when did westclox stop using radium when did westclox stop using radium

However, there`s no easy way for you to tell; there were no labeling requirements then as we have now. . Stoddard: Ive been there several times. Many thanks. When I walked along the street, Iwas aglow from the radium powder., The radium girls case was one of the first in which an employer was made responsible for the health of the companys employees. The Westclox Big Ben Alarm Clock Vintage is an iconic timepiece that has been around since the early 1900s. 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 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. By 1930, all dial painters stopped pointing their brushes by mouth. Through it all, Peru remained the companys home base, as over 3,000 employees now enjoyed the rapidly expanding space of the factory and its attached campus, with gardens, tennis courts, a bowling alley, and other things worthy of a Matthiessen estate. 5 17 15 is May 17, 1915 . 2023 by Andrew Clayman. The clock is several houndred pounds, and keeps great time. When I was 11 or 12, I started mowing lawns for money and paid another man to repair it for me, but when it came back it would run for a while and then stop, pretty erratic. I tend to be a nitty gritty detail kind of guy. Eventually, scientists and medical professionals realized that these workers' illnesses . Stoddard: The main thing is the originality of the dial and if its a wooden shelf clock, having the original painting in the door would be really important. These clocks were produced in the thousands and many can be bought on eBay for under $10. 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. Did Westclox use radium? Instead, it would be better to take the box outside and remove the lid there, which would allow any built-up gas to rapidly dissipate." The watches tested were produced from the 1920s through the '60s, and are a mix of British, Swiss, and American origin. its about 2 inches long maybe 1/2 in thick with holes on either end to be worn on a key chain perhaps? Radium dials held near the face have been shown to produce radiation doses in excess of 10Sv / hour. It is a wind up. When did westclox stop using radium? The front is in Roman Numerals with a dome shaped raised glass. Just remember, old luminous clocks are full of radium! But this is not how the story of Westclox began. 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. My dad was one of the top bowlers here, Ristau said. You do not want to open them up, lest you breath radioactive dust from old paint or spread it around. [9] The element was phased out of use by industry acting under its own volition as superior and safer luminous materials entered the marketplace. It has a cracked front lens that I would like to replace. Debbie Blake, I have a small Westclox wind up clock dating around 1937. How did I get interested in clocks? Next to the original Westcloxes I have an interesting collection of European copies by a.o. Your email address will not be published. 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. i use a 1980s I believe westclox pocket ben sweep 2nd hand, I actually had a westclox bullseye from the early 1990s when I was in elementary school. George Kern died on July 27, 1918 from a ruptured appendix, but his basic clock design lived on for years. [Workers assembling Big Ben alarm clocks at the Westclox plant, 1910s. Old Rose (pink) crackle finish Baby Ben with luminous dial: 1929 1930. Ive recently acquired a New Haven decorative wall clock. The aim of the Western Clock MFG Co. in entering the manufacture of alarms was to apply to nickel clocks, features which were previously found only in high-priced timepieces, and prohibited in low-priced lever clocks by the high cost of production involved. 1970s Many of these workers developed bone cancer . There are also some specialty chapters, like an alarm clock chapter and a 400-day clock chapter, one that specializes in wristwatches and one on early American pocket watches. 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. I am looking to get an approxmiate value of this clock. Big Ben: butler nickel case, gold leaf numeral dial 1930 1932. I was about 3ft high and recessed into the wall. 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. There are many Westclox alarm clock models named Big Ben. Among the rarities on display is a Westclox-made National Emergency Alarm Repeater. In 1913, with help from the US government, Dr. Douglas formed the National Radium Institute, to mine radium from uranium ores recently discovered in Colorado. Seeking the Big 3 goals of convenience, cleanliness, and cheap production, Dreyfuss rolled out his new-look Big Ben in 1931. Condition is important, but clocks can be restored. I love the Hamiltons in particular, probably some of the best watches made in America. The women also left a legacy to science that has been termed invaluable.. The story begins with a Connecticut clockmaker named Charles Stahlberg getting a patent for a new alarm clock design in 1885. As my first name is Ben, I started to collect these alarmclocks since about 1970. When did the use of radium stop? But it had always just been a matter of time (pun less intended) before industrial mass production made a wide-scale phenomenon like the Big Ben possible. About 1920 the luminous dial using radium paint was introduced. Which is interesting because many of the electrics are scarcer but people just arent into collecting electric clocks. I think the clock was electric but could have been a wind up or maybe even a pendulum. The use of Radium changed over several years but it was not until late 1960ies when the last were made. This particular clock is made in China while other similar Westclox alarm clocks at the time were made in Taiwan. This was a wonderful article to read. As stated it is working and keeps time. I have a Seth Thomas Mantle clock that my older sisters husbands Aunt had on her mantle for years. 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. How do you date a Westclox Baby Ben? German: WECKER (alarm); UHR (clock). This past weekend, thanks to the Westclox Museum, its doors were opened and former workers were welcomed back for Homecoming Day. 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. A Westclox Museum has been opened within the original facility, showing off rare collections from the millions of timepieces once manufactured there. The Canadian Clock Museum (http://www.canclockmuseum.ca/) may have some information. Richard Ristau Jr., former plant manager, said hes happy to see the space being used for the museum. 1919 -1922, Luminous, Westclox in Roman text: 1923 - 1927, Luminous, projection on the "x": 1928 - 1935. Would you please direct me to someone that can do this for me? I was told it was long ago before even my aged family was servicing watches. Big Ben style 1a continued in production until its discontinuation in 1935. In the 1970s, radium was phased out of wristwatches and clockdials. Theres a clock that came down the family, my great great granddad bought it used in about 1885, it was actually sold new in about 1839, one of the first of the weight-driven brass clocks. Various lettering on the dial and various patent dates (later, numbers) on the Like style 1a non-luminous with dealer name on dial. It started early in the 20th century, around 1910, when some companies began to use radium on watch dials and hands to create a "glow in the dark" effect. . Any suggestions of where to get a replacement preferably in Canada? 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. Technically speaking, though, Westclox did still produce clocks during the gap years that followed. National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors Inc (A 501c3 non-profit corporation). Something about them has always been ingrained in me. Your cooperation would be greatly appreciated. All I really want to know is about the raised horizontal single eye type decoration on this top removable piece. It is stamped on the back of the casing DRP&GM. His bigger job was to design a system so the power companies could regulate their generator so the clock could keep time. I am pleased that I came across your article. This has probably been discussed before but my search turned up nothingdo the luminous hands on a Big Ben alarm clock contain painted radium? Nowadays, Super-LumiNova, which is entirely non-radioactive and non-toxic, is the most used lume in watchmaking. when did westclox stop using radium. Initially hired as a low level clerk, Le Roy worked his way up the company ladder in the early 1900s as an on-the-road sales rep, soliciting business from Chicago to New York to parts unknown. Ive been trying to compare lots of different clocks to find out what original parts go together. Ironically, the war that had cost them Gaston Le Roy had also stifled much of the companys European competition, opening up an even bigger share of the world marketplace in the 1920s. They are just gorgeous watches and very well made. My moms father had a small collection of antique clocks and when I was a little boy he showed me how to wind them and regulate them. Radium was even used in medical applications during the 20th century. First, if your clock is for display only, I think it is harmless if the paint on the hands is not disturbed. Radium dials usually lose their ability to glow in the dark in a period ranging anywhere from a few years to several decades, but all will cease to glow at some point. Buy Now. They make alarm and one-day lever clocks only, and with practically two different articles, known as the 4-inch and 2-inch movements, they have an output of in their factory at LaSalle, Ill., of nearly two million clocks a year. During the early 1900's, the effects of radiation exposure were not well understood, and radium was frequently . Can you help They had one in Brazil for a while and I think also in Hong Kong. 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. They had one in Brazil for a while and I think also in Hong Kong. I have been purchasing these clocks as and when I got an opportunity. Its got a round brass dial and a painting in the door, really neat. Just as pilots in World War II had radium on the dials in their cockpits for all-condition visibility, many people who purchased Big Ben alarm clocks during the same periodincluding the very style in our museum collection (made from 1939-1946)went to bed each night sleeping next to a tiny box of radioactivity. I have never seen this mentioned anywhere. Richard Tjarks introduced lds missionary clothing stores; June 24, 2022 . Fortunately, in the years since, theres been a noble effort to retain surviving parts of the building and some of the important local history that the empty factory once represented. [Former Westclox workers Art and Mary Ann Windy (standing), 2015], This is amazing, Art said. The only thing I found is the word Germny engraved on the back. This classic clock is known for its loud and distinct bell-like . Technically speaking, though, Westclox did still produce clocks during the gap years that followed. Westclox began as the United Clock Company of Peru, Illinois in 1885. Despite Westcloxs deep German roots, the Illinois factory was a huge contributor to the U.S. military again during World War II, supplying upwards of a billion small parts for use in various defense products. I read (but cant remember where) that about 40,000 were made. Radium dials are watch, clock and other instrument dials painted with luminous paint containing radium-226 to produce radioluminescence. I have a sessions mantle clock duet#1. Matthiessen [pictured below], who owns the powerful Illinois Zinc Company and most other things in Peru / LaSalle, decides to swoop in and save Stahlbergs little clock business, incorporating it as the Western Clock Mfg. [left to right: F.W. Radium dials were produced throughout most of the 20th century before being replaced by safer tritium-based luminous material in the 1970s and finally by non-toxic, non-radioactive strontium aluminatebased photoluminescent material from the middle 1990s. Good old fashioned branding played a major role, as well. [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. Then, on New Years Eve, as 2011 became 2012, the unthinkable happened. I have a small westclox alarm clock. It is made by The Sessions Clock movement, appears to be brass, a bucking horse with cowboy riderjudgeing from the clothes design of the cowboy it is quite old. When did Westclox close? Was this done so the alarm could be more easily set on the quarter or half hour? Behind the light, theyd been left in the dark. How can people be exposed to Radium? The first Big Bens and Baby Bens in 1910 were wind ups.. They made them with wooden works until about 1840, then with brass gears and I like some of the early brass-geared American clocks. Welcome to the Westclox Clock and Watch History Database. Leg model with ring on top, dustproof case. [5] Indeed, the body treats radium as it does calcium, storing it in bone where it may cause bone degeneration and cancer.[5]. . At the top was a clock covered with a glass door. The clock is shielded From the glass crystal. 7&a half X 6..desk clock. var year = today.getFullYear() Westclox Scotland produced its first clock on 21 September 1948; a spring wound alarm with a 4-inch (10cm) dial. In 1918 the Big Ben case was improved to make it dustproof, as described in patent #1,300,278 issued to Kern on April 15, 1919. I am a retired mechanical engineer, the quality has floored me, hats off to this company. [Workers assembling Big Ben alarm clocks at the Westclox plant, 1910s. It had beneath that four long tubes and they were the chimes for the door bell. I always wondered why the dial of my Baby Ben clock, which I have had from late 60s, was marked off in 48ths of an hour instead of minutes. From 1942 to 1945, Westclox ceased all production intended for domestic civilian sale and dedicated its production resources to the war effort. 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? Thank you for your input. Thanks. Westcloxs Manual for Employees read, We expect you to work hard, and the pay is accordingly large . In 1919 the company was incorporated as Western Clock Company, Ltd. Your response or advice would be much appreciated. Big Ben style, and there are other styles with names instead of numbers. I know the site informs readers the amount of Big Bens produced in any one year, but does NOT for the reproduction model produced in 1970. 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. Some years ago I intended to do a write-up on my collection and started researching on the internet and found the Westclox history site with a wealth of info. The Windys said their union confirms an old Westclox employee rumor about the long-lasting nature of a relationship struck up near a certain fountain. WECKER (CW arrow)/UHR (CCW arrow) knob with ring: CW winds alarm; CCW winds clock. In this interview Bill Stoddard talks about collecting antique Westclox Big Ben and Baby Ben alarm clocks, and discusses clock collecting in general. Their factory in LaSalle, Illinois closed down in about 1980 when they moved all their production down south, but the building is still there. Before we get to that, though, we have to start with the issue of geography as it concerns the business in question. When Did They Stop Using Radium On Clock Hands? I like to find the ones before that and study their history. They asked me to give some programs myself at some of the chapter meetings so I became a little bit better at being a public speaker, and its been great meeting people. Thanks very mutch, I just acquired a sir w.h. Before OSHA was set up, 14,000 people died on the job every year; today, it is just over 4,500. Sometimes Ive seen them for 300 to 600 dollars. JavaScript is disabled. Advertisement: Illustrates crackle green Tiny Tim, crackle blue Big Ben and crackle pink Baby Ben clocks. Another thing people do is make fake advertising clocks. It sits on a small brass stand with Westclox on it. The style 8 Big and Baby Bens were introduced in 1964. Some people just want one or two that they remember from childhood in good condition, so thats just the thing for them. Westclox style series. In 1931 it merged with Seth Thomas Clock Co. and both became divisions of General Time Corp. Ristau said he remembered when the Westclox factory was the heart of the city, and recalled enjoying his time with Westclox. About the only. The company later changed its name to the United States Radium Corporation. I thought, oh boy, I just need four more and Ill have them all! On 3rd January 2099, Terry Shields asked if anyone had information regarding his clock signed G .Falconer, Hong Kong. As the 1960s began, over 50 million Big Ben clocks had been produced in total, and additional Westclox plants were now in operation everywhere from Athens, Georgia, and Ontario, Canada, to Scotland and Australia. In its place, he ironically dubbed the little bedside clock Big Ben (apparently not copyrighted by the British Parliament), and introduced it to the public in early ads as a gendered he instead of an it., Big Ben is a handsome, well built, refined and bright looking fellow with a clean-cut open face and a deep cheerful voice, one ad read. By the 1970s, radium was no . Westclox set up a factory in England in the 1940s and also in Scotland. When radium was discovered in the early 1900s, people were fascinated by its mysterious glow and it was added to many everyday products, including paints. Westclox Big Ben Style 1a Alarm Clock Date Summary: 1918 - 1935 (and a reproduction was made in 1970) Characteristics: Ring on top, two legs in front, no screws through the front of the bezel. 1888. I cant find out anything about him or any other clocks by him. 1978. Columbia, PA 17512 Most importantly, they were forbidden to point the tip with their lips, and they avoided to ingest or inhale the luminous paint. It has a removable bottom decorative piece as well as a top rounded top flat piece of wood with a verticle wooden slat on the back extending to become a peg-like extension to fit and secure the decorative piece into the top of the clock. . In clocks, as in all other lines of goods, there are two classes of consumersthe millions and the millionaires. So I swapped them, and its worked perfectly ever since. On the Style 9, they went back to actual minute markings. I just had it repaired & it works & looks great. bailey oceans tide clock dated 1880, with a Fusee movement. Penetrating gamma radiation produced by some dials also represents a significant health risk. In some respects, the early rise of the Western Clock MFG Co. is even more impressive considering the company didnt have all the resources of an established, major metropolis to draw from. I believed it was manufacturing tag. Most are in nickel finish cases, but some were made in gold plated cases. This fall, the museum will be open more frequently and for more events. . Do you have an archival dept who could give us an idea of our Western Clock which we recently acquired? I have been collecting, repairing, and restoring mostly Westclox Big Bens for several years. Ruth Spayer at the Westclox Museum tracked down a newspaper story from the Daily Post-Tribune on March 21, 1944, describing a scene in which three women fainted, several clerks were trampled, and four showcase windows were shattered before police untangled a jam of 2,500 women and a few stout-hearted men who converged on the store.. 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. The standard operating procedure of their daily work involved literally placing radium flecked paint brushes between their lips to create a finer point before application. Purchased from a man who claimed to have salvaged them from the backroom of an unnamed Chicago watch repair shop, each round and weathered face represents the lasting work of an international manufacturing giant at the peak of its powers. In the production of ordinary clocks adapted to the needs and means of the millions, America produces results of remarkable excellence. He invited us in to look around, so we got to go up and down the big freight elevator and he found some old music boxes that were never used that he gave to us (Westclox made one or two little clocks with a music box in them). When did they stop using radium for watches? My Grandmother had a Westclox in her house. The factory contained a bowling alley, and Ristau said his father was an excellent bowler. I took it all apart and asked my dad to help me put it back together, but he cut his finger on the spring. I have looked high and low in my attempts to find out how any of these resproduction style 1A were produced. If you do not expect to work hard and carefully, you are in the wrong place., Big Ben is a handsome, well built, refined and bright looking fellow with a clean-cut open face and a deep cheerful voice,, 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,, But he only comes upon receipt of signed price agreement. Gary Biolchini added more style series in his book Sometimes getting parts is tough, too, although it turns out Westclox made lots and lots of spare parts. A clock without hands might seem indifferent to the passage of time, but these old Big Ben and Baby Ben dials have some serious stories to tell. Westclox 0.9" LED Plasma Screen Alarm Clock with USB Charging Port 71014X. when did westclox stop using radium. Junghans, Kienzle,Mauthe,Kaiser, Peter, (all from Germany) Veglia (Italy), CNIS ( France), Ingersoll (UK) as well as some Hong Kong made items. Westclox Big Bens and Baby Bens are full of the stuff. I spent many an evening here, watching him bowl.. So, does Westclox really belong in the Made In Chicago Museum? It was put away for years and last year it was given to me as I have small collection of United novelty clocks. 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.. The center is in the shape of the world map. Don Spayer, volunteer and former Westclox employee, said the bulk of the museums collection was built through donations. The greater surprise, though, is that they didnt abandon the use of radium in the years that followed. Thanks so much These efforts, combined with an ahead-of-its-time factory welfare department and employee benefits packages, led to a lot of workers spending their whole lives with Westclox. Also, its not just Americans who collect, its worldwide. When many of these early Big Ben advertisements were still running, Gaston Le Roys life took a sudden and dramatic turn.