Old Elgin Magazine Article

[Greg Frauenhoff]

The recent posts on old Elgin key winders reminded me of this passage from an 1869 article on Elgin buried in my files (ok, it's just a box with papers thrown in it).
http://members.aol.com/gfrauen/article.jpg

What I find interesting is that the writer of the article made a distinction between "H. Z. Culver" and "Culver" grades. I can recall seeing one very Elgin marked only "Culver", but all the others that have passed by my field of vision were "H. Z. Culver". Does anyone have any other "Culver" mvts to report? The one I saw was s/n 11xx (or so, it's been a long time since I looked at it, and it's not mine anyway). Does anyone have any Elgin factory data to suggest that the Co. did indeed distinquish between the two? Or did the writer simply make a mistake?

Thanks,

Greg

[Greg Frauenhoff]

The recent posts on old Elgin key winders reminded me of this passage from an 1869 article on Elgin buried in my files (ok, it's just a box with papers thrown in it).
http://members.aol.com/gfrauen/article.jpg

What I find interesting is that the writer of the article made a distinction between "H. Z. Culver" and "Culver" grades. I can recall seeing one very Elgin marked only "Culver", but all the others that have passed by my field of vision were "H. Z. Culver". Does anyone have any other "Culver" mvts to report? The one I saw was s/n 11xx (or so, it's been a long time since I looked at it, and it's not mine anyway). Does anyone have any Elgin factory data to suggest that the Co. did indeed distinquish between the two? Or did the writer simply make a mistake?

Thanks,

Greg

[xylo]

Greg, is this a portion of the article you are reffering to?

This one is from Harpers Weekly of July 1869.

"When the brass pieces are finished, all belonging to one watch are stamped with the same number and put into one of ten little boxes hollowed out in a board like birds'-nests. The nests have yet many journeys to make before the eggs are hatched; but the shell or frame is now ready for the works. The tipper plate is next engraved. Three men and four girls are kept busy tracing the elaborate scroll-work, and the inscription, "B. W. Raymond, Elgin, Illinois, No. 41,280," or "J. T. Ryerson, No. 41,290," as the case may be. The different grades made here are "Lady Elgin," "B. W. Raymond," "Mat Laflin," "G. M. Wheeler, " " H. Z. Culver," " H. H. Taylor," and "J. T. Ryerson;" but the numbering runs consecutively through all."

No mention of just 'Culver' in this article.

[Jon Hanson]

Yes, I have some marked "Culver" only!

------------------
Jon Hanson, nawcc#8801

[Greg Frauenhoff]

Xylo,

Thanks for the reply. The article is a different one than the Harper's you cited. It is one by S. W. Robinson in the J. of the Franklin Institue from March of 1869. Perhaps I can transmit full copies of it to Wayne and ask him to host them on his web site so that people can read or download the article in its entirety.

Jon,

Thanks for the reply. Any serial numbers of "Culver" mvts you'd care to share? If not, that's ok too.

Greg