Western Clock MFG Co. (Westclox), est. 1888 - Made-in-Chicago Museum Dave, Your question about a Big Ben containing radium, and in fact about which clocks actually do contain radium, is a good one. Once I was winding it and one of the main springs broke, so I decided to take it all apart and fix the main spring. Don Spayer, volunteer and former Westclox employee, said the bulk of the museums collection was built through donations. I'll start with a 19j Bunn, Looking for Somebody with Some Bandwidth to do a Repair. Their use in prostate brachytherapy dates from 1926. 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. 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. 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. When did westclox start making clocks? JavaScript is disabled. 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. In-Depth Luminous Dials, What Makes Them Glow, And How To - HODINKEE I hope to document Style 5 Baby Bens this winter. 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. 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. It might be the only one in the country, Spayer said. lds missionary clothing stores; June 24, 2022 . I have a Westclox Big Ben 1910 style 1a and have not been able to find out the present value/worth. It is something that we should know before everyone starts throwing away every luminous dial clock they own. Eventually, scientists and medical professionals realized that these workers' illnesses were being caused by internal contamination from the radium they ingested. Stoddard: Some of the old American pocket watches are just beautiful so I have several in my collection. I tend to be a nitty gritty detail kind of guy. Another thing people do is make fake advertising clocks. Charles Stahlberg had an idea for making a better, but less expensive alarm clock. Columbia, PA 17512 $26.95. I have an Pine State Ice Cream Milk clock that I would like to find out how much it may be worth. Thank you, i have a pocket watch that says (inscribed inside) g. falconer ,,,rona & london or kona & london i dont know its in old english and says kona or hona it has 1243 all inscribed on the inside where when u open it u can see the gears, looks like an a8 and a crown with a 18 on the middle inside cover (that covers the gears) and also a 1243 and what looks like an 8 or an infinite symbol (sideways 8)then again on the part that clasps over everything on the inside an A3 or A8? Benton County Museums: Westclox Radium Dial Clock - Blogger The first Big Bens and Baby Bens in 1910 were wind ups.. [7], Ingestion of radium has been linked to anemia, cataracts, broken teeth, and reduced bone growth.[8]. dated:1990 ,decorated :hong cong.made in japan.cocacola tradmark. 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. Could you suggest how I could go about finding out this information. Ristau said he remembered when the Westclox factory was the heart of the city, and recalled enjoying his time with Westclox. when did westclox stop using radium - Dev.decourbaine.com Radioactivity in Antiques | US EPA While promoting Westclox products in Europe, the breakout of World War I and the laws of mandatory military service in his native France forced Le Roy to get his affairs in order and head for the front in 1914. 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. It is battery operated and takes a D battery. 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. The new company tripled in size by the turn of the century, employing 232 people at its growing Peru plant (145 men, 73 women, 14 children) and producing 500,000 clocks annually. Westclox Big Ben and Baby Ben Identification Guide , Remembering the Great War and The Clock That Caused a Near Riot . into groups of similar models. Here you can see production dates, original retail prices and other The policy of the company is one of highly specialized production. credit: Northern Illinois University], According to a 1909 article in Commercial America, In clocks, as in all other lines of goods, there are two classes of consumersthe millions and the millionaires. They made them with wooden works until about 1840, then with brass gears and I like some of the early brass-geared American clocks. Thanks. Their factory in LaSalle, Illinois closed down in about 1980 when they moved all their production down south, but the building is still there. Origin of the eye, forklore or legends surrounding????? Westclox set up a factory in England in the 1940s and also in Scotland. I have a Westclox Bachelor alarm clock from probably the 50s as it was always there when I was growing up. Westclox Radium Dial Clock. I had developed some sort of fascination for Big Ben and Baby Ben clocks. When did clocks stop using radium? The next month, Roth got a cablegram from London; his friend and valued co-worker Le Roy had died for his country. Those simple words, Roth later wrote in the November 1914 issue of the company newsletter, Tick Talk, unconsciously characterized the manunaffected, direct, devoted to his cause., [Images from a 1922 issue of the Westclox company newsletter, the very cleverly titled Tick Talk]. I am sure I can give Mr. Shields further information about his clock. [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. How To Turn Off The Loud And Persistent Big Ben Alarm Clock . it has a picture of a huck finn type boy,carying 2 bottles of coke& a fishing pole,with his dog. Charles Stahlberg headed a group from Waterbury, Connecticut, who came to Peru in 1884 to build clocks based on a new idea by Stahlberg. There are also some other makers clocks Ive gotten into, like the Seth Thomas 30 hour ogee, which is a weight-driven shelf clock. Question: Are both 1) and 2) marriages of Style 2 mechanisms put in a Style 1A Big Ben and Style 1 Baby Ben. Similarly, George Kern died on July 27, 1918 from a ruptured appendix, but his basic clock design lived on for years. 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, read another. Also, its not just Americans who collect, its worldwide. So yes. hamilton radiation | NAWCC Forums 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. Radium - The First Rolex Luminous Material. According to Periodic. You do not want to open them up, lest you breath radioactive dust from old paint or spread it around. It has a patent June 18-1882 and says Dakota on the back,can you tell me more? 514 Poplar Street 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. Stoddard: I was pretty much on my own until college. Kind regards, Ben van Vliet. [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.]. 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. I just had it repaired & it works & looks great. A Big Ben typical of those made from late 1910 to mid-1915. So, does Westclox really belong in the Made In Chicago Museum? All the aforementioned to ask you if you know how many of the 1970 style 1As were made. 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 Westclox go out of business? - Ufoscience.org Same as the nickel version but in a gold-plated case. Any suggestions of where to get a replacement preferably in Canada? Ref comment #10 from Frank Baker. When did the use of radium stop? 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. In the United States there does not seem to have ever been prohibitory legislation passed banning the use of radium in clocks and watches. Thank you. Health effects of Radium radiation exposure | Mass.gov After the discovery of radioactivity in 1896 by French physicist and Nobel Prize winner, Antoine Henri Becquerel, many other scientists began to search for uses of radioactivity. Inhaled or ingested particles may deposit a high local dose with a risk of radiation-caused lung or gastrointestinal cancer. This past weekend, thanks to the Westclox Museum, its doors were opened and former workers were welcomed back for Homecoming Day. . 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. Radium dial - Wikipedia Stahlbergs company goes bankrupt not once, but twice, within its first several years. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. It is stamped on the back of the casing DRP&GM. Any help would be appreciated. This dustproofing is accomplished by fittings around the set knobs and winding keys and on the regulator. 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. Eventually we became best friends and started researching together. 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. 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. Apr 14, 2011 501 1 18. These clocks were produced in the thousands and many can be bought on eBay for under $10. Westclox - An Identification and Price Guide, and I added even more in 2012. can anybody tell me about this piece? Would you please direct me to someone that can do this for me? You must log in or register to reply here. 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. . I was looking at it and said, aha! Back then, radium wasn't considered to be dangerous in small doses. Over time, she contracted terrible cancerous tumors, lost most of her teeth, and suffered countless other health problems. It is encased in hard polymer Plastic and the ends have rivets . There are variations in the lettering on the dial and back. It is a wind up. Store - The WestClox Source I have a collection of alarm clocks, but slowly selling many. This will broaden my view in the clock. $38.00. 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. Clocks produced in the early 1900's are particularly concerning in this regard. The other thing is reproductions. In 1914, Dr. Sabin Arnold von Sochocky and Dr. George S. Willis founded the Radium Luminous Material Corporation. About 1931 they made the first electric Big Ben, and they were plug ins. radium - Encyclopedia Britannica | Britannica Radium is highly radioactive. Were finally at a point, where were ready to do more than just sit here, said Ruth Spayer, curator for the museum. I believed it was manufacturing tag. 1980 By the early 1950s, Westclox employed thousands of LaSalle-Peru residents. Quite a few who try to get every basic model, but fewer who get into the rarer models and do research. 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. LandmarkHunter.com | Westclox clock factory, La Salle, IL It still works. A Westclox Museum has been opened within the original facility, showing off rare collections from the millions of timepieces once manufactured there. I have a similar clock. This classic clock is known for its loud and distinct bell-like . 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.. Posted on 1 second ago; June 24, 2022 . I spent many an evening here, watching him bowl.. Was just trying to find out any information on this clock or if you may have ever come across one like it Thank to several professionals who Ive met on Ebay, I have become quite skilled with my restorations plus making dials and alarm function indicators. Sometimes Ive seen them for 300 to 600 dollars. When did Bulova stop using radium? Radium: a medical treatment in the early 20th - College of Physicians They did some limited production (less than 200) in 1908, when they were still perfecting the design, then quite a few in 1909, but it really wasnt nationally advertised until September of 1910. 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. After several changes of ownership, it became . They are just gorgeous watches and very well made. Stoddard: Its really hard to say. [Left: The first national Big Ben advertisement appears in the. With alarm clocks, they were so common that when people repaired them they did whatever they could to get them going.