Share your advertising clocks.

[RAK]

Thanks to everyone for bringing back my favorite thread!

Quite a range of new additions to the topic. Very nice.

Bob

 

[rmarkowitz1_cee4a1]

Thanks to everyone for bringing back my favorite thread!

Quite a range of new additions to the topic. Very nice.

Bob

Here's a couple more.

I like the light up advertising clocks, too.

Here are a couple in my downstairs 1/2 bath:



The first is for Bulova. Scott Jewelers were in Lowell, MA, not too far from the clocks current location. It is not a Pam clock, though rather similar. Could not find a maker's mark. Based upon a shadow, I do believe it once had a stick on maker's tag. I think 50's or '60's. Very nice condition. Works well.

The 2nd one is for the men's clothing maker, Hart, Schaffner and Marx. The golden trumpeter on the horse was their logo apparently. I had not seen this style of clock before. High quality with the back made from heavy gauge enameled steel rather than a thin aluminum. Really like that burgundy dial background color. Could not find a maker's mark. Also works well. Very nice condition. To me, the style of the frame looks '40's or '50's. That was a time when this brand was considered top quality and they produced some real snazzy print ads showing classy "mature" men being ogled by the women!

Both clocks were flea market finds.

I use small LED bulbs as they don't get as hot as regular incandescent ones. The heat damages the advertising.​

RM

 

[Steven Thornberry]

The golden trumpeter on the horse was their logo apparently.

Yep. Hart schaffner marx Logos

 

[heirloomclocks]

Hello All,
I thought to list this clock under the maker postings but there did not seem to be a Winterhalder and Hofmeier option so I decided to list it under the Advertising choice. My Winterhalder and Hofmeier timepiece advertizes Nestle products. The overall case is 12 inches in diameter with a 9 inch chapter ring dial which I believe is original. I have researched W and H clocks in the round wall clock style and have not found one with these dimensions. Larger diameter cases were found with other ads and railroad dials but I did not find another in any size that had a Nestle's advertisement. If anyone has seen this size W and H clock or any with Nestle advertising I would welcome an email at: carl@heirloomclocks.net
Thank you in advance for any posting or email.
Cordially,
Carl

 

[bruce linde]

photos of the internals?

 

[heirloomclocks]

These photos show the front and rear movement plates.

 

[RAK]

Thanks for sharing the Nestle clock. Nice looking movement! Bob

 

[Bruce Barnes]

The Nestles clock.................. now I know who outbid me ) and nice to know it's going to a good home!
Bruce

 

[heirloomclocks]

Hello All,
About 40 years ago I developed an interest antique clocks (the furniture I had been buying started to get too heavy and needed too much work to prepare for resale). Soon friends and co-workers started to bring me their clocks when they learned I could repair, clean and service them. Before I knew it I was in the clock business as Heirloom Clocks.
The attachments show two that I decided to make into advertisers for my business by creating the designs on the glasses in the style used in the early 20th century. Both clocks are over 100 years old and function properly.
The black one is a spring driven Seth Thomas Eight Day Timepiece similar to Office No. 6 without the top and bottom case pieces. (Tran's Seth Thomas book indicates it was available without the top if a plainer case was desired...I assume the bottom could be excluded as well.)
The second attachment shows an Imperial Electric Timepiece, originally operated by two No. 6 Dry Cells to produce the power necessary to raise the weight arm that drives the movement. I converted to D cells to produce a less expensive alternative to the now expensive No. 6 cells. The falling weight is the real source of power for the movement, so the batteries last a long time, being only needed momentarily to impulse the weight back up to its highest position.
Cordially,
Carl

P.S. I apologize...I forgot to include the attachment for the Imperial Timepiece in my earlier posting

 

[rmarkowitz1_cee4a1]

Well, this advertising clock is not nearly as nice as the one RAK recently posted. However, it does tie in to some interesting history.

What I have been told, and I have not fact checked it so please feel free to do so, is that beer is now pasteurized. This allows it to "travel" and gives it a shelf life. In the old days, that was not. So also given the general lack of refrigeration, no trucking, bad roads and so on, beer had to be either made at home or close to home. That's what I have been told.

SO, many cities and regions had their local beers. I remember when much younger growing up in NYC, there were 3 local brands. Piels, Rheingold and Knickerbocker. By the way, I don't like beer and never drank any of them.

In a fit of nostalgia, I made this TRULY junk shop find in my travels and just had to have it. It's an electric Knickerbocker advertising wall clock:



Works great.

Look at that expression! He sure do like his brewsky. The character comes from Washington Irving's 1809 novel, A History of New-York from the Beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty, by Diedrich Knickerbocker. He came to symbolize NYC. People from Manhattan were called "knickerbockers". I guess sort of like Uncle Sam did for the US. And now you know how the basketball team got its name, too.

The image is printed on cardboard. It is not transferred to the back of a glass. Here's the absolutely completely original back of the clock and the movement:



No maker's name. This is on the lower edge of the dial:



This clock was NEVER made to light up. There is a light up version with the same image. I dare say that the latter is more desirable.

Note the name Jacob Ruppert. I date this clock to the '50's or '60's. He died in 1939. He owned the Knickerbocker Brewery which as best I can tell went away in 1965. And what else?

He owned the NY Yankees during their absolute Golden Age, doing things like buying Babe Ruth's contract from the Boston Red Sox and building Yankee Stadium. Ironically, "Knick" would become the official beer of the NY Giants. Go figure.

So much history from a junky (but fun and nostalgic) clock.

RM

 

[woodlawndon]

There are some interesting, beautiful clocks in this thread. RM, I really like the Knickerbocker clock and especially the Bulova Scott shown earlier. I have been passively on the hunt for an electric advertising clock for a bit now as I don't own any. I have passed on a few as my hope is to find a brewery/beer clock first. Not too many come around.
Don

 

[rmarkowitz1_cee4a1]

There are some interesting, beautiful clocks in this thread. RM, I really like the Knickerbocker clock and especially the Bulova Scott shown earlier. I have been passively on the hunt for an electric advertising clock for a bit now as I don't own any. I have passed on a few as my hope is to find a brewery/beer clock first. Not too many come around.
Don

Thanks for your kind comments.

I love them too! I especially like the ones with back lit dials. Depending upon subject matter, they can be rather pricey!

For me, condition is paramount. With the back lit models, the advertising may be damaged. Sometimes it’s just flaking or damaged from the heat of the incandescent bulbs used. Often too high a wattage was used. I use small LED bulbs to avoid that.

I test them before purchase to make sure they work & light up properly. Lots have problems with wiring or the motor coils. I don’t want to be bothered with those types of repairs. I also check that the plug & cord are good.

Also, no cracks or breaks in the clear glass & especially the advertising glass. The former is less problematic as good repop clear glass covers are available. Once I bought a Pam clock for the ice cream of a defunct local N. Shore creamery. Replaced the glass. Looked great. Still sold instantly to someone who lived in that town.

And of course, the biggest proviso: beware of repops & fakes. There are real good repop advertising glasses! People buy damaged clocks & install them. Also, the neons are being reproduced. I’ve seen a few Harley neons.

Yes, the neons, the ultimate light up. Great clocks, but expensive to acquire, expensive to repair, etc.

This genre of clocks are a side line for me, so I take the decidedly cheapskate approach.

RM

 

[rmarkowitz1_cee4a1]

A reasonable book about advertising clocks is Bruner, Advertising Clocks: America's Timeless Heritage. Like most Schiffer books, lots of pix, not a lot of text. I also wish that pix of the back of the clocks were included. Still a nice reference.

Of course, Jerry Maltz's book about Bairds is a must have for any horological library.

RM

 

[Dave T]

Does this qualify as and advertising clock? It came from the Glen Leven Presbyterian Church in Nashville, TN.

 

[rmarkowitz1_cee4a1]

Does this qualify as and advertising clock? It came from the Glen Leven Presbyterian Church in Nashville, TN.
View attachment 625668

Very nice clock. I guess not really an advertising clock per se. A clock with a custom inscription on the dial? I have seen any # of clocks with inscriptions on the dial like that. Some have the name of an institution, a business, the donor(s), in whose honor it was donated, thanking someone for their service and so on.

Finally, I don't think He ever really needed to advertise?

RM

 

[Dave T]

Finally, I don't think He ever really needed to advertise?

You got that right! Amen!

 

[owen.or]

This is an update to the restoration of the "Monell's Teething Cordil" clock shown in post #171 of this thread. I found the bezels separately and matched them to a case I acquired. The clock looked fine, but this model is one of the few Baird clocks which is pictured in Jerry Maltz's book with the "Magoo" bow tie between the bezels. The bow tie on each side looks like the profile of Mr. Magoo the cartoon character. Out of the blue I found a case with the Magoo bow tie and transferred the teething cordial bezels to that case. Needless to say, I feel pretty lucky to have found that case. David, Owen.or

 

[RAK]

Nice work David. Your Baird collection has seen some great additions over the years!!! Still jealous over the tin Chamberlin Cigars clock. Saw the one that Jerry Maltz had owned at the Fontaine auction in 2018, but was out of $ by the time it was offered, lol.

 

[owen.or]

Bob, Thanks for the kind words. Thank goodness for Ed Beacham in Sisters, OR who created a new great wheel for the Chamberlain Cigars clock. David, Owen.or

 

[wspohn]

This is a Girard Perregaux shop clock that is of better quality than many advertising clocks are - very solidly built. It is a slave clock and once I figured out where to locate a driver pack for it, it keep excellent time in my kitchen.

 

[RAK]

AND THE LOVE HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH BAIRD CLOCKS CONTINUES...

I spotted three at a recent auction that would be nice additions. Came home with one. Perhaps just slightly nicer than average, this one displays pretty well and I think is a keeper. Picked up a couple of non-Baird advertisers as well that I'll post later on.

Bob

 

[RAK]

I should add when saying "Love - Hate" relationship with Baird clocks, it is that I always find Bairds that I very much would like to add to the herd, but I usually don't end up with clocks I planned to win.

This weekends auction was no exception. Once again a really really nice one got way... Rats!

Bob

 

[rmarkowitz1_cee4a1]

Recently acquired this on one of my picking routes.

An example was posted on the Forums under electric clocks I think back in 2007. This is a nice example that I think belongs here.



The dial is textured foil on cardboard. There is a glass in the front.

The case is wood that is painted silver with a black high light. In this instance, the paint has survived quite well. A # of examples I found in my search are rather chipped up.



The movement here needs to be started up after being plugged in by turning a knob on the back. You know it's running as a red and white disk rotates behind the small aperture in the dial between the hands and 9 o'clock. Actually keeps good time.

Speaking of the back of the clock, here it is:



It was manufactured by the Kodel Electric & Mfg Co. of Cincinnati, OH. From what I found, they were incorporated in 1925. They also made a variety of electric domestic shelf clocks. The company sued Warren Telechron in 1933 for some sort of copyright infringement. I couldn't find when they went out of business.

Here's what I found on the inside of the clock when I took the clock apart to clean all the dead bugs out:



It looks like in "2-42", a repair person signed and dated the inside a profile of himself.

He did it again on the outer backboard:



Looks like "2-4-42"?

I really like little things like that.

RM

 

[J. A. Olson]

Some further insight regarding the patent lawsuits with Warren Telechron Company, all written in legalese:

Warren Telechron Co. v. Kodel Elec. Mfg., 53 F.2d 888 | Casetext Search + Citator

Read Warren Telechron Co. v. Kodel Elec. Mfg., 53 F.2d 888, see flags on bad law, and search Casetext’s comprehensive legal database

casetext.com

Kodel Electric Mfg. v. Warren Telechron Clock, 62 F.2d 692 | Casetext Search + Citator

Read Kodel Electric Mfg. v. Warren Telechron Clock, 62 F.2d 692, see flags on bad law, and search Casetext’s comprehensive legal database

casetext.com

 

[RAK]

Nice find RM! Like the uncommon foil technique used to make the clock face. Condition looks excellent!!!!!

Bob

 

[rmarkowitz1_cee4a1]

Nice find RM! Like the uncommon foil technique used to make the clock face. Condition looks excellent!!!!!

Bob

Thanks!

RM

 

[heirloomclocks]

Westinghouse Electric Range
Dave

 

[heirloomclocks]

PLEASE SHARE YOUR ANTIQUE ADVERTISING CLOCKS! Many advertising clocks have been shared on this board; however, I do not recall a specific post requesting that collectors share their advertising clocks. I have tried to collect Baird clocks over the past few years and have found it a great challenge to find good clocks at prices within reason. While looking for these clocks, I have seen a number of wonderful advertising clocks in a variety of configurations from many different makers. I will start it off with three of my own: 1)a c.1897 tin plate Baird advertising harness oil 2)a c.1892 papier mache Baird 3)an Ansonia Brass and Copper "Cream Mustard" c.1870s. David "owen.or"

Hello all,
I made two advertising clocks for my Heirloom Clocks business.
Cordially,
Carl

 

[heirloomclocks]

PLEASE SHARE YOUR ANTIQUE ADVERTISING CLOCKS! Many advertising clocks have been shared on this board; however, I do not recall a specific post requesting that collectors share their advertising clocks. I have tried to collect Baird clocks over the past few years and have found it a great challenge to find good clocks at prices within reason. While looking for these clocks, I have seen a number of wonderful advertising clocks in a variety of configurations from many different makers. I will start it off with three of my own: 1)a c.1897 tin plate Baird advertising harness oil 2)a c.1892 papier mache Baird 3)an Ansonia Brass and Copper "Cream Mustard" c.1870s. David "owen.or"

Hello all,
I created two advertising clocks for my business, Heirloom Clocks. See attachments.

 

[RAK]

Back in June I got interested in the Route 32 Auction which included several really nice advertising clocks. After picking up the clocks and getting them home, I posted the Mishler's Herb Bitters Baird on this thread. I also had the winning bid on this Seth Thomas advertising clock but hung back on showing it as it came with a dial in very poor condition. I was fortunate enough to find a correct replacement and now it displays nicely.

A general word or two about Seth Thomas advertising clocks. I personally like them a lot and have a couple of them. They don't come up for auction or sale very often. My gut feeling is that it can be three to five years between seeing one become available (although there were two in the June auction). The last time I saw one for sale/auction before this year was in 2016 when I had the winning bid on a clock that this clock will replace (the new one has a little nicer color). The 2016 purchase has the same advertising that this one has "Garfield Tea - Fig Syrup"; a version of the clock that I had never seen before. The more common wording is "Garfield Tea and Syrup", and over the past 21 years I've seen perhaps five with that advertisement.

My personal opinion on these clocks is that they were probably too expensive to be popular with the companies thinking about putting their ads on clocks. This clock is a straight-up Seth Thomas quality. Where a competitor like Baird used dial papers, Seth Thomas painted the dial. The Baird doors were pressed paper Mache and the case was often pine. Seth Thomas veneered all visible surfaces, the bottom of the case was rounded, the doors were brass, and there was a brass ring around the top portion of the clock. Baird used three screws to attach the dial to the case, Seth Thomas used six. You get the idea. These clocks likely cost considerably more per unit than the competition's product. So as far as I know there are two companies that used these clocks. The Wm. Edwards Company - makers of "Old Powder Horn Rye" and the Garfield Tea Company makers of patent medicines.

One of the funny quirks of these clocks is that all versions of the "Garfield Tea" clock that I have seen have the pendulum hanging high up in the lower door window, whereas for the "Powder Horn Rye" clock the pendulum bob hangs in the center of the lower door window. Go figure.

In true blue Seth Thomas fashion, these clocks have a Seth Thomas label inside the case or on the back and are date stamped. This one is dated 1896.

Anyone else have a Seth Thomas advertising clock to share? Would really like to see it.

Bob

 

[rmarkowitz1_cee4a1]

Back in June I got interested in the Route 32 Auction which included several really nice advertising clocks. After picking up the clocks and getting them home, I posted the Mishler's Herb Bitters Baird on this thread. I also had the winning bid on this Seth Thomas advertising clock but hung back on showing it as it came with a dial in very poor condition. I was fortunate enough to find a correct replacement and now it displays nicely.

A general word or two about Seth Thomas advertising clocks. I personally like them a lot and have a couple of them. They don't come up for auction or sale very often. My gut feeling is that it can be three to five years between seeing one become available (although there were two in the June auction). The last time I saw one for sale/auction before this year was in 2016 when I had the winning bid on a clock that this clock will replace (the new one has a little nicer color). The 2016 purchase has the same advertising that this one has "Garfield Tea - Fig Syrup"; a version of the clock that I had never seen before. The more common wording is "Garfield Tea and Syrup", and over the past 21 years I've seen perhaps five with that advertisement.

My personal opinion on these clocks is that they were probably too expensive to be popular with the companies thinking about putting their ads on clocks. This clock is a straight-up Seth Thomas quality. Where a competitor like Baird used dial papers, Seth Thomas painted the dial. The Baird doors were pressed paper Mache and the case was often pine. Seth Thomas veneered all visible surfaces, the bottom of the case was rounded, the doors were brass, and there was a brass ring around the top portion of the clock. Baird used three screws to attach the dial to the case, Seth Thomas used six. You get the idea. These clocks likely cost considerably more per unit than the competition's product. So as far as I know there are two companies that used these clocks. The Wm. Edwards Company - makers of "Old Powder Horn Rye" and the Garfield Tea Company makers of patent medicines.

One of the funny quirks of these clocks is that all versions of the "Garfield Tea" clock that I have seen have the pendulum hanging high up in the lower door window, whereas for the "Powder Horn Rye" clock the pendulum bob hangs in the center of the lower door window. Go figure.

In true blue Seth Thomas fashion, these clocks have a Seth Thomas label inside the case or on the back and are date stamped. This one is dated 1896.

Anyone else have a Seth Thomas advertising clock to share? Would really like to see it.

Bob

View attachment 678311 View attachment 678312

Well, that's a clock I could give a fig about!

Good to see something nice on the Forums.

Bairds used ST movements, did they not?

Actually, it's the use of papier mache on Bairds that really appeals to me and sets them apart. They spent time and $$ only on the "money shot", ie, the front.

Personally, I have not seen a ST advertising clock...but I haven't really looked.

You have raised my awareness and now I will watch for them.

RM

 

[RAK]

Well, that's a clock I could give a fig about!

Good to see something nice on the Forums.

Bairds used ST movements, did they not?

Actually, it's the use of papier mache on Bairds that really appeals to me and sets them apart. They spent time and $$ only on the "money shot", ie, the front.

Personally, I have not seen a ST advertising clock...but I haven't really looked.

You have raised my awareness and now I will watch for them.

RM

Thanks RM! It's nice to be able to share something a little different.

Like you said, Baird figured out very early on that only the doors with the advertising on them mattered. Not sure that the folks at Seth Thomas got the message.

I went about 15-16 years without even considering the purchase of a Baird clock. I thought they would be made out of that weird paper Mache they had us play with in grade school - - - cheap and flimsy. But of course that's not the case. Baird's paper Mache is pressed to be rock hard. Sometime around 2016 a Baird clock showed up at a Schmitt-Horan auction with the design of a penny on the lower door. I didn't bid on it, but after seeing that one I started to pay more attention to them and now, to no one's surprise, I own a couple.

The one thing Baird apparently didn't skimp on was the movement. He used Seth Thomas movements almost exclusively when his operations were in Montreal or Plattsburgh, NY. It seems that he was less worried about which movement he used after moving to Illinois and making the stamped tin faced clocks like David's USG Harness Oil clock (as I recall right now - I think a photo is shown in the first post on this thread). Personally, I think the guy was a genius when it came to cutting costs. When he moved his operation from Montreal to Plattsburgh he cut out all sorts of little things to reduce the cost of producing each unit. Then, when he moved on to Illinois in 1896, he totally re-engineered his clocks using stamped tin. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the stamped tin faced clocks were even cheaper to make than the paper Mache ones. Truly an interesting individual. My guess is that he finally got out of clocks when some of his telephone related inventions started to take off and he didn't have time to commit to clock making any more.

As far as the Seth Thomas clocks go, I keep hoping that someday a clock will show up advertising another company's product. I shouldn't complain; there are four different versions that I know of used by the Garfield Tea Company. Although I've only seen one version of the advertising message on the "Old Powder Horn Pure Rye" clocks, it appears that they may have used two different methods of applying the lettering. One using a more tan/gold color and one version using a more brass/gold color. The tan/gold lettering can be seen on the earlier "Garfield Tea" clocks; ones made in 1895, and that lettering tends to peel more readily. The brass/gold lettering on "Garfield Tea" clocks appear on the clocks dated to 1896. I don't know the dates on the "Old Powder Horn Pure Rye" clocks but as I said, it looks like both lettering methods were used. Probably too much detail considering how obscure these clocks are.

Last word on the Seth Thomas clocks... year ago I borrowed from the Lending library the Tran Du Ly books for Seth Thomas for an unrelated search. When searching through the books, I don't believe I saw these clocks listed anywhere. Can anyone confirm that these clocks are or aren't listed in the Tran Books? It's not a big deal, but I would be very interested in knowing what the list price would have been.

Thanks,

Bob

 

[rmarkowitz1_cee4a1]

Thanks RM! It's nice to be able to share something a little different.

Like you said, Baird figured out very early on that only the doors with the advertising on them mattered. Not sure that the folks at Seth Thomas got the message.

I went about 15-16 years without even considering the purchase of a Baird clock. I thought they would be made out of that weird paper Mache they had us play with in grade school - - - cheap and flimsy. But of course that's not the case. Baird's paper Mache is pressed to be rock hard. Sometime around 2016 a Baird clock showed up at a Schmitt-Horan auction with the design of a penny on the lower door. I didn't bid on it, but after seeing that one I started to pay more attention to them and now, to no one's surprise, I own a couple.

The one thing Baird apparently didn't skimp on was the movement. He used Seth Thomas movements almost exclusively when his operations were in Montreal or Plattsburgh, NY. It seems that he was less worried about which movement he used after moving to Illinois and making the stamped tin faced clocks like David's USG Harness Oil clock (as I recall right now - I think a photo is shown in the first post on this thread). Personally, I think the guy was a genius when it came to cutting costs. When he moved his operation from Montreal to Plattsburgh he cut out all sorts of little things to reduce the cost of producing each unit. Then, when he moved on to Illinois in 1896, he totally re-engineered his clocks using stamped tin. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the stamped tin faced clocks were even cheaper to make than the paper Mache ones. Truly an interesting individual. My guess is that he finally got out of clocks when some of his telephone related inventions started to take off and he didn't have time to commit to clock making any more.

As far as the Seth Thomas clocks go, I keep hoping that someday a clock will show up advertising another company's product. I shouldn't complain; there are four different versions that I know of used by the Garfield Tea Company. Although I've only seen one version of the advertising message on the "Old Powder Horn Pure Rye" clocks, it appears that they may have used two different methods of applying the lettering. One using a more tan/gold color and one version using a more brass/gold color. The tan/gold lettering can be seen on the earlier "Garfield Tea" clocks; ones made in 1895, and that lettering tends to peel more readily. The brass/gold lettering on "Garfield Tea" clocks appear on the clocks dated to 1896. I don't know the dates on the "Old Powder Horn Pure Rye" clocks but as I said, it looks like both lettering methods were used. Probably too much detail considering how obscure these clocks are.

Last word on the Seth Thomas clocks... year ago I borrowed from the Lending library the Tran Du Ly books for Seth Thomas for an unrelated search. When searching through the books, I don't believe I saw these clocks listed anywhere. Can anyone confirm that these clocks are or aren't listed in the Tran Books? It's not a big deal, but I would be very interested in knowing what the list price would have been.

Thanks,

Bob

Interesting.

Apparently the machinery required to press the papier mache was not available when he moved to Chicago. I would suppose rather large heavy presses that could produce the thousands of pounds of pressure to create sharp impressions in dense hard papier mache. I would also suppose the molds used would need up keep, too, as the details might be lost with repeated use? Just speculating.

SO, it would appear that pressing tin, the technology for which was wide spread (license plates which were made in prisons, trade signs, toys, etc) was probably easier to obtain and cheaper.

RM

 

[owen.or]

Bob, I did not see any advertising clocks in Tran Duy Ly's third edition volume 1 Seth Thomas book.

Regarding the movements in Baird advertising clocks with stamped tin faces, I do not recall having seen a movement signed Baird, Chicago or Baird, Evanston. He was in business in Chicago for only a few months and appears to have purchased some movements including the time only Ingraham and the double spring 15 day Seth Thomas movements Jerry Maltz shows in his book. My U.S.G. Harness Oil tin faced clock has a Seth Thomas movement brought from the Plattsburgh factory. (see photos) I believe my Chamberlain Cigars and Cigarettes clock uses the same Seth Thomas movement.

David, Owen.or

 

[RAK]

Bob, I did not see any advertising clocks in Tran Duy Ly's third edition volume 1 Seth Thomas book.

Regarding the movements in Baird advertising clocks with stamped tin faces, I do not recall having seen a movement signed Baird, Chicago or Baird, Evanston. He was in business in Chicago for only a few months and appears to have purchased some movements including the time only Ingraham and the double spring 15 day Seth Thomas movements Jerry Maltz shows in his book. My U.S.G. Harness Oil tin faced clock has a Seth Thomas movement brought from the Plattsburgh factory. (see photos) I believe my Chamberlain Cigars and Cigarettes clock uses the same Seth Thomas movement.

David, Owen.or

View attachment 679035 View attachment 679036

Thanks David!

I really appreciate you checking into Tran's Seth Thomas book. Years ago, I had briefly wondered if these were really Seth Thomas clocks but the labels, signed dial, and date stamping don't lie.

Interesting about the Stamped Tin dial Baird clocks. It would make sense that he would have had additional movements left over from Plattsburgh. Who knows, he may have invented those stamped tin clocks initially just to re-coup his investment in left over Seth Thomas movements.

Thanks again,

Bob

 

[rmarkowitz1_cee4a1]

Our friend, RAK, (aka, "Bob"), recently posted a most crisp example of a Baird clock in this thread:

Brag a Little... OK, here is my latest purchase: Baird Walkden's Ink Advertising Clock | NAWCC Forums

Truly a sweetie. Congratulations RAK!

So often these clocks are kinda rough, especially the dials.

Motivated by that posting, I thought I would post 2 recent Baird acquisitions.

At this point, please permit me to me put in a word for Jerry Maltz's book about Bairds. He also wrote a wonderful Bulletin article about these clocks. I have linked to the latter in previous listings. Beside him and his wife being wonderful folks, his book and article are hands down the go-to about these clocks. I will also put in a "shout out" about Schiff's earlier slender monograph about these clocks. Much less exhaustive than Mr. Maltz's work, but definitely worth a look.

The first clock is a relatively early what I will call a transitional clock, transitional between Montreal and Plattsburgh:



No, not nearly as mint as RAK's, but very well preserved. Some staining to the dial. I do believe the pendulum bob is original. See Jerry's book. The label is quite good and indicates Montreal and Plattsburgh! Again, see Jerry's book. He talks about these earlier Bairds.

Here's the other:



Again, not quite as nice as RAK's, but pretty good. Good label, dial, etc. Pretty happy with it.

Now, for some "superfluous" stuff.

Since we're on the topic of advertising:

Gloucester, MA has been an important fishing port for 100's of years.



As the fish was processed, many skins and bones. Well, them there Yankees didn't waste a thing. They turned them into glue.

Lepage's was apparently the big maker of fish glue. Their plant has been turned into housing. I remember when much younger having a bottle of Lepage's mucilage in my pencil case.

Here's chromolithographed advertising for another glue company that I recently stumbled across:



This company was in business from about 1869 to the early 20th century. Can't find much else about them nor can I find other examples of advertising.

Just for the heck of it, here's an unusual 19th century "stump work" of a retriever:



A wonderful late 18th - early 19th century stump work. Hard to appreciate how small it is!

RM

 

[RAK]

Thank RM for sharing two really nice Baird clocks. Both have great dials; especially hard to find on the John Finzer Co tobacco clock. Best guess is that they were often in smoky tobacco/Cigar shops which darken the dial after years of exposure. Both cases are nice and the Vanner & Prest falls into the really nice category. BTW, I think I see the letters "USA" as part of the signature block on the Vanner & Prest clock. Probably meant for the UK market. I believe their Molliscorium product was popular both in the UK and the States. I have to say these are some nice clean, good looking Bairds.

...and Stump Work! had to look that one up. You learn something new every day... at least every day you read posts on the Forum. And that is what makes it fun.

Bob

 

[KellyC]

Hi Everyone! I'm very new here and just getting into collecting and repairing. Although I come from a long line of clock collectors/tinkerers, I only had one until recently. Love this thread as my current obsession is mini advertising clocks. So far, I have these three. Looking forward to learning more and contributing in the future.

I am in NE Wyoming. Built an 1880's style saloon in my house, where these clocks hang.

So grateful for this forum! I have some questions about repairing mantle clocks and will find the right thread and post there soon.

Kelly

 

[rmarkowitz1_cee4a1]

Thank RM for sharing two really nice Baird clocks. Both have great dials; especially hard to find on the John Finzer Co tobacco clock. Best guess is that they were often in smoky tobacco/Cigar shops which darken the dial after years of exposure. Both cases are nice and the Vanner & Prest falls into the really nice category. BTW, I think I see the letters "USA" as part of the signature block on the Vanner & Prest clock. Probably meant for the UK market. I believe their Molliscorium product was popular both in the UK and the States. I have to say these are some nice clean, good looking Bairds.

...and Stump Work! had to look that one up. You learn something new every day... at least every day you read posts on the Forum. And that is what makes it fun.

Bob

Thanks!

RM

 

[Steven Thornberry]

A modest contribution to this thread is this clock advertising "Ivins, Baker of Good Biscuits." The website linked below has this to say about Ivins:

"Another mid-nineteenth century Philadelphia baking company, J.S. Ivins & Sons, rose to prominence on the strength of its cookie products. Founded in 1846 by Job S. Ivins (d. 1894), the company had various locations on North Front Street before moving in 1898 to a large factory on North Broad Street below Ridge Avenue. Ivins produced a variety of cakes and cookies, including Spiced Wafers, a cookie that became a longtime regional favorite after its introduction in 1910." The company may still be in business, but I'm not sure.

Bakeries and Bakers - Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia

Baking, one of the earliest businesses in Philadelphia, ranged from small neighborhood bakeries to large baking companies with national product distribution.

philadelphiaencyclopedia.org

The case back shows the manufacturer/retailer of the clock as "The Ansonia Novelty Co., Ansonia, Conn., USA." Not much seems to be known about this company or whether even it is actually related to the Ansonia Clock Co. The company is mentioned once in the April 2001 NAWCC Bulletin (p. 229) by Snowden Taylor: "Ansonia Novelty Co., Ansonia, Connecticut, reported to the Chairman. Spittlers and Bailey lists this company in New York and says, "Made alarm clocks." Maybe this company followed Ansonia Clock Co. to New York."

The current Spittlers and Bailey puts the company in Ansonia and NYC ca. 1900: "Made alarm clocks, some with Kroeber movements."

The movement is not one that I have identified. The back plate is unmarked, and I did not want to poke the skunk by taking out the whole movement - not that I would necessarily expect to be enlightened. I will only say that the umbrella cutout is similar to one shown on the movement from an example of the Kroeber Jewel on page 100 (fig. 157) of Tran's Kroeber book. The cutout also is similar to such cutouts found on some Laporte Hubbell movements. More than this I can't say. Perhaps someone recognizes the movement? I suppose it could even be by the Ansonia Clock Co.

 

[RAK]

Steve,

Thanks for sharing your Ivin & Sons advertising clock! This one looks to be a great example. From the photos, the condition looks to be what the auction houses call "Mint". My interest in this type of clock has perked up a bit lately after stumbling onto some information regarding how they were marketed. I've turned up a few interesting nuggets that make me wish I had tried a little harder to pick up one or two of the ones I've seen on EBAY over the years.

Bob

 

[Steven Thornberry]

Steve,

Thanks for sharing your Ivin & Sons advertising clock! This one looks to be a great example. From the photos, the condition looks to be what the auction houses call "Mint". My interest in this type of clock has perked up a bit lately after stumbling onto some information regarding how they were marketed. I've turned up a few interesting nuggets that make me wish I had tried a little harder to pick up one or two of the ones I've seen on EBAY over the years.

Bob

Hi, Bob. I appreciate your comments!

 

[owen.or]

There are currently a couple of "glass negatives" c.1911 on ebay which advertise this company.

Edward Baird applied for a patent in 1894 for a small clock case of molded glass. "Clock cases made and fitted according to my invention are both useful and ornamental and can be used as paper weights, and also for advertising and other purposes." E. Baird, L. Schiff and J. Schiff, Edward Payson Baird Inventor, Industrialist, Entrepreneur. 1975, page 8. Your clock is probably not one of Baird's patented cases, but they might be distant cousins! It's a nice little clock. Thanks for sharing! David, Owen.or

 

[Steven Thornberry]

There are currently a couple of "glass negatives" c.1911 on ebay which advertise this company.

Edward Baird applied for a patent in 1894 for a small clock case of molded glass. "Clock cases made and fitted according to my invention are both useful and ornamental and can be used as paper weights, and also for advertising and other purposes." E. Baird, L. Schiff and J. Schiff, Edward Payson Baird Inventor, Industrialist, Entrepreneur. 1975, page 8. Your clock is probably not one of Baird's patented cases, but they might be distant cousins! It's a nice little clock. Thanks for sharing! David, Owen.or

Thanks, David. I found the Baird patent. I agree that my case is at least a close cousin. Possibly Baird's patent was the inspiration behind it, but it was made so as not to infringe on Baird's patent.

 

[owen.or]

Here is a photo of my most recent Baird acquisition, the "Houseman, Donnally & Jones Clothiers" clock. It does not appear in Jerry Maltz's 1998 Baird book, but it does appear in Jerry's article in the August, 2008 NAWCC Bulletin.

 

[owen.or]

After I shared my last post I realized I did buy a Baird clock more recently than the Houseman, Donnally and Jones. Unfortunately, the advertising had been removed. It's actually a very nice clock. It retains the original movement, dial, hands, inside paper, pendulum, and glass clips. I spent a lot of time trying to make out a letter or letters in an effort to discover what had been advertised on this clock. I just couldn't see any letters, so I thought I would probably never know what had been advertised.

Then, a few days ago, I noticed something. The decorative outside ring on the lower bezel did not make a full circle. There is a 3 1/2" gap at the top. I looked at the clocks in Jerry's book. I could not see all of these rings clearly on the various clocks, but I could see most of them. As far as I could tell only one clock had this gap, the Ghirardelli's Chocolates clock. The gap makes room for the word "AND". I wish it still had the advertising, but I feel better knowing that this clock probably advertised Ghirardelli's Chocolates. David, Owen.or

 

[RAK]

Nice additions David! And good job of sleuthing to figure out that it was a Ghirardelli's clock. They are both keepers.

Your collection of Bairds has to be getting pretty large by now. A large Baird filled wall?

Bob

 

[owen.or]

Thanks Bob! My collection is somewhat north of a dozen at this point. They are spread around the house. David, Owen.or