Over time, she contracted terrible cancerous tumors, lost most of her teeth, and suffered countless other health problems. I like to find the ones before that and study their history. For the town of Peruwhich had tied much of its identity to Westclox for the better part of a centurythe damage went beyond financial. [Westclox advertisements from WWII period, ft. Westclox Wrought Iron Look Wall Clock 12" 32021A. 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. Old Rose (pink) crackle finish Baby Ben with luminous dial: 1929 1930. I think it is a clock made by Sessions. Westclox style series. Debbie Blake, I have a small Westclox wind up clock dating around 1937. Was westclox ever manufactured in germany and if so when? Westclox History Database Main Menu 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. Ironically, the war that had cost them Gaston Le Roy had also stifled much of the companys European competition, opening up an even bigger share of the world marketplace in the 1920s. It has a cracked front lens that I would like to replace. They had one in Brazil for a while and I think also in Hong Kong. Stoddard: My grandma gave me an old Baby Ben alarm clock that didnt work when I was seven. The phosphor deterioration means you can't see a glow anymore, but . The aim of the Western Clock MFG Co. in entering the manufacture of alarms was to apply to nickel clocks, features which were previously found only in high-priced timepieces, and prohibited in low-priced lever clocks by the high cost of production involved. When did westclox stop using radium? 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 clock face is 16, ca 1900. the clock belonged to pheobe appersons family at their ranch in sunol california. Westclox Big Ben Style 1a Alarm Clock - Clock History i have a large ansonia wall clock 32 1/2 x 32. Any suggestions of where to get a replacement preferably in Canada? As radium luminosity came under attack in the 1930s, Westcloxs other updates to the Big Ben design were far more practical and uncontroversial. I would like to find the value of it. My father (Richard Ristau Sr.) worked here for 48.. How can people be exposed to Radium? I cant find out anything about him or any other clocks by him. About 1931 they made the first electric Big Ben, and they were plug ins. These efforts, combined with an ahead-of-its-time factory welfare department and employee benefits packages, led to a lot of workers spending their whole lives with Westclox. In terms of my own collection, Im still trying to find some of the really early Big Bens. All Rights Reserved. The policy of the company is one of highly specialized production. 5 17 15 is May 17, 1915 . 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. . Your email address will not be published. I took it back and the repairman told me it was like a large Timex watch and just not worth being fixed. A 'radium cow' or sample of radium would continually yield a supply of the nuclide. Lynda Hinshaw, At this moment I am research a clock by Falconer& co HongKong. Could you suggest how I could go about finding out this information. It had beneath that four long tubes and they were the chimes for the door bell. Next year, well have been married for 49 years, Mary Ann said. In 1931 it merged with Seth Thomas Clock Co. and both became divisions of General Time Corp. The center is in the shape of the world map. Westcloxs Manual for Employees read, We expect you to work hard, and the pay is accordingly large . Copyright The style 8 Big and Baby Bens were introduced in 1964. Radium was discovered in 1898 by Marie Curie and Pierre Curie. Located at 41.3275 N, 89.1290 W on the map, the companys former plant is admittedly on the absolute fringes of what would typically be designated Chicagoland turf. She was 18. It is and Elias Ingraham Brass Clock with a patent stamp of September 30, 1862. These paints were used on the dials of clocks and watches to make them glow-in-the-dark. var today = new Date() How do you set the time on a old fashioned alarm clock? But he only comes upon receipt of signed price agreement. 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. 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. 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. 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. I am pleased that I came across your article. when did westclox stop using radiumcapricorn and virgo flirting. 1888. A 2015 article by Ben Hohenstatt in the Illinois Valleys News Tribune included interviews with a few former Westclox workers who returned to see the museum and remember old times. 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. who can refurbush big ben still runs good perfect time purchased in 1950 cataloge #885(885). It would be greatly appreciated. When did westclox start making 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. Its basically all forward momentum from here. [citation needed] The use of radium to provide luminescence for hands and indices on watches soon followed. I also like some of the older American weight-driven clocks. I have a mantel clock,its floral in color,made by Ansonia Cock Co.USA.New York. Any help would be appreciated. when did westclox stop using radium - Flycloud.vn 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. Westclox began as the United Clock Company of Peru, Illinois in 1885. Not to mention theres the Big Bens so that doubles it right there. Western Clock MFG Co. (Westclox), est. 1888 - Made-in-Chicago Museum Clock Repair and Hermle Chime, Mantel and Wall Clocks for Sale at Bill's Clockworks. 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. Are Watches With Radium Dials Safe? New Study Offers Warning I would like to find out about this clock. $25.99. 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. Then, on New Years Eve, as 2011 became 2012, the unthinkable happened. Annie Moussin designer intrieur. 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. Handle on top: down alarm off; up alarm on. Radium Baby Ben by Westclox ( Still Glows) : r/clocks - reddit At the start of the decade, the company brought in a skilled new industrial designer named Henry Dreyfuss; a true modernist. 0 Comments; Uncategorized newark advertiser obituaries 2021 . It has ingraved on it 2-20-31. Here you can see production dates, original retail prices and other knowledge about vintage and antique Westclox clocks and watches. A Big Ben typical of those made from late 1910 to mid-1915. The Radium Girls were female factory workers who contracted radiation poisoning from painting watch dials with self-luminous paint. When Did Glow In The Dark Watches Stop Using Radium? Their use in prostate brachytherapy dates from 1926. Sometimes getting parts is tough, too, although it turns out Westclox made lots and lots of spare parts. Before OSHA was set up, 14,000 people died on the job every year; today, it is just over 4,500. The drinking fountain worked.. 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]. This 1964 Westclox Christmas ad describes their features. 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. Welcome to the Westclox Clock and Watch History Database. Richard Tjarks introduced Eventually, scientists and medical professionals realized that these workers' illnesses . 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. Radium dials are watch, clock and other instrument dials painted with luminous paint containing radium-226 to produce radioluminescence. Westclox travel alarm clock made in China - Antique And Vintage Clocks . Stahlberg knows that no other noteworthy clock company has ever succeeded west of the Hudson, let alone smalltown Illinois, but he dives into the challenge, establishing his first factory. These clocks were produced in the thousands and many can be bought on eBay for under $10. Technically speaking, though, Westclox did still produce clocks during the gap years that followed. They make alarm and one-day lever clocks only, and with practically two different articles, known as the 4-inch and 2-inch movements, they have an output of in their factory at LaSalle, Ill., of nearly two million clocks a year. 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]. Something about them has always been ingrained in me. 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. document.write(year) 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. Condition is important, but clocks can be restored. Has the mechanics of the clock been changed/upgraded or could there be another issue at play? Because it was one degree removed from the radium business itself, Westclox seems to have largely dodged the controversy and lawsuits altogether. Is this a product that the company would have made or something someone created? Luminous Processes employees interviewed by a journalist in 1978 stated they had been left ignorant of radium's dangers. Can anyone tell me the meaning or significance of this eye? [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. 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. At this moment I study horology at West Dean College in the UK. 2023 by Andrew Clayman. "[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. It can be found with some other clocks in a case in the second floor hallway. Soon, he was running the Western Clock Co. advertising department, and proving his worth with some clever marketing strategies. Westclox Big Ben Luminous Hands | NAWCC Forums the knobs have foreign words ie wecker & UHR.would like to know about his clock They made them with wooden works until about 1840, then with brass gears and I like some of the early brass-geared American clocks. Big Ben style 1a continued in production until its discontinuation in 1935. Same as the nickel version but in a gold-plated case. 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. dated:1990 ,decorated :hong cong.made in japan.cocacola tradmark. 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. Westcloxs Manual for Employees read, We expect you to work hard, and the pay is accordingly large . Westclox also made about 5000 gold-plated reproductions. 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. We are looking for any Westclox photographs, memorabilia etc between 1927- 1980s of the factory. Yet Mrs. Keane was a survivor who later conquered colon and breast cancer. When I went home and washed my hands in a dark bathroom, they would appear luminous and ghostly, an original Ghost Girl named Catherine Donohue (nee Wolfe) later testified. I was told it was an antique at that time. "Westclox" in italics, double hexagon legs: 1918, "Westclox" in italics, regular legs: 1918 -1922, "Westclox" in italics, very narrow lettering at bottom: "MADE BY WESTERN CLOCK CO., LA SALLE, ILL., U.S.A.", ca. Contact the Webmaster for perceived copyright infringement (DMCA Registration Number 1010287). I am a retired mechanical engineer, the quality has floored me, hats off to this company. I have looked high and low in my attempts to find out how any of these resproduction style 1A were produced. 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. It is a wind up. 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. 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., When I went home and washed my hands in a dark bathroom, they would appear luminous and ghostly,, My clothes, hanging in a dark closet, gave off a phosphorescent glare. any info would be appreciated. In 2006 I started collecting vintage advertisements. 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. He also recalled playing in the factory. A few years later my grandma gave me one that worked, and my aunt gave me another one. Which is interesting because many of the electrics are scarcer but people just arent into collecting electric clocks. 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. I try to get all the pictures I can and keep them all chronologically and study the history. In the production of ordinary clocks adapted to the needs and means of the millions, America produces results of remarkable excellence. Eventually, scientists and medical professionals realized that these workers' illnesses were being caused by internal contamination from the radium they ingested. The Westclox Big Ben Alarm Clock Vintage is an iconic timepiece that has been around since the early 1900s. Westclox Big Ben and Baby Ben Identification Guide , Remembering the Great War and The Clock That Caused a Near Riot . You just cant imagine the size of this factory its just gigantic. 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. Charles Stahlberg had an idea for making a better, but less expensive alarm clock. They were, incredibly enough, instructed to ingest a radioactive poison all day, every day, and never properly warned of any potential hazards. AD x Stoddard: I was pretty much on my own until college. into groups of similar models. I tend to be a nitty gritty detail kind of guy. In 1898, the Curies discovered the existence of. Chronic exposure to high levels of radium can result in an increased incidence of bone, liver, or breast cancer. Ive been trying to compare lots of different clocks to find out what original parts go together. These styles constitute the People will still look for a good wind up but the quality declined in the later years just because the companies tried so hard to keep the prices low. I spent many an evening here, watching him bowl.. I have a quite a few pieces of both of them I have even one big Ben pocket watch which is still working after , I do not know how many years. I will be watching for more articles from Bill Stoddard I hope to document Style 5 Baby Bens this winter. they played a deep rich tone. I just had it repaired & it works & looks great. 7&a half X 6..desk clock. When did the use of radium stop? then 4 symbols a crown an 18 and to unkown symbols in a square patern but on its side square pattern. The other thing is reproductions. 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. It was put away for years and last year it was given to me as I have small collection of United novelty clocks. If you look at a Baby Ben in the 1959 Sears catalog, they sold for about nine dollars and if you go to a Wal Mart today you can still buy a Baby Ben for about nine dollars, but the quality isnt the same. Thanks, Paula. Style 5 dial design]. when did westclox stop using radium - Simssuccessgroup.com In the production of ordinary clocks adapted to the needs and means of the millions, America produces results of remarkable excellence. when did westclox stop using radium. Without a crystal poses a serious Health risk because the Radium paint flakes off and can become airborne. How did I get interested in clocks? The movement is a windup almost identical to the original. But this is not how the story of Westclox began. Phone: 717-684-8261. We are very proud to be living in this building and would love to know more about this specific site. Some people just want one or two that they remember from childhood in good condition, so thats just the thing for them. Westclox Model 66 Movement Series Welcome to the Westclox Clock and Watch History Database. Here you can see production dates, original retail prices and other 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. There are variations in the lettering on the dial and back. It is in working order and chimes on the hour and half hour. Radium dials held near the face have been shown to produce radiation doses in excess of 10Sv / hour. According to Periodic. Store - The WestClox Source Benton County Museums: Westclox Radium Dial Clock - Blogger This past weekend, thanks to the Westclox Museum, its doors were opened and former workers were welcomed back for Homecoming Day. 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. I would like to know the value of a #4 black, #321(in original cardboard Christmas box), mint condition, Baby Ben alarm clock is. 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. Helen. when did westclox stop using radium old restaurants in lawrence, ma . Jessie, good observation. One employee, R.D. lds missionary clothing stores; June 24, 2022 . I live in Scotland but my clock was made in USA. Most are in nickel finish cases, but some were made in gold plated cases. Stoddard: Pay attention to quality. The Crystal blocks a significant amount of The radiation. 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. Company in 1888 and installing another talented German, Ernst Roth, as the general manager. Vintage Clocks and Radium Risks - Ken's Clock Clinic 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. 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. A key point to bear in mind is this: the dial is still highly radioactive. theres the problem, there were two gears that were in backwards. thank you, My Husband and I just purchased an antique mantle/shelf clock at an estate sale. Apr 14, 2011 501 1 18. We pay his railroad fare on all orders for a dozen or more, we brand him with your name in lots of 24., unconsciously characterized the manunaffected, direct, devoted to his cause., Radiums luminosity was part of its allure,, The dial painters soon became known as the ghost girls because by the time they finished their shifts, they themselves would glow in the dark. Thanks so much Back then, radium wasn't considered to be dangerous in small doses. Am I missing something here? Do you have an archival dept who could give us an idea of our Western Clock which we recently acquired? 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? [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 Big Bens and Baby Bens are full of the stuff. Not everyone involved with the manufacturing of Westclox products was employed directly by Westclox, however. Stoddard: Its really hard to say. when did westclox stop using radium - Fashionexclusiveuae.com 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. But for years the majority were wind ups, they were so popular. How We Realized Putting Radium in Everything Was Not the Answer It is encased in hard polymer Plastic and the ends have rivets . 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. [6] Decaying radium also produces the gas radon, recognized as the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States[6] and the United Kingdom. I know that it is electric and it requires a dime deposit to set the alarm on it. I met somebody then who told me about the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors and then I joined that and in their bi-monthly magazine I found a man looking for early Westclox information, he is now one of the foremost Westclox researchers. What You Want To Know About Watch Luminant - aBlogtoWatch Westclox - An Identification and Price Guide, and I added even more in 2012. They call it Shabby Chic and sell it on eBay for 60 to 80 dollars. Sometimes Ive seen them for 300 to 600 dollars. From 1942 to 1945, Westclox ceased all production intended for domestic civilian sale and dedicated its production resources to the war effort. On the Style 9, they went back to actual minute markings. Health effects of Radium radiation exposure | Mass.gov The first Big Bens and Baby Bens in 1910 were wind ups.. [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.]. 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. German: WECKER (alarm); UHR (clock). What is Radium Used For? - WorldAtlas . Did Westclox use radium? Ristau said he remembered when the Westclox factory was the heart of the city, and recalled enjoying his time with Westclox. Thank you for your input. I had developed some sort of fascination for Big Ben and Baby Ben clocks. Any guidance or help is appreciated. The whole clock seems to be origional and was maintained by my grandfather who was a watch/clock repairman. I was told it was long ago before even my aged family was servicing watches. 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. When did they stop using radium for watches? "[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.