mantle clock duet#1. It might be the only one in the country, Spayer said. . $25.99. 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. All I really want to know is about the raised horizontal single eye type decoration on this top removable piece. A radium dial clock from the 1930s. 5 17 15 is May 17, 1915 . 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. She was 18. It is too large (wide). 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. Entertainment & Pop Culture; Geography & Travel; Health & Medicine; Lifestyles & Social Issues; Literature; Philosophy & Religion; Politics, Law & Government 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. My Grandmother had a Westclox in her house. I thought, oh boy, I just need four more and Ill have them all! I would like to find the value of it. It was passed on to my sister and for years it was on their mantle along time until it stopped. 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? The factory contained a bowling alley, and Ristau said his father was an excellent bowler. Dave, Your question about a Big Ben containing radium, and in fact about which clocks actually do contain radium, is a good one. Were finally at a point, where were ready to do more than just sit here, said Ruth Spayer, curator for the museum. [citation needed] This rate probably only represents the dose rate from gamma emission, as the alpha emission will be stopped by the lacquer, or crystal, or case; hence, the dose rate following ingestion or inhalation of the dust could be much higher. thank you, My Husband and I just purchased an antique mantle/shelf clock at an estate sale. Stoddard: Ive been there several times. Radium paint itself was eventually phased out and has not been used in watches since 1968. They had one in Brazil for a while and I think also in Hong Kong. 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. 514 Poplar Street I Have a small brass alarm clock,which is 1-3/4 Hieght Length & Width. 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. Thanks, Paula. 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. Any guidance or help is appreciated. I would like to find out about this clock. [7] A 2018 study by researchers from the University of Northampton found that a collection of 30 vintage military watches with radium dials kept in an small, unventilated room produced a radon concentration 134 times greater than the UK's recommended "safe" level. I hung it on my wall and we tried to get it fixed but the repairman couldnt fix it. [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. I have a collection of alarm clocks, but slowly selling many. The trademark "Westclox" which had appeared on their Big Ben alarm clocks as early as 1910 was officially registered in January 1916. 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 Westclox Big Ben Alarm Clock Vintage is an iconic timepiece that has been around since the early 1900s. Could you suggest how I could go about finding out this information. When did clocks stop using radium? I am sure I can give Mr. Shields further information about his clock. theres the problem, there were two gears that were in backwards. It is and Elias Ingraham Brass Clock with a patent stamp of September 30, 1862. 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. About 1920 the luminous dial using radium paint was introduced. I took it back and the repairman told me it was like a large Timex watch and just not worth being fixed. Their Scottish factory was a full manufacturing plant, at which all their clocks were assembled from start to finish with only the basic raw materials being brought in by outside suppliers. Then, on New Years Eve, as 2011 became 2012, the unthinkable happened. Westclox made an excellent, almost exact, reproduction of the style 1a Big Ben in 1970. Frank Baker. On the Style 9, they went back to actual minute markings. On 3rd January 2099, Terry Shields asked if anyone had information regarding his clock signed G .Falconer, Hong Kong. Westclox Big Ben Alarm Clock Vintage. Westclox - An Identification and Price Guide, and I added even more in 2012. it has a picture of a huck finn type boy,carying 2 bottles of coke& a fishing pole,with his dog. 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.. How did I get interested in clocks? It would be very interesting if you could provide me with some pictures of the clock. 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. Westclox Big Ben and Baby Ben Identification Guide , Remembering the Great War and The Clock That Caused a Near Riot . Soon, he was running the Western Clock Co. advertising department, and proving his worth with some clever marketing strategies. 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. I have a mantel clock,its floral in color,made by Ansonia Cock Co.USA.New York. Inhaled or ingested particles may deposit a high local dose with a risk of radiation-caused lung or gastrointestinal cancer. When many of these early Big Ben advertisements were still running, Gaston Le Roys life took a sudden and dramatic turn. At the top was a clock covered with a glass door. 1919 - 1920 on a small proportion of clocks, "Westclox" in Roman text, Wide lettering at bottom: 1923, "Westclox" in Roman text, Narrow lettering at bottom:1924 to 1927, "Westclox" in Roman text, Projection on the "x": 1928 - 1935, Luminous, "Westclox" in italics: ca. A key point to bear in mind is this: the dial is still highly radioactive. 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. I have an Pine State Ice Cream Milk clock that I would like to find out how much it may be worth. 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. I have looked high and low in my attempts to find out how any of these resproduction style 1A were produced. A Westclox Museum has been opened within the original facility, showing off rare collections from the millions of timepieces once manufactured there. At the start of the decade, the company brought in a skilled new industrial designer named Henry Dreyfuss; a true modernist. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. When I walked along the street, Iwas aglow from the radium powder., The radium girls case was one of the first in which an employer was made responsible for the health of the companys employees. 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. They worked for the United States Radium Corporation painting the numbers and hands on watch. Any help would be appreciated. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. US radium dial painting factory. Ristau said he remembered when the Westclox factory was the heart of the city, and recalled enjoying his time with Westclox. There are many Westclox alarm clock models named Big Ben. When Did They Stop Using Radium On Clock Hands? I read (but cant remember where) that about 40,000 were made. when did westclox stop using radium. It was a gift from him to her the year before they were married. We would like to redo the entrances and lobby areas and show the history of the building right on site but have not found much anywhere. I also like some of the older American weight-driven clocks. [Workers assembling Big Ben alarm clocks at the Westclox plant, 1910s. They were officially Americas preferred wake-up call provider. It is a Medbury-4W #4910. the knobs have foreign words ie wecker & UHR.would like to know about his clock 2023 by Andrew Clayman. Credit: pinimg. Theyll take an old Big Ben from 1930 and make a new dial that says Indian Motorcycle or Victola, and put it on eBay. Origin of the eye, forklore or legends surrounding????? Phone: 717-684-8261. Before OSHA was set up, 14,000 people died on the job every year; today, it is just over 4,500. . This Christmas (1930) ad illustrates 61-F Dura Case, style 2 crackle finish Big Ben and Baby Ben, Auto Clock, Pocket Ben and Country Club pocket watches. Which is interesting because many of the electrics are scarcer but people just arent into collecting electric clocks. 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. There are some blemishes on the wood on the right side. 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. 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. In 2006 I started collecting vintage advertisements. I have never seen this mentioned anywhere. Another thing people do is make fake advertising clocks. The new company tripled in size by the turn of the century, employing 232 people at its growing Peru plant (145 men, 73 women, 14 children) and producing 500,000 clocks annually. Among the rarities on display is a Westclox-made National Emergency Alarm Repeater. The pioneering spirit is there, but the business skills soon appear lacking. Based in Flora, Indiana, Bill can be reached via his website, clockhistory.com, which is a member of our Hall of Fame. Former employees showed up to view a collection of watches, clocks, tools, photographs of the old factory, a short black and white film of the factory in action and remember working for Westclox. Technically speaking, though, Westclox did still produce clocks during the gap years that followed. When did Westclox stop using radium? 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 . The use of radium was discontinued since the 1960s. Annie Moussin designer intrieur. Eventually, scientists and medical professionals realized that these workers' illnesses . The company later changed its name to the United States Radium Corporation. Here you can see production dates, original retail prices and other Thats another story. It looks like you mount it to the wall. [Workers assembling Big Ben alarm clocks at the Westclox plant, 1910s.

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