The clock is several houndred pounds, and keeps great time. Thank to several professionals who Ive met on Ebay, I have become quite skilled with my restorations plus making dials and alarm function indicators. theres the problem, there were two gears that were in backwards. I bought a 1970s Westclox pocket watch with a Hotwheels face that says authorized seller on it. 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]. 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 0.9" LED Plasma Screen Alarm Clock with USB Charging Port 71014X. Henry Warren invented a little synchronous motor that could go inside a clock. Were finally at a point, where were ready to do more than just sit here, said Ruth Spayer, curator for the museum. Charles Stahlberg headed a group from Waterbury, Connecticut, who came to Peru in 1884 to build clocks based on a new idea by Stahlberg. who can refurbush big ben still runs good perfect time purchased in 1950 cataloge #885(885). Their factory in LaSalle, Illinois closed down in about 1980 when they moved all their production down south, but the building is still there. A 'radium cow' or sample of radium would continually yield a supply of the nuclide. thank you, My Husband and I just purchased an antique mantle/shelf clock at an estate sale. By the 1970s, radium was no . The factory contained a bowling alley, and Ristau said his father was an excellent bowler. Richard Tjarks introduced There are also some other makers clocks Ive gotten into, like the Seth Thomas 30 hour ogee, which is a weight-driven shelf clock. 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. 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. My father (Richard Ristau Sr.) worked here for 48.. Their use in prostate brachytherapy dates from 1926. Your cooperation would be greatly appreciated. I have looked high and low in my attempts to find out how any of these resproduction style 1A were produced. I have been purchasing these clocks as and when I got an opportunity. UHR (CW arrow) knob sets clock time. 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. Don Spayer, volunteer and former Westclox employee, said the bulk of the museums collection was built through donations. When did Bulova stop using radium? Then, on New Years Eve, as 2011 became 2012, the unthinkable happened. Westclox Big Ben Alarm Clock Vintage. In 1898, the Curies discovered the existence of. I also need it repaired so that it will be functional and need to find someone that will do that for me. 0 Comments; Uncategorized newark advertiser obituaries 2021 . On March 31, 1980, the Peru-LaSalle plant was officially closed, narrowly missing its 100-year anniversary. I love the Hamiltons in particular, probably some of the best watches made in America. Thanks. I am looking to get an approxmiate value of this clock. Like many East Coasters, he decides to pursue his fortune out West, but unlike many of his peers, he skips the bustling Second City in favor of a promising river & railroad region downstate; where the towns of Peru, LaSalle and Ottawa intersect. They were officially Americas preferred wake-up call provider. Phone: 717-684-8261. That was the first antique clock I owned myself. 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. One of the objects on display in the Benton County Historical Society's Corvallis Museum is this Westclox Radium Dial Clock. Clock Repair and Hermle Chime, Mantel and Wall Clocks for Sale at Bill's Clockworks. hi, I have a cocacola square clock. They call it Shabby Chic and sell it on eBay for 60 to 80 dollars. So I brought it home and left it hanging and would wind it up every once in a while. Westclox also made about 5000 gold-plated reproductions. We pay his railroad fare on all orders for a dozen or more, we brand him with your name in lots of 24.. Stoddard: My grandma gave me an old Baby Ben alarm clock that didnt work when I was seven. Any suggestions of where to get a replacement preferably in Canada? 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. 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. But he only comes upon receipt of signed price agreement. The pioneering spirit is there, but the business skills soon appear lacking. Debbie Blake, I have a small Westclox wind up clock dating around 1937. Apr 14, 2011 501 1 18. Before we get to that, though, we have to start with the issue of geography as it concerns the business in question. There are many Westclox alarm clock models named Big Ben. A key point to bear in mind is this: the dial is still highly radioactive. Westcloxs Manual for Employees read, We expect you to work hard, and the pay is accordingly large . var year = today.getFullYear() Penetrating gamma radiation produced by some dials also represents a significant health risk. Any help would be appreciated. That way I got myself another Baby Ben, bringing my collection to three by age 12. I have a sessions mantle clock duet#1. I am trying to determine the age. Sometimes getting parts is tough, too, although it turns out Westclox made lots and lots of spare parts. 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. Stopping this practice drastically reduced the amount of radium ingested and therefore, the incidence of malignancy. T. tkarter Registered User. its a Gold coloring and the bottom is well worn like it was slid into something regularily. Also Telechron, which was a big maker of electric clocks. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. A lot of American clocks have veneer over the base wood so if thats starting to peel it can be really expensive to get fixed. All the aforementioned to ask you if you know how many of the 1970 style 1As were made. These folks here that are responsible for this are doing a marvelous job, Ristau said. I just had it repaired & it works & looks great. When did Westclox close? The Westclox building remained there in all its glory well into the 21st century, as plans were tossed around for some sort of repurposing of the huge, historic facility. 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. 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. Did Westclox use radium? 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. It is stamped on the back of the casing DRP&GM. On the Style 9, they went back to actual minute markings. See the top of this page for a current list of Dave, Your question about a Big Ben containing radium, and in fact about which clocks actually do contain radium, is a good one. Any information would be very helpful. Sometimes Ive seen them for 300 to 600 dollars. 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. By the 1960s production went offshore to achieve economies of scale . Sep 6, 2008. potz said: Afaik Radium was used right up to the 1950's. Some sources even say it was used up to 1968 in watches and 1978 in clocks. As radium luminosity came under attack in the 1930s, Westcloxs other updates to the Big Ben design were far more practical and uncontroversial. Back then, radium wasn't considered to be dangerous in small doses. Did westclox stop using radioactive paint by the 1960s? 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. The drinking fountain worked.. Your email address will not be published. Most importantly, they were forbidden to point the tip with their lips, and they avoided to ingest or inhale the luminous paint. I would like to find the value of it. [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. After several changes of ownership, it became . 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. 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. Frank Baker. Without a crystal poses a serious Health risk because the Radium paint flakes off and can become airborne. Can anyone tell me the meaning or significance of this eye? 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. Stahlbergs company goes bankrupt not once, but twice, within its first several years. I was told it was an antique at that time. At the top was a clock covered with a glass door. We are very proud to be living in this building and would love to know more about this specific site. 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. Westclox set up a factory in England in the 1940s and also in Scotland. [citation needed] After about 20minutes this delivers the equivalent of one whole day's worth of normal background radiation. Thank you for your input. Big Ben Style Series. Thanks, Teri. 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. There is a small dial inside of the clock face that has roman numerals like another clock face. 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. AD x Stoddard: I was pretty much on my own until college. 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. Some people just want one or two that they remember from childhood in good condition, so thats just the thing for them. 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. knowledge about vintage and antique Westclox clocks and watches. 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. . Production was back in full force and at an all-time high by 1956, with 3,000 employees on staff. 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. Early in the 20th century there was a medical practice that revolved around a new treatment involving the radioactive material called radium. My clothes, hanging in a dark closet, gave off a phosphorescent glare. I wonder if the younger generations are as interested in the older things as we are, although there are some younger collectors out there learning how to do clock repair. They worked in unvented rooms, they wore smocks that they laundered at home. Dont know if someone ingraved date on when took down or if the original. In the 1970s, radium was phased out of wristwatches and clockdials. [Left: The first national Big Ben advertisement appears in the. (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 have been searching for one like as the clock went with the house after my Grandmother passed away. when did westclox stop using radium. The movement was mounted to the inner case back. Similarly, When did they stop using radium on clocks? 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. 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. when did westclox stop using radium old restaurants in lawrence, ma . So, does Westclox really belong in the Made In Chicago Museum? It is encased in hard polymer Plastic and the ends have rivets . It was a gift from him to her the year before they were married. 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. If you want to identify an item, try posting it in our Show & Tell gallery. The other thing is reproductions. Radium dials were typically painted by young women, who used to 'point' their brushes by licking and shaping the bristles prior to painting the fine lines and numbers on the dials. Was just trying to find out any information on this clock or if you may have ever come across one like it The movement was then used with minor changes in Loud Alarm models until 1956. I was looking at it and said, aha! I think we threw it away. German: WECKER (alarm); UHR (clock). There are some blemishes on the wood on the right side. The only problem is a standard size D battery does not fit. These styles constitute the Not everyone involved with the manufacturing of Westclox products was employed directly by Westclox, however. I try to get all the pictures I can and keep them all chronologically and study the history. 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. The Westclox Big Ben Alarm Clock Vintage is an iconic timepiece that has been around since the early 1900s. But this is not how the story of Westclox began. Radium was discovered in 1898 by Marie Curie and Pierre Curie. Yet Mrs. Keane was a survivor who later conquered colon and breast cancer. Seeking the Big 3 goals of convenience, cleanliness, and cheap production, Dreyfuss rolled out his new-look Big Ben in 1931. It looks like you mount it to the wall. 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 .