A key point to bear in mind is this: the dial is still highly radioactive. How can people be exposed to Radium? Was this done so the alarm could be more easily set on the quarter or half hour? [Workers assembling Big Ben alarm clocks at the Westclox plant, 1910s. 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. 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. (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. I would like to find out about this clock. The phosphor deterioration means you can't see a glow anymore, but . Style 10 is the last numbered The front is in Roman Numerals with a dome shaped raised glass. Helen. 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 . It looks like you mount it to the wall. 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. . 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 movement was mounted to the inner case back. It also says that the patent was re-issued March 31, 1868. 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 policy of the company is one of highly specialized production. I took it back and the repairman told me it was like a large Timex watch and just not worth being fixed. Here you can see production dates, original retail prices and other knowledge about vintage and antique Westclox clocks and watches. Thats another story. 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. The pioneering spirit is there, but the business skills soon appear lacking. Lynda Hinshaw, At this moment I am research a clock by Falconer& co HongKong. My father (Richard Ristau Sr.) worked here for 48.. 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 . There are many Westclox alarm clock models named Big Ben. 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. [5] Indeed, the body treats radium as it does calcium, storing it in bone where it may cause bone degeneration and cancer.[5]. 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. It is a Medbury-4W #4910. 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. In the production of ordinary clocks adapted to the needs and means of the millions, America produces results of remarkable excellence. I think we threw it 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. Because it was one degree removed from the radium business itself, Westclox seems to have largely dodged the controversy and lawsuits altogether. Buy Now. Eventually, scientists and medical professionals realized that these workers' illnesses were being caused by internal contamination from the radium they ingested. 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 has a patent June 18-1882 and says Dakota on the back,can you tell me more? Any help would be appreciated. Another thing people do is make fake advertising clocks. My love is for the style 1 peg leg Big and Baby Bens; mostly Baby Bens. During the early 1900's, the effects of radiation exposure were not well understood, and radium was frequently . I was told it was long ago before even my aged family was servicing watches. I would like to find the value of it. 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. He also recalled playing in the factory. theres the problem, there were two gears that were in backwards. I was looking at it and said, aha! Apr 14, 2011 501 1 18. This classic clock is known for its loud and distinct bell-like . It is and Elias Ingraham Brass Clock with a patent stamp of September 30, 1862. Big Ben style 1a continued in production until its discontinuation in 1935. Westclox also made about 5000 gold-plated reproductions. Radium was discovered by Marie and Pierre Curie in 1898[1] and was soon combined with paint to make luminescent paint, which was applied to clocks, airplane instruments, and the like, to be able to read them in the dark.[2]. I live in Scotland but my clock was made in USA. Radium was even used in medical applications during the 20th century. England. Can you help 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. Dont know if someone ingraved date on when took down or if the original. At the end of one hand is a star and the other hand is the moon. As the dark cloud of fear and suspicion grew over the small town of Ottawa into the 30s, the Radium Dial Company itself refused to take any responsibility, claiming innocence and ignorance. But he only comes upon receipt of signed price agreement. In its place, he ironically dubbed the little bedside clock Big Ben (apparently not copyrighted by the British Parliament), and introduced it to the public in early ads as a gendered he instead of an it., Big Ben is a handsome, well built, refined and bright looking fellow with a clean-cut open face and a deep cheerful voice, one ad read. When the Radium Dial Company moved to Ottawa in the 20s to better serve its number one client, Westclox, they were welcomed with enthusiasm, particularly by the young, working class women in the town. Luminous Processes employees interviewed by a journalist in 1978 stated they had been left ignorant of radium's dangers. 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. Origin of the eye, forklore or legends surrounding????? I know the site informs readers the amount of Big Bens produced in any one year, but does NOT for the reproduction model produced in 1970. hi, I have a cocacola square clock. I have a collection of alarm clocks, but slowly selling many. Penetrating gamma radiation produced by some dials also represents a significant health risk. . 5 17 15 is May 17, 1915 . Eventually we became best friends and started researching together. 7&a half X 6..desk clock. 1980 By the early 1950s, Westclox employed thousands of LaSalle-Peru residents. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. A radium dial clock from the 1930s. 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. 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. T. tkarter Registered User. Geiger counters could pick up readings from pants returned from a dry cleaner and from clothes stored away in a cedar chest. Big Ben style, and there are other styles with names instead of numbers. Museum Artifacts: Luminous Big Ben & Baby Ben Clock Dials (1940s) and Style 1A Big Ben Alarm Clock (1920s), Made By: Western Clock MFG Company, aka Westclox, 350 5th St., Peru, Illinois [LaSalle]. I am looking to get an approxmiate value of this clock. Westclox style series. 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. The other thing is reproductions. 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. 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. Thanks. Just remember, old luminous clocks are full of radium! Next year, well have been married for 49 years, Mary Ann said. [9] The element was phased out of use by industry acting under its own volition as superior and safer luminous materials entered the marketplace. 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. She was 107 when she died on March 1 in Middlebury, Conn . Sometimes getting parts is tough, too, although it turns out Westclox made lots and lots of spare parts. There is a small dial inside of the clock face that has roman numerals like another clock face. $26.95. In this interview Bill Stoddard talks about collecting antique Westclox Big Ben and Baby Ben alarm clocks, and discusses clock collecting in general. Above all else, though, the rise and fall of Westcloxand the deeper history of these Big Ben clocks, in particularis simply far too intriguing to dismiss just because of a long-distance commute. My Grandmother had a Westclox in her house. 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. One of the objects on display in the Benton County Historical Society's Corvallis Museum is this Westclox Radium Dial Clock. Seeking the Big 3 goals of convenience, cleanliness, and cheap production, Dreyfuss rolled out his new-look Big Ben in 1931. Its got a round brass dial and a painting in the door, really neat. Sometimes Ive seen them for 300 to 600 dollars. They are just gorgeous watches and very well made. 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. Stoddard: The first Big Bens and Baby Bens went on the market in 1910 and they were wind ups. Can anyone direct me on how to find this clock? Any information would be very helpful. The Forgotten Story Of The Radium Girls, Whose Deaths Saved Thousands Of Workers Lives, by Kate Moore, A Rude Awakening: The History of Alarm Clocks , Western Clock MFG Co. (Westclox), est. Annie Moussin designer intrieur. WECKER (CCW arrow) knob sets alarm time. Accueil; Services; Ralisations; Annie Moussin; Mdias; 514-569-8476 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. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that watches with radium dials should not be taken apart[5] without proper training, technique, and facilities. Thanks, Teri. 400-day clocks are also known as anniversary clocks, they would run 400 days on one winding. 1888. That summer at an antique store I came across one that wasnt even in the book, and I thought that was exciting. Has the mechanics of the clock been changed/upgraded or could there be another issue at play? Clock Repair and Hermle Chime, Mantel and Wall Clocks for Sale at Bill's Clockworks. At the top was a clock covered with a glass door. The work involved using luminous radium paint to make the numbers on clocks, watches and aeronautic dials glow in the dark. They were, incredibly enough, instructed to ingest a radioactive poison all day, every day, and never properly warned of any potential hazards. 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. Posted on 1 second ago; June 24, 2022 . It can be found with some other clocks in a case in the second floor hallway. 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. Required fields are marked *. After several changes of ownership, it became . Im trying to determine if it is a legit or reproduction that someone 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. its a Gold coloring and the bottom is well worn like it was slid into something regularily. So yes. All Rights Reserved. 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. The style 8 Big and Baby Bens were introduced in 1964. 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.. I first saw the clock in 1957. By 1930, all dial painters stopped pointing their brushes by mouth. I have a sessions mantle clock duet#1. Over time, she contracted terrible cancerous tumors, lost most of her teeth, and suffered countless other health problems. 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. I have been searching for one like as the clock went with the house after my Grandmother passed away. We are very proud to be living in this building and would love to know more about this specific site. It had beneath that four long tubes and they were the chimes for the door bell. It is in working order and chimes on the hour and half hour. Back then, radium wasn't considered to be dangerous in small doses. Stoddard: Its really hard to say. 0 Comments; Uncategorized newark advertiser obituaries 2021 . Theyre making some really nice reproductions of it in China and if you dont know what youre looking for you could be fooled easily. At the start of the decade, the company brought in a skilled new industrial designer named Henry Dreyfuss; a true modernist. From 1942 to 1945, Westclox ceased all production intended for domestic civilian sale and dedicated its production resources to the war effort. Your cooperation would be greatly appreciated. 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 try to get all the pictures I can and keep them all chronologically and study the history. I have a Westclox Big Ben 1910 style 1a and have not been able to find out the present value/worth.

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