US radium dial painting factory. Sometimes extensive casework can be more time consuming than getting the movement running. I have a Westclox Bachelor alarm clock from probably the 50s as it was always there when I was growing up. For example, Big Ben Style 1 and Style 1a are the leg model, and Style 2 is the first base model. 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.. 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. knowledge about vintage and antique Westclox clocks and watches. Columbia, PA 17512 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. This classic clock is known for its loud and distinct bell-like . The women also left a legacy to science that has been termed invaluable., 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., 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., For That Healthy Glow, Drink Radiation . The movement was then used with minor changes in Loud Alarm models until 1956. Radium paint can be ingested by inhaling flaking paint particles. . [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. He also recalled playing in the factory. Next year, well have been married for 49 years, Mary Ann said. 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. 1919 -1922, Luminous, Westclox in Roman text: 1923 - 1927, Luminous, projection on the "x": 1928 - 1935. Technically speaking, though, Westclox did still produce clocks during the gap years that followed. With alarm clocks, they were so common that when people repaired them they did whatever they could to get them going. The trademark "Westclox" which had appeared on their Big Ben alarm clocks as early as 1910 was officially registered in January 1916. 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. It looks like you mount it to the wall. In 1898, the Curies discovered the existence of. The style 7 Big Ben and Baby Ben (1956 to 1964, the first Bens with concentric alarm hand) has minute markings. Would you please direct me to someone that can do this for me? If someone has restored it in the past, make sure the correct dial was put on it and the movements, which have probably been repaired a lot, have been done nicely. Can you help 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. 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. Apr 14, 2011 501 1 18. At one time they employed about 3500 people, making about 35, 000 clocks and watches per day. I also need it repaired so that it will be functional and need to find someone that will do that for me. 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. Just as pilots in World War II had radium on the dials in their cockpits for all-condition visibility, many people who purchased Big Ben alarm clocks during the same periodincluding the very style in our museum collection (made from 1939-1946)went to bed each night sleeping next to a tiny box of radioactivity. A radium dial clock from the 1930s. The center is in the shape of the world map. into groups of similar models. One of the objects on display in the Benton County Historical Society's Corvallis Museum is this Westclox Radium Dial Clock. . This was a wonderful article to read. Many thanks. The thing I remember most is working with the people, Ristau said. 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. According to Periodic. can anybody tell me about this piece? i have a large ansonia wall clock 32 1/2 x 32. 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 other thing is reproductions. 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]. (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. Thank you I took it back and the repairman told me it was like a large Timex watch and just not worth being fixed. This past weekend, thanks to the Westclox Museum, its doors were opened and former workers were welcomed back for Homecoming Day. dated:1990 ,decorated :hong cong.made in japan.cocacola tradmark. 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. Posted on 1 second ago; June 24, 2022 . [Westclox advertisements from WWII period, ft. bailey oceans tide clock dated 1880, with a Fusee movement. Any suggestions of where to get a replacement preferably in Canada? Various lettering on the dial and various patent dates (later, numbers) on the Like style 1a non-luminous with dealer name on dial. The first style 1a cases had double-hexagon legs, but after about a year they were changed to standard single hex form. Richard Tjarks introduced 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. The clock is shielded From the glass crystal. 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. It can be found with some other clocks in a case in the second floor hallway. I love the Hamiltons in particular, probably some of the best watches made in America. Among the rarities on display is a Westclox-made National Emergency Alarm Repeater. 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. 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. People did some bad things over the years just to get them running. Westclox Big Ben and Baby Ben Identification Guide , Remembering the Great War and The Clock That Caused a Near Riot . Is radium still used on watches? I tend to be a nitty gritty detail kind of guy. Most are in nickel finish cases, but some were made in gold plated cases. Just remember, old luminous clocks are full of radium! I like to find the ones before that and study their history. My clothes, hanging in a dark closet, gave off a phosphorescent glare. This will broaden my view in the clock. styles to organize them Patton, had joined Charles Stahlbergs original start-up back in 1886 at the age of just 13, and he was still on board in 1936, 50 years later. Gary Biolchini added more style series in his book But for years the majority were wind ups, they were so popular. Junghans, Kienzle,Mauthe,Kaiser, Peter, (all from Germany) Veglia (Italy), CNIS ( France), Ingersoll (UK) as well as some Hong Kong made items. 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. I took it all apart and asked my dad to help me put it back together, but he cut his finger on the spring. The clock can still give considerable amounts of radiation about 2-3 inches from the Crystal measured with a Geiger counter. Condition is important, but clocks can be restored. Sometimes getting parts is tough, too, although it turns out Westclox made lots and lots of spare parts. Also Telechron, which was a big maker of electric clocks. In the United States there does not seem to have ever been prohibitory legislation passed banning the use of radium in clocks and watches. The pioneering spirit is there, but the business skills soon appear lacking. Radium is highly radioactive. Thank you for your input. If you do not expect to work hard and carefully, you are in the wrong place. credit: Northern Illinois University]. Thanks for any info you may be able to supply These folks here that are responsible for this are doing a marvelous job, Ristau said. 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 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. 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 Model 66 Movement Series Welcome to the Westclox Clock and Watch History Database. Im trying to determine if it is a legit or reproduction that someone made. I am a retired mechanical engineer, the quality has floored me, hats off to this company. By 1930, all dial painters stopped pointing their brushes by mouth. 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 magical glow, as was widely understood by everyone involved, was created by radiuma radioactive element discovered by Marie Curie in 1898. Don Spayer, volunteer and former Westclox employee, said the bulk of the museums collection was built through donations. Thanks, Teri. Radium is an almost pure white alkaline radioactive earth metal, and is found in nature in uranium ores. I am trying to determine the age. 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. Theyll take an old Big Ben from 1930 and make a new dial that says Indian Motorcycle or Victola, and put it on eBay. 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. Westclox Big Bens and Baby Bens are full of the stuff. 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. 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. [citation needed] After about 20minutes this delivers the equivalent of one whole day's worth of normal background radiation. 0 Comments; Uncategorized newark advertiser obituaries 2021 . 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. I also like some of the older American weight-driven clocks. His ideas were patented on as US patent #326,602. That summer at an antique store I came across one that wasnt even in the book, and I thought that was exciting. Another thing people do is make fake advertising clocks. Radium dials were produced throughout most of the 20th century before being replaced by safer tritium-based luminous material in the 1970s and finally by non-toxic, non-radioactive strontium aluminatebased photoluminescent material from the middle 1990s. I know Bill Stoddards name from other publications on Westclox. These styles constitute the But this is not how the story of Westclox began. its about 2 inches long maybe 1/2 in thick with holes on either end to be worn on a key chain perhaps? So, does Westclox really belong in the Made In Chicago Museum? Eventually, scientists and medical professionals realized that these workers' illnesses . Your email address will not be published. As various larger corporate interests got involved in the years ahead, however, and as increasing competition from electronic clockmakers slowed the Big Bens dominance, the inevitable slow down began. Sep 23, 2011 Behind the light, theyd been left in the dark. Has the mechanics of the clock been changed/upgraded or could there be another issue at play? 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. Thank you. All Rights Reserved. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that watches with radium dials should not be taken apart[5] without proper training, technique, and facilities. 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. They were, incredibly enough, instructed to ingest a radioactive poison all day, every day, and never properly warned of any potential hazards. In 1914, Dr. Sabin Arnold von Sochocky and Dr. George S. Willis founded the Radium Luminous Material Corporation. In clocks, as in all other lines of goods, there are two classes of consumersthe millions and the millionaires. Westclox set up a factory in England in the 1940s and also in Scotland. It has ingraved on it 2-20-31. I had developed some sort of fascination for Big Ben and Baby Ben clocks. Before we get to that, though, we have to start with the issue of geography as it concerns the business in question. Westclox Big Ben Alarm Clock Vintage. How do you date a Westclox Baby Ben? From that time on, Baby Bens first and then Big Bens were available with either the plain or luminous dial. 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. Question: Are both 1) and 2) marriages of Style 2 mechanisms put in a Style 1A Big Ben and Style 1 Baby Ben. We pay his railroad fare on all orders for a dozen or more, we brand him with your name in lots of 24.. 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. 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. Were finally at a point, where were ready to do more than just sit here, said Ruth Spayer, curator for the museum. I am pleased that I came across your article. Purchased from a man who claimed to have salvaged them from the backroom of an unnamed Chicago watch repair shop, each round and weathered face represents the lasting work of an international manufacturing giant at the peak of its powers. Dont know if someone ingraved date on when took down or if the original. There is a small dial inside of the clock face that has roman numerals like another clock face. I have never seen this mentioned anywhere. Richard Ristau Jr., former plant manager, said hes happy to see the space being used for the museum. Im always interested in the history and the variations of clocks and how they fit in the scheme of things, what came before and what came after. It is a Medbury-4W #4910. I have been searching for one like as the clock went with the house after my Grandmother passed away. 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. Their use in prostate brachytherapy dates from 1926. 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 . Your email address will not be published. Was westclox ever manufactured in germany and if so when? 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. 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. Thank you. $25.99. There are variations in the lettering on the dial and back. It is encased in hard polymer Plastic and the ends have rivets . The use of Radium changed over several years but it was not until late 1960ies when the last were made. My dad was one of the top bowlers here, Ristau said. 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. Here you can see production dates, original retail prices and other As radium luminosity came under attack in the 1930s, Westcloxs other updates to the Big Ben design were far more practical and uncontroversial. I recently added the Big Ben Style 1 and Baby Ben Style 1 Dial and Back types. Is Westclox a good brand? Never underestimate the value of an alarm clock when yours broke two years ago and nobody has manufactured a new one since. Debbie Blake, I have a small Westclox wind up clock dating around 1937. 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. 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? First, if your clock is for display only, I think it is harmless if the paint on the hands is not disturbed. 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. Any help would be appreciated. They can be identified by having the modern type of flat head screws Westclox - An Identification and Price Guide, The Westclox Big Ben and Baby Ben Identification Guide, Clock Repair and Hermle Chime, Mantel and Wall Clocks for Sale at Bill's Clockworks. It is something that we should know before everyone starts throwing away every luminous dial clock they own. 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. We have photos of all the employees between 1927-1945 at the Peterborough Ontario Location but not much else. 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. 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. 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. It might be the only one in the country, Spayer said. Only reason I can think of and it looks pretty odd not to have minutes on a clock face. It emits alpha, beta, and gamma radiation. Its got a round brass dial and a painting in the door, really neat. T. tkarter Registered User. 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.. Westclox began as the United Clock Company of Peru, Illinois in 1885. Thanks. The NAWCC has an online forum with a lot of different categories. From that point on I really liked those. Within two decades she had lost all her teeth. Phone: 717-684-8261. 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. Its basically all forward momentum from here. 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. Could you please try to help me find out what kind of clock this is. Stoddard: My grandma gave me an old Baby Ben alarm clock that didnt work when I was seven. German: WECKER (alarm); UHR (clock). 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. The style 8 Big and Baby Bens were introduced in 1964. lds missionary clothing stores; June 24, 2022 . thank you, My Husband and I just purchased an antique mantle/shelf clock at an estate sale. 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. As my first name is Ben, I started to collect these alarmclocks since about 1970. Westclox also made about 5000 gold-plated reproductions. 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. There are some blemishes on the wood on the right side. Hundreds of thousands of clocks were produced a year, until closing its doors in 1980. It was discovered by Marie and Pierre Curie in 1898. In terms of my own collection, Im still trying to find some of the really early Big Bens. A Westclox Museum has been opened within the original facility, showing off rare collections from the millions of timepieces once manufactured there. By Dave Margulius it has a picture of a huck finn type boy,carying 2 bottles of coke& a fishing pole,with his dog. So yes. 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. The work involved using luminous radium paint to make the numbers on clocks, watches and aeronautic dials glow in the dark. They have meetings every two months, and educational programs, so thats a really great way to meet collectors and get all kinds of advice. By the 1970s, radium was no . The massive success of the Big Ben design wasnt just about function and style. When Westclox changed over to the style 8 Big Ben and Baby Ben in 1964, they used 4 divisions per 5 minutes, I believe to make the alarm easier to set. I first saw the clock in 1957. Charles Stahlberg headed a group from Waterbury, Connecticut, who came to Peru in 1884 to build clocks based on a new idea by Stahlberg. Hi I need the face plate for a black face big ben with the alarm dial on its face do you have any you could sell me alonf with the radio dials, it was probably outsourced meaning westclox sold some watches to hot wheels, I had a westclox electric dialite like that. Ref comment #10 from Frank Baker. Any information would be very helpful. It is and Elias Ingraham Brass Clock with a patent stamp of September 30, 1862. Donohue, like many of her young peers in the radium industry, eventually realized that her amusing glow had been a warning of severe exposure to a radioactive substance. Clocks produced in the early 1900's are particularly concerning in this regard. 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. WECKER (CCW arrow) knob sets alarm time. . I'll start with a 19j Bunn, Looking for Somebody with Some Bandwidth to do a Repair. I Have a small brass alarm clock,which is 1-3/4 Hieght Length & Width. 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. Gordon Goodrum About the only. its a Gold coloring and the bottom is well worn like it was slid into something regularily. "[4], According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, "radioactive antiques [including watches] are usually not a health risk as long as they are intact and in good condition. . In all my research I can not confirm that The Style 1 models every had 1) and 2) above. Westclox made an excellent, almost exact, reproduction of the style 1a Big Ben in 1970. It still works. They were told that eliminating lip-pointing had ended earlier problems. Thanks so much 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. But he only comes upon receipt of signed price agreement. Thank you. It has a patent June 18-1882 and says Dakota on the back,can you tell me more? Origin of the eye, forklore or legends surrounding????? 400-day clocks are also known as anniversary clocks, they would run 400 days on one winding. any info would be appreciated. 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. 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. He corresponded with Westclox General Manager Ernst Roth over the weeks that followed, but after a final letter that September, he went silent. At the start of the decade, the company brought in a skilled new industrial designer named Henry Dreyfuss; a true modernist. AD x Stoddard: I was pretty much on my own until college. Immediately after, substances like promethium and tritium were used as a luminous material, and they're still being used today. I have been purchasing these clocks as and when I got an opportunity. Safety My husband has a Big Ben clock that he inherited, it was took down from a mill and given to his grandma. Production was back in full force and at an all-time high by 1956, with 3,000 employees on staff.