Thanks. 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. Accueil; Services; Ralisations; Annie Moussin; Mdias; 514-569-8476 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 . . 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. It also says that the patent was re-issued March 31, 1868. Many thanks. I was given an Elias Ingraham Clock many years ago and would like to know a bit more about it and its value. 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. Another thing people do is make fake advertising clocks. I cannot date it. 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. We pay his railroad fare on all orders for a dozen or more, we brand him with your name in lots of 24.. Mae Keane, Whose Job Brought Radium to Her Lips, Dies at 107 How do you set a manual alarm clock? - AnswersAll Frank Baker. Westclox did make a couple of documented advertising clocks, but very few. [3] The Radiolite series, made in various sizes and models, became a signature of the Connecticut-based company. 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. Was just trying to find out any information on this clock or if you may have ever come across one like it The Canadian Clock Museum (http://www.canclockmuseum.ca/) may have some information. Apr 14, 2011 501 1 18. Radium: a medical treatment in the early 20th - College of Physicians By Dave Margulius I think the clock was electric but could have been a wind up or maybe even a pendulum. They had one in Brazil for a while and I think also in Hong Kong. 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. When Did They Stop Using Radium On Clock Hands? 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. 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. I would like to find the value of it. When he made his first clock and plugged it into the wall it worked fine except it wasnt accurate, it was off by plus or minus a half hour a day, because the 60 cycles were not regulated at that time, so it could vary quite a bit. About 1931 they made the first electric Big Ben, and they were plug ins. Your response or advice would be much appreciated. Stoddard: I was pretty much on my own until college. But he only comes upon receipt of signed price agreement. There is a small dial inside of the clock face that has roman numerals like another clock face. I was pained to learn how the girls had suffered while working here and sacrificed their lives to give the name of the company which it has today. Charles Stahlberg had an idea for making a better, but less expensive alarm clock. Big Ben style 1a continued in production until its discontinuation in 1935. 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. 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. But the chances that you have a radium clock are slim, unless it is very old. Within in another ten years, the workforce had tripled again, powered by employee George Kerns 1908 invention of the first Big Benthe sleek, iconic model that basically set the template for the 20th century wind-up alarm clock. WECKER (CCW arrow) knob sets alarm time. Western Clock MFG Co. (Westclox), est. 1888 - Made-in-Chicago Museum Gordon Goodrum Radium was discovered in 1898 by Marie Curie and Pierre Curie. 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. The factory contained a bowling alley, and Ristau said his father was an excellent bowler. All Rights Reserved. I have looked high and low in my attempts to find out how any of these resproduction style 1A were produced. Westclox Wrought Iron Look Wall Clock 12" 32021A. Ive been trying to compare lots of different clocks to find out what original parts go together. I have been collecting, repairing, and restoring mostly Westclox Big Bens for several years. $25.99. Something about them has always been ingrained in me. Handle on top: down alarm off; up alarm on. 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. We have photos of all the employees between 1927-1945 at the Peterborough Ontario Location but not much else. Radium dials held near the face have been shown to produce radiation doses in excess of 10Sv / hour. For at least four generations, the Western Clock Manufacturing Company, aka Westclox, was the lifeblood and largest employer in the small town of Peru, Illinois (with a mailing address in its twin city of LaSalle). Thank you for your input. A few years later my grandma gave me one that worked, and my aunt gave me another one. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Westclox style series. They had one in Brazil for a while and I think also in Hong Kong. It is a Medbury-4W #4910. I am reading, studying, and learning more about the Westclox. Thanks for any info you may be able to supply By 1930, all dial painters stopped pointing their brushes by mouth. 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. Question: Are both 1) and 2) marriages of Style 2 mechanisms put in a Style 1A Big Ben and Style 1 Baby Ben. I have a Westclox Big Ben 1910 style 1a and have not been able to find out the present value/worth. I recently added the Big Ben Style 1 and Baby Ben Style 1 Dial and Back types. Any suggestions of where to get a replacement preferably in Canada? 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. Henry Warren invented a little synchronous motor that could go inside a clock. In the production of ordinary clocks adapted to the needs and means of the millions, America produces results of remarkable excellence. WECKER (CW arrow)/UHR (CCW arrow) knob with ring: CW winds alarm; CCW winds clock. England. I Have a small brass alarm clock,which is 1-3/4 Hieght Length & Width. The only thing I found is the word Germny engraved on the back. It is in working order and chimes on the hour and half hour. Westclox set up a factory in England in the 1940s and also in Scotland. 1970s Many of these workers developed bone cancer . Penetrating gamma radiation produced by some dials also represents a significant health risk. It is something that we should know before everyone starts throwing away every luminous dial clock they own. Westclox Radium Dial Clock. These paints were used on the dials of clocks and watches to make them glow-in-the-dark. I took it back and the repairman told me it was like a large Timex watch and just not worth being fixed. Lynda Hinshaw, At this moment I am research a clock by Falconer& co HongKong. 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. I first saw the clock in 1957. Your email address will not be published. 2023 by Andrew Clayman. Next to the original Westcloxes I have an interesting collection of European copies by a.o. Early in the 20th century there was a medical practice that revolved around a new treatment involving the radioactive material called radium. They are just gorgeous watches and very well made. Am I missing something here? The pioneering spirit is there, but the business skills soon appear lacking. 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. 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. Westclox Big Ben Luminous Hands | NAWCC Forums On April 20, 1902, Marie and Pierre Curie successfully isolate radioactive radium salts from the mineral pitchblende in their laboratory in Paris. If you want to identify an item, try posting it in our Show & Tell gallery. 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. This has probably been discussed before but my search turned up nothingdo the luminous hands on a Big Ben alarm clock contain painted radium? Sometimes Ive seen them for 300 to 600 dollars. 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. Radium Baby Ben by Westclox ( Still Glows) : r/clocks - reddit Ristau said he remembered when the Westclox factory was the heart of the city, and recalled enjoying his time with Westclox. 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 think it is a clock made by Sessions. Eventually, scientists and medical professionals realized that these workers' illnesses were being caused by internal contamination from the radium they ingested. Can you confirm? The work involved using luminous radium paint to make the numbers on clocks, watches and aeronautic dials glow in the dark. Collectors Weekly: When did you discover that there were other clock collectors? It would be greatly appreciated. when did westclox stop using radium - Flycloud.vn Not to mention theres the Big Bens so that doubles it right there. Theyre just scattered in different places all over the country, little collections of hands, springs, screws, and things like that. Big Ben style, and there are other styles with names instead of numbers. Westclox 0.9" LED Plasma Screen Alarm Clock with USB Charging Port 71014X. She was 18. 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. The other thing is reproductions. They call it Shabby Chic and sell it on eBay for 60 to 80 dollars. 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]. [Left: The first national Big Ben advertisement appears in the. In this interview Bill Stoddard talks about collecting antique Westclox Big Ben and Baby Ben alarm clocks, and discusses clock collecting in general. As my first name is Ben, I started to collect these alarmclocks since about 1970. Credit: pinimg. The style 7 Big Ben and Baby Ben (1956 to 1964, the first Bens with concentric alarm hand) has minute markings. Up until this point in time (pun intended), quality time pieces had been considered a rich mans game. Baby Ben and other Westclox clocks and watches have been assigned styles. From 1917 to 1926, the United States Radium Corporation used radium to produce wristwatches and clocks. lds missionary clothing stores; June 24, 2022 . I bought a 1970s Westclox pocket watch with a Hotwheels face that says authorized seller on it. As stated it is working and keeps time. 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" 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. But for years the majority were wind ups, they were so popular. . Matthiessen [pictured below], who owns the powerful Illinois Zinc Company and most other things in Peru / LaSalle, decides to swoop in and save Stahlbergs little clock business, incorporating it as the Western Clock Mfg. 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. Safety Is a Glow-in-the-dark Clock Any Cause for Alarm? Immediately after, substances like promethium and tritium were used as a luminous material, and they're still being used today. Stoddard: Its really hard to say. Columbia, PA 17512 Westclox Big Ben and Baby Ben Identification Guide ClockHistory.com, Keeping Time in Peru Chicago Tribune, October 18, 1998, Remembering the Great War and The Clock That Caused a Near Riot WestcloxMuseum.com, For That Healthy Glow, Drink Radiation Popular Science, August 17, 2004, The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of Americas Shining Women, by Kate Moore, 2o17, The Forgotten Story Of The Radium Girls, Whose Deaths Saved Thousands Of Workers Lives, by Kate Moore, Buzzfeed.com, One-Day and Alarm Clocks Commercial America, Vol VI, 1909, A Rude Awakening: The History of Alarm Clocks ThroughoutHistory.com.