As radium luminosity came under attack in the 1930s, Westcloxs other updates to the Big Ben design were far more practical and uncontroversial. 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. 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. Within two decades she had lost all her teeth. 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. Production was back in full force and at an all-time high by 1956, with 3,000 employees on staff. I cannot date it. WECKER (CCW arrow) knob sets alarm time. Eventually, safer options were discovered, and the use of radium was discontinued in the 1960s. 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. 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 recently added the Big Ben Style 1 and Baby Ben Style 1 Dial and Back types. who can refurbush big ben still runs good perfect time purchased in 1950 cataloge #885(885). 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. Before OSHA was set up, 14,000 people died on the job every year; today, it is just over 4,500. 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. There are many Westclox alarm clock models named Big Ben. I would also like photo and more details of his clock, since I intend to write a follow-up article. The magical glow, as was widely understood by everyone involved, was created by radiuma radioactive element discovered by Marie Curie in 1898. Big Ben: butler nickel case, gold leaf numeral dial 1930 1932. Through it all, Peru remained the companys home base, as over 3,000 employees now enjoyed the rapidly expanding space of the factory and its attached campus, with gardens, tennis courts, a bowling alley, and other things worthy of a Matthiessen estate. 400-day clocks are also known as anniversary clocks, they would run 400 days on one winding. Richard Tjarks introduced 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. When did Westclox close? Thank you for your input. During World War II they had some fantastic ads that you can see on my website like, Victory Wont Wait for the Nation Thats Late, and Guard Your Big Ben where they show a bulldog and a soldier with a gun guarding a Big Ben because during the war they stopped making clocks for the consumer market and totally switched over to military work. Theres a clock called a Crystal Regulator which is about a foot tall with a brass case and glass on all four sides. Art and Mary Ann Windy [pictured] have been married for 49 years, met as Westclox employees and were present for the open house. 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. 5 17 15 is May 17, 1915 . Dozens of radium dial painters around the country developed similar symptoms, although the effects could take years to manifest, making it more difficult to pinpoint the phenomenon from its first cases in the early 1920s. Condition is important, but clocks can be restored. These paints were used on the dials of clocks and watches to make them glow-in-the-dark. In some respects, the early rise of the Western Clock MFG Co. is even more impressive considering the company didnt have all the resources of an established, major metropolis to draw from. They asked me to give some programs myself at some of the chapter meetings so I became a little bit better at being a public speaker, and its been great meeting people. 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. Contact the Webmaster for perceived copyright infringement (DMCA Registration Number 1010287). Clocks produced in the early 1900's are particularly concerning in this regard. Was just trying to find out any information on this clock or if you may have ever come across one like it The use of radium was discontinued since the 1960s. Back then, radium wasn't considered to be dangerous in small doses. Good old fashioned branding played a major role, as well. [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. Westclox set up a factory in England in the 1940s and also in Scotland. Charles Stahlberg had an idea for making a better, but less expensive alarm clock. From 1917 to 1926, the United States Radium Corporation used radium to produce wristwatches and clocks. 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. For example, Big Ben Style 1 and Style 1a are the leg model, and Style 2 is the first base model. Stoddard: Some of the old American pocket watches are just beautiful so I have several in my collection. 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. [3] The Radiolite series, made in various sizes and models, became a signature of the Connecticut-based company. All the rods in my clocks are verticle that is from top to bottom of the case, four on each side at the back of the movement. One employee, R.D. . It still works. 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. Which is interesting because many of the electrics are scarcer but people just arent into collecting electric clocks. My Grandmother had a Westclox in her house. Kind regards, Ben van Vliet. I would like to know the value of a #4 black, #321(in original cardboard Christmas box), mint condition, Baby Ben alarm clock is. From 1942 to 1945, Westclox ceased all production intended for domestic civilian sale and dedicated its production resources to the war effort. Thank you. when did westclox stop using radium; when did westclox stop using radium. Dont know if someone ingraved date on when took down or if the original. can anybody tell me about this piece? Westclox Big Ben and Baby Ben Identification Guide , Remembering the Great War and The Clock That Caused a Near Riot . Can you confirm? [7], Ingestion of radium has been linked to anemia, cataracts, broken teeth, and reduced bone growth.[8]. 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 think it is a clock made by Sessions. 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. 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. When did Junghans stop manufacturing Westminster Chimes, and when did Keinzle stop manufacturing Westminster chimes. Most are in nickel finish cases, but some were made in gold plated cases. 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. Charles Stahlberg headed a group from Waterbury, Connecticut, who came to Peru in 1884 to build clocks based on a new idea by Stahlberg. AD x Stoddard: I was pretty much on my own until college. I took it all apart and asked my dad to help me put it back together, but he cut his finger on the spring. Debbie Blake, I have a small Westclox wind up clock dating around 1937. I tend to be a nitty gritty detail kind of guy. Company in 1888 and installing another talented German, Ernst Roth, as the general manager. The policy of the company is one of highly specialized production. All the aforementioned to ask you if you know how many of the 1970 style 1As were made. 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. My husband has a Big Ben clock that he inherited, it was took down from a mill and given to his grandma. [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.]. I have an Pine State Ice Cream Milk clock that I would like to find out how much it may be worth. Style 10 is the last numbered I live in Scotland but my clock was made in USA. Just remember, old luminous clocks are full of radium! I have a mantel clock,its floral in color,made by Ansonia Cock Co.USA.New York. Only reason I can think of and it looks pretty odd not to have minutes on a clock face. I love the Hamiltons in particular, probably some of the best watches made in America. This eye is horizontally elliptical in general shape, about 4 3/4 long and 1 3/4 tall with a circle in the middle making it look like a single eye. The radium isotope (226Ra) used has a half-life of about 1,600years,[6] so radium dials remain essentially just as radioactive as when originally painted 50 or 100 years ago, whether or not they remain luminous. The pioneering spirit is there, but the business skills soon appear lacking. Its basically all forward momentum from here. Entertainment & Pop Culture; Geography & Travel; Health & Medicine; Lifestyles & Social Issues; Literature; Philosophy & Religion; Politics, Law & Government When did Westclox stop using radium? Stoddard: I was pretty much on my own until college. 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. This dustproofing is accomplished by fittings around the set knobs and winding keys and on the regulator. They were officially Americas preferred wake-up call provider. Stoddard: The first Big Bens and Baby Bens went on the market in 1910 and they were wind ups. With alarm clocks, they were so common that when people repaired them they did whatever they could to get them going. See the top of this page for a current list of The company later changed its name to the United States Radium Corporation. 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 know it was purchased in 1937 because it belonged to my elderly friends who were married in 1938. . Matthiessen, 1904 Western Clock MFG Co. catalog cover, and the original Peru factory in 1905]. The greater surprise, though, is that they didnt abandon the use of radium in the years that followed. 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. Their factory in LaSalle, Illinois closed down in about 1980 when they moved all their production down south, but the building is still there. I have a Westclox Big Ben 1910 style 1a and have not been able to find out the present value/worth. It looks like you mount it to the wall. People did some bad things over the years just to get them running. [9] The element was phased out of use by industry acting under its own volition as superior and safer luminous materials entered the marketplace. 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.. At this moment I study horology at West Dean College in the UK. The sound is very good when I compare it with the Howard Miller and the Jauke I just purchases, its loud and resonates very well. When did westclox stop using radium? 514 Poplar Street For the town of Peruwhich had tied much of its identity to Westclox for the better part of a centurythe damage went beyond financial. 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. Because it was one degree removed from the radium business itself, Westclox seems to have largely dodged the controversy and lawsuits altogether. [5] Indeed, the body treats radium as it does calcium, storing it in bone where it may cause bone degeneration and cancer.[5]. 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. Chronic exposure to high levels of radium can result in an increased incidence of bone, liver, or breast cancer. But the chances that you have a radium clock are slim, unless it is very old. 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. dated:1990 ,decorated :hong cong.made in japan.cocacola tradmark. 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. var today = new Date() So I swapped them, and its worked perfectly ever since. It was passed on to my sister and for years it was on their mantle along time until it stopped. From that point on I really liked those. Westclox closed its Peru factory 35 years ago. That summer at an antique store I came across one that wasnt even in the book, and I thought that was exciting. 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.. Safety 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 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors Inc (A 501c3 non-profit corporation). Lynda Hinshaw, At this moment I am research a clock by Falconer& co HongKong. Was westclox ever manufactured in germany and if so when? Radium paint itself was eventually phased out and has not been used in watches since 1968. Initially hired as a low level clerk, Le Roy worked his way up the company ladder in the early 1900s as an on-the-road sales rep, soliciting business from Chicago to New York to parts unknown. As my first name is Ben, I started to collect these alarmclocks since about 1970. Helen. A Big Ben typical of those made from late 1910 to mid-1915. Seeking the Big 3 goals of convenience, cleanliness, and cheap production, Dreyfuss rolled out his new-look Big Ben in 1931. 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. My father (Richard Ristau Sr.) worked here for 48.. 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. Many thanks. In all my research I can not confirm that The Style 1 models every had 1) and 2) above. They made them with wooden works until about 1840, then with brass gears and I like some of the early brass-geared American clocks. Credit: pinimg. The Canadian Clock Museum (http://www.canclockmuseum.ca/) may have some information. I recently added the Big Ben Style 1 and Baby Ben Style 1 Dial and Back types. It is made by The Sessions Clock movement, appears to be brass, a bucking horse with cowboy riderjudgeing from the clothes design of the cowboy it is quite old. 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. I am pleased that I came across your article. Before OSHA was set up, 14,000 people died on the job every year; today, it is just over 4,500. Luminous Processes employees interviewed by a journalist in 1978 stated they had been left ignorant of radium's dangers. Then, on New Years Eve, as 2011 became 2012, the unthinkable happened. In 1913, with help from the US government, Dr. Douglas formed the National Radium Institute, to mine radium from uranium ores recently discovered in Colorado. 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. I spent many an evening here, watching him bowl.. That was the first antique clock I owned myself. its about 2 inches long maybe 1/2 in thick with holes on either end to be worn on a key chain perhaps? 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. 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 that time on, Baby Bens first and then Big Bens were available with either the plain or luminous dial. 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. Ive been trying to compare lots of different clocks to find out what original parts go together. Did westclox stop using radioactive paint by the 1960s? The Westclox Big Ben Alarm Clock Vintage is an iconic timepiece that has been around since the early 1900s. [Left: The first national Big Ben advertisement appears in the. 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. 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). It is in good condition and has the original pendulum and key. The movement is a windup almost identical to the original. Thanks so much Various lettering on the dial and various patent dates (later, numbers) on the Like style 1a non-luminous with dealer name on dial. CAN SOMEONE TELL ME HOW TO RELEASE THE CLICK ON A WESTCLOX MANS WRISTWATCH MODEL A-201? My clothes, hanging in a dark closet, gave off a phosphorescent glare. I think the clock was electric but could have been a wind up or maybe even a pendulum. I like to find the ones before that and study their history. The first Big Bens and Baby Bens in 1910 were wind ups.. It is 3 diameter with Westclox on the back and PAT.APLOFOR. I also need it repaired so that it will be functional and need to find someone that will do that for me. Omega stopped using radium around 1963. After several changes of ownership, it became . 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. 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. 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.. 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. Handle on top: down alarm off; up alarm on. Is radium still used on watches? theres the problem, there were two gears that were in backwards. The NAWCC has an online forum with a lot of different categories. Westclox began as the United Clock Company of Peru, Illinois in 1885. 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 began as the United Clock Company in Peru, Illinois in 1885. 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. Did Westclox use radium? then 4 symbols a crown an 18 and to unkown symbols in a square patern but on its side square pattern. Henry Warren invented a little synchronous motor that could go inside a clock. I have a collection of alarm clocks, but slowly selling many. Westclox Clock Construction and Quality. 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. Richard Ristau Jr., former plant manager, said hes happy to see the space being used for the museum. 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. Were finally at a point, where were ready to do more than just sit here, said Ruth Spayer, curator for the museum. Inhaled or ingested particles may deposit a high local dose with a risk of radiation-caused lung or gastrointestinal cancer. In the early 1920s, when the company introduced a new series of Big Ben and Baby Ben clocks with luminous dials, the work of painting on this special, glow-in-the-dark element was outsourced to the Radium Dial Companyan independent business located just up the road in the neighboring town of Ottawa, IL. . I have been searching for one like as the clock went with the house after my Grandmother passed away. All Rights Reserved. Westclox Big Ben Style 1a Alarm Clock Date Summary: 1918 - 1935 (and a reproduction was made in 1970) Characteristics: Ring on top, two legs in front, no screws through the front of the bezel. I cant find out anything about him or any other clocks by him. 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. His ideas were patented on as US patent #326,602. Ref comment #10 from Frank Baker. Any guidance or help is appreciated. "[5] However, radium is highly radioactive, emitting alpha, beta, and gamma radiation the effects of which are particularly deleterious if inhaled or ingested since there is no shielding within the body. He corresponded with Westclox General Manager Ernst Roth over the weeks that followed, but after a final letter that September, he went silent. Dave, Your question about a Big Ben containing radium, and in fact about which clocks actually do contain radium, is a good one. Your response or advice would be much appreciated. Is Westclox a good brand? 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. 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. The whole clock seems to be origional and was maintained by my grandfather who was a watch/clock repairman. The clock is several houndred pounds, and keeps great time. 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. When did Bulova stop using radium? Your email address will not be published. i have a large ansonia wall clock 32 1/2 x 32. Any help would be appreciated. Eventually we became best friends and started researching together. The clock is shielded From the glass crystal. Soon, he was running the Western Clock Co. advertising department, and proving his worth with some clever marketing strategies. In a few short years, thanks to Dr. Douglas's efforts, the amount of radium available in the US more than quintupled. I have been collecting, repairing, and restoring mostly Westclox Big Bens for several years. Thanks, Paula. It was only with the passage of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 that the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) was given oversight of the use of radium.
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