2010 National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors, Inc. Reproduction prohibited without written permission.

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1 Unraveling the Mysteries of Killam attempting to locate examples of banjo clocks While with signed Daniel J. Steele glasses for a Bulletin article, I had an opportunity to meet another NAWCC member and collector, Ralph D. Leach Jr. During our first telephone conversation about these clocks, he said that he knew a gentleman who owned one and could arrange a visit whenever I visited the Boston area. Knowing Ralph lived near Providence, RI, I inquired if he knew anything about the early twentieth-century clockmaker George Killam, who manufactured and sold clocks under Killam & Co. in Pawtucket, RI. He replied that he owned two Killam clocks and had uncovered biographical and business information about him. I was excited because Killam was on my radar screen to research in the future. Our subsequent meeting and collaboration led to this article. & Co. Much of what is published about George Killam and is completely wrong, so this article is an attempt to tell his story and set the record straight. The information was obtained from a variety of sources: magazine advertisements, the Pawtucket Public Library, Pawtucket City Business Directories, and his obituary. Examples of his clocks were acquired from private collections, auction catalogs, and a clock dealer. George Roland Smith Killam was born in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, on June 11, He married Florence Taylor on June 29, 1906, in Pawtucket, RI. He passed away on August 10, 1930, at age 57 after an illness of several weeks. His obituary noted that he was survived by his wife Florence Killam, his daughter, Louise Killam, and a brother, Herbert Killam, who lived in British Columbia. It is interesting that there is no supporting evidence by Ralph Denton Leach Jr. (RI) and Andrew H. Dervan (MI) NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin October

2 Figure 1A, top. Advertisement from 1900 Pawtucket Business Directory. Figure 1B, above. Advertisement from 1903 Pawtucket Business Directory. Figure 2A, top right. Book Lovers Magazine, Figure 2B, right. Similar clock pictured in 1904 advertisement. for the existence of a Guy Killam reported in the published literature. George Killam began his horological career in 1893; he owned shops at different addresses and under variations of his first and middle names in Pawtucket, RI, over many years. At one location he is listed as a and at another one he is listed as (see Table 1, p. 534). In most of the local business directory listings he was a and appeared to have run an active pocket watch repair operation. Subsequently, he opened a second shop as a clockmaker. He placed advertisements in Pawtucket Business Directories: 1900 listing himself as Killam, (Figure 1A) and 1903 listing two locations Killam, and, (Figure 1B). His advertisements in the business directories continued until In May 1904 he placed an advertisement for his banjo clocks in Book Lovers Magazine (Figure 2A). He also placed a small advertisement in the April 1905 Country Life America (see Figure 2C). Figure 2B is an early clock with the same exact case style and glasses as depicted in the magazine advertisement. These advertisements listed his shop at 18 Baptist and 81 Baptist Street, but its actual address was 8 Baptist St. A photograph was taken of Baptist St. about 1900 (Figure 3A) illustrating that it was about one block long. Visible in the photograph was his clock shop. In an enlarged section of the photograph 532 October 2010 NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin

3 Figure 2C. From April 1905 Country Life In America. the sign Clocks is discernible (Figure 3B). Killam was very proud of his reproduction Willard banjo and wrote in his advertisement (see Figure 2A): Every particle of this clock is made in my own workshop. I employ only skilled mechanics, and use in its construction only tried and tested material that will last a lifetime. The clock shown here-with stands 42 inches tall. It is made of solid mahogany, beautiful in grain, and rich in color; the frames for the glass panels, and the bracket for the bottom, are laid in real gold leaf; the glass panels themselves are hand painted {of various designs} faithfully copied from famous old clocks. The clock has brass trimmings with roman or arabic dial, to suit the purchaser. The movement is eight-day and of the finest workmanship. The works, likewise the clock are guaranteed in every respect. The price of this clock is $48.00 delivered to you by freight I pay the freight. His reproduction Willard banjo clock was priced at $48 very competitive versus $49.50 for Waltham Clock Company s reproduction Willard banjo clock. Waltham charged an additional $3 for the gilded lower bracket, based on their 1910 catalog. An example of one of his 8-day weight-driven pendulum-controlled movements is shown here. See Figure 4B. His subsequent banjo clock production used a variety of case designs and decorative reverse-painted glass scenes. His 1904 advertisement illustrated a traditional gilt frame presentation case with gilded lower Figure 3A, above. Photograph of Baptist St., ca Figure 3B, left. Enlargement of his sign Clocks. bracket and brass finial (see Figures 2B and 5A). The dial is unsigned. His 8-day weight-driven pendulum movement is signed and has a very distinctive feature: The crutch protrudes out from inside of the movement s front plate through a hole cut in the plate, and the escapement pallet arbor is mounted inside the plates rather than having a removable cast brass pendulum bridge (see Figure 5B). The movement is signed Killam & Co. (see Figure 5C). The authors have seen a number of clocks with unsigned dials and movements that have this unique movement and attribute them to Killlam & Co. He retailed his clocks through Tilden Thurber, which was a major jewelry store in Providence. Five of his other clocks have very different frame styles: half round frame with a lower bracket, flat frame, sculptured half round, half round frame without a lower bracket, and turned half round (see Figures 6A- 6E). The simpler case styles without gilding would be cheaper to manufacture; some clocks do not have a NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin October

4 Figure 4A, far left. Signed dial. Figure 4B, left, Movement. Figure 5A, below center. Gilded frame case Figure 5B, below. Figure 4C installed. Figure 5C, bottom. Signature Pawtucket RI on Figure 4C movement. lower bracket. Eliminating the lower bracket would have reduced case manufacturing acturing cost and complexity even more. These clocks all contain his distinc-itive movement ent design. He advertised that he manufactured his own cases as well as movements; ments; it was very likely that he made his own cases, due to their unusual construction niques and frame decoration designs. s. tech- He appears to have manufactured clocks until about 1920 and then became involved in cotton fabric manufacture. Al- though in 1924, he advertised in The Magazine Antiques sell- ing Banjo clock movements, hands, keys, pendulums, or any clock parts (see Figure 7). His business address was 17 Summer Street. In conclusion, George Killam was one the first early twentieth-century clockmakers who made high-quality reproductions of Si- mon Willard s Improved Timepiece containing his own design 8-day weight-driven pendulum-controlled movement. He appeared to have also designed and constructed his clock cases using unusual case styles and construction techniques. He probably manufactured clocks for at least 17 years ( ) and Table 1 George Roland Smith Killam Business Locations From Pawtucket, RI, City Business Directories COURTESY R.O. SCHMITT AUCTIONS Date Name Address Business Name Comment 1893 Roland Killam 181 Main St. 1 st Appearance 1894 Roland S. Killam 181 Main St Roland S. Killam Moved to Providence, RI 1897 Jeweler Baptist St Same as above COURTESY R.O. SCHMITT AUCTIONS East Avenue 70 East Avenue Last Appearance Summer St. Last Appearance 534 October 2010 NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin

5 COURTESY MICHAEL NOBLES COURTESY SOLVANG ANTIQUES Figure 6A, far left. Half-round frame with a lower bracket Figure 6B, left. Flat frame. Figure 6C, center. Sculptured half-round frame. Figure 6D, right. Traditional half -round frame without a lower bracket. Figure 6E, far right. Turned half-round frame. appeared to continue selling parts for at least another four years. He was very proud of his clocks and offered to pay the freight to ship the clock to customers. Shortly afterward he began making reproduction Willard Timepieces. Other clock companies (e.g., Waltham Clock Co., E. Howard Clock Co., Chelsea Clock Co., and Waterbury Clock Co.) began manufacturing their versions of Simon Willard s Improved Timepiece. These larger competitors must have made it very difficult for an individual clockmaker like George Killam to survive. D The authors would appreciate hearing from other NAWCC members who have clocks with movement or case style variations; they can be contacted through the NAWCC Publications Department. Acknowledgments: John Delaney, Paul Foley, Elizabeth J. Johnson- Pawtucket History Research Center, Michael Nobles, Susan Reed, Pawtucket Public Library, R.O. Schmitt Auctions, and Solvang Antiques Figure 7, left. December 1924 advertisement in The Magazine Antiques. About the Authors Ralph D. Leach joined the NAWCC in 1979, and his principal collecting interest is weight- driven banjo clocks. He sets ups and repairs clocks as a part-time business. He is employed as a supervisor by the City of Pawtucket, RI. Andrew Dervan joined the NAWCC in 1997 and found clock collecting fascinating. He has found researching the histories of various makers and companies as challenging and exciting as collecting. His principal collecting interest is weight-driven clocks particularly banjo clocks from late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He supports his clock addiction by working as a chemist for DuPont Performance Coatings. NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin October