Kroeber Clocks

glr1109

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I know that "Kroeber Clocks" were made in Cortland, NY...but were they ever made in NYC?

thanks
greg
 

Steven Thornberry

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Are you sure they were made in Cortland, NY? I know that at various times he had shops on Cortlandt (sometimes spelled Cortland) St. in NYC.
 

Wayne C. Anderson

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I remember reading that Florence T. Kroeber conducted business on No. 8 Cortlandt Street, Manhattan Island. During 1883 his address changed to no 14 Cortlandt Street, but this was just an address change. In 1901 he opened a new store at 360 Broadway. By 1892 his advertisement were from 17th & Broadway, NYC.
 

ClockJim

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Cortlandt Street in NY, NY was a busy section of the 1800’s Metropolis for the clock marketing industry. Many clock manufacturers, distributers and assembly businesses resided or had business addresses on Cortlandt Street. I have many clock labels having Cortlandt St. NY as the manufacturer’s address.

Perhaps there is someone who has done some research on that particular street in NY. I bet it would be interesting research as well as good reading for the history of American made and distributed clocks.
 

glr1109

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You all are most likely correct...I've mis-understood things before. I've looked in the"Empire in Time" book(clocks made in NY), but see no reference to Kroeber at all.

I do know(or at least I think so) that there were many mfgs. from Cortlandt St., NYC. Maybe that's where I got the idea from.

Thanks to all for the correction it certainly clears some things up for me!!
greg
 

leeinv66

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I could be wrong, but I don't think Kroeber made any clocks? I know he made some cases and had other companies make movements to his specs, but does assembling the parts make him a clock maker? Not for my money!
 

lofty

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I could be wrong, but I don't think Kroeber made any clocks? I know he made some cases and had other companies make movements to his specs, but does assembling the parts make him a clock maker? Not for my money!

I was also of the same opinion. As far as I know, Kroeber bought movements from other makers and cased them. Some of which he labelled as his own. Some movements may have been made to his specifications as there are some movements with characteristics that have only been attributed to him.

Lofty
 

R. Croswell

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Florenz Friederick Martin Kroeber (1840-1911), was both an importer and maker of clocks. Some of the Kroeber clocks used movements attributed to Kroeber, and some used movements by Seth Thomas and possibly others.
 

leeinv66

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Florenz Friederick Martin Kroeber (1840-1911), was both an importer and maker of clocks. Some of the Kroeber clocks used movements attributed to Kroeber, and some used movements by Seth Thomas and possibly others.

I hope I am proved wrong, but I do not believe he made any of the movement attributed to him. Although, he stamped his name on many that obviously were made by other makers. Much like the later Colonial Clock Company, he mixed and matched movements and cases and then stamped them as his product. He is still not a clock maker in my eyes, but he sold some wonderful clocks.
 

zepernick

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A favorite ad (below)
 

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ClockJim

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Just to add fuel to the fire on whether Kroeber was or was not a clockmaker.

I agree with the other posts, I have Kroeber clocks with various manufacturers’ movements.

If as many auto manufacturers do, you order various components, to your specifications, from various manufacturing companies and then assemble them in to a final product does that make you clockmaker?
Is Ford an automobile-maker? Does Dell make computers? Does the USA make space shuttles?

Was Kroeber a clockmaker, a clocksmith, an entrepreneur or a plain old capitalist?

If I collect Kroeber’s clocks what am I collecting?

Don’t take this as anything more that a philosophical or rhetorical question. Just for fun. Curious minds what to know.
 

R. Croswell

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Interesting philosophical question, when is a clockmaker not a clockmaker?
I found this about Kroeber on line at http://www.clockguy.com/SiteRelated/SiteReferencePages/KroeberHistory.html

"Florenz Friederick Martin Kroeber was born in 1840 in the city of Paderborn, Westphalia, Germany. His early years were spent in the city of Cologne, but his parents brought their family to America about the spring of 1850, settling in New York City. By the age of 19, "Florence" Kroeber began to work in the clock store of Owen & Clark at John Street as a bookkeeper.
In 1861, Owen & Clark was dissolved but one of the partners, George B. Owen, continued the operation under his own name. When Owen went to Winsted, Conn. to become general manager of W. L. Gilbert & Company in 1864, Florence Kroeber took over the Owen business. This was strictly a marketing operation, both of domestic and imported clocks, though labels with F. Kroeber were often applied.
In 1868, Kroeber went into partnership with Nicholas Mueller, a German immigrant who ran a business of producing bronzed cast metal figurines and figured metal clock case fronts. Two years later Kroeber married Mueller's daughter. Though the partnership lasted only about a year, the two families had close business ties and even rented adjoining New York stores for many years.
About 1870 Kroeber began to manufacture some cases of his own design and contracted with Connecticut manufacturers for movements, some to his own specifications. For over 25 years the operation was successful. It was incorporated as the F. Kroeber Clock Company in 1887 and that year a second New York store was opened in midtown Manhattan. Their 1888 catalog of 208 pages illustrated 286 clocks and 43 figurines, over 90% of American manufacture.
Business began to decline with the depression of 1893 and in 1895 the midtown store was closed. By 1898, their catalog of 115 pages offered only 182 clocks and 31 figurines, with only about 80% being American made. In 1899 the corporation went into receivership. Kroeber moved into a smaller store on Maiden Lane and spent about a year settling the accounts of the company.
Kroeber continued marketing clocks as a private venture under his own name, most being purchased from Connecticut. Except for cuckoo clocks, foreign made clocks were no longer offered. This business ended in bankruptcy in January, 1904 and because it was not a corporation, Kroeber was personally ruined. For the next seven years he worked as an employee in clock and watch departments of various New York firms. He died May 16, 1911 of tuberculosis."

Bob C.
 

leeinv66

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Just to add fuel to the fire on whether Kroeber was or was not a clockmaker.

I agree with the other posts, I have Kroeber clocks with various manufacturers’ movements.

If as many auto manufacturers do, you order various components, to your specifications, from various manufacturing companies and then assemble them in to a final product does that make you clockmaker?
Is Ford an automobile-maker? Does Dell make computers? Does the USA make space shuttles?

Was Kroeber a clockmaker, a clocksmith, an entrepreneur or a plain old capitalist?

If I collect Kroeber’s clocks what am I collecting?

Don’t take this as anything more that a philosophical or rhetorical question. Just for fun. Curious minds what to know.

After reading Bob's post I would say he was an entrepreneur and there is nothing wrong with that. He had a good eye and matched fine movement to fine looking cases and that's why the clocks are popular today. But, that's just my opinion!
 

Larry

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Here's my Kroeber Occidental.

Larry
 

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bee

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If he didn't make any clocks why would there be a "F. Kroeber Clock Co."?

Found one of his clocks today at a second hand store for $20 (US). Not in great condition but a fun find. I'll get it appraised and see what comes of it...

But here's part of one label. (Tried to enhance it a little because at plain sught it's just a dark label. Had to adjust lighting and angle to get the name to even appear.)

20230730_001030.jpg
 

Steven Thornberry

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If he didn't make any clocks why would there be a "F. Kroeber Clock Co."?

Found one of his clocks today at a second hand store for $20 (US). Not in great condition but a fun find. I'll get it appraised and see what comes of it...

But here's part of one label. (Tried to enhance it a little because at plain sught it's just a dark label. Had to adjust lighting and angle to get the name to even appear.)

View attachment 772908
You might find our longer thread on Kroeber Clocks interesting.

 

bwclock

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For what it is worth, following are three photos of a Kroeber "Jefferson" walnut parlor clock. Tran has the Jefferson as number 1018 in his book on Kroeber clocks.

The clock label, second photo, shows 8 Cortland St. as the address.

I do not have a photo of the movement however my notes indicate it is marked: "Pat. June 23 & Oct 6 1874 E. Kroeber, New York".

Bruce

Kroeber Jefferson.jpg Label.jpg Pendulum.jpg
 

bwclock

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Add a "t" to "Cortland" in my previous post to get the correct spelling of "Cortlandt", clearly visible on the label in the second photo.
Bruce
 
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