calendar clocks revisited & updated part 3 by gerald siegel (ga)

Transcription

1 fashion calendar clocks part 3 revisited & updated by gerald siegel (ga) This is Part 3 of a three-part series. Part 1, which addressed early history, label and movement variations, and patents, was published in the November/December 2014 Watch & Clock Bulletin. Part 2, which addressed the sequence of Fashion models and keys, was published in the January/February 2015 Watch & Clock Bulletin. other fashion calendar clocks Part 3 discusses other manufacturers of Fashion Calendar Clocks. All the other manufactures used black dials, except for Gilbert, which used white dials (Figure 27, Part 1). The Ithaca Calendar Clock Co. (Figure 25, Part 1) has the Ithaca perpetual calendar and the New Haven Calendar Clock Co. (Figure 26, Part 1) has a simple ratchet calendar that is attached to the back of the case (Figures 118 and 119). The New Haven label can be seen in Figure 6, Part 1. Both clocks are described in my article on Fashions in the February 1967 NAWCC Bulletin. The National Calendar Clock Co. made two models of Fashion calendar clocks (Figures 28 and 29, Part 1). The center of both dials of Figure 28 reads Manufactured For The National Calendar Clock Co. In Figure 30, Part 1, only the time dial has the wording above. The movements were made by The New Haven Clock Co. (Figure 120). Figure 121 shows the clock with the dials removed showing the inside of the clock. The pendulum bob for the National Fashions are unique and if lost will be hard to replace (Figure 122). The National Calendar Clock in Figure 28, Part 1, has a simple calendar that is attached to the back of Figures 118, above, and 119, top right. New Haven calendar. Figure 121, right. National Calendar inside. Figure 120. New Haven stamp. Figure 123, left. Patent design and patent. Figure 122, above. Back of National pendulum. 130 March/April 2015 NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin

2 Figure 124, above. Comparison of Fashions. Figure 125, left. Side view comparison. the calendar dial; no photo was available. The other model (Figure 29, Part 1) used a Waterbury perpetual calendar with the improved calendar design by A. F. Wells and can be seen in Figure 121. Figure 123 shows the design and a partial description of the patent. It is dated July 30, This date also appears on the upper part of the calendar dial. The case of the National Fashion is heavy and nicely made and almost identical to the long pendulum cases used by Seth Thomas. Figure 124 shows a front view comparison of a Model No. 6 Fashion on the left and the National Fashion on the right. Figure 125 is a side view comparison. The National Fashion is on the right in both pictures. The clock even has an enclosed base (Figure 126). The measurements of the two clocks are exactly the same, 6-1/2" wide at the base, 4-5/8" thick, and 16-1/2" across the back. The pillars on the National Fashion are not interchangeable with each other, because there is a nail pin protruding from the side of the case to line up the wooden plinth that the pillars rest on. On top of this plinth is a dowel and nail pin. On the bottom of the pillars are two holes, one for the dowel and one for the nail pin, so everything will be lined up (Figure 127). Although National used the heavier type of case, the name on the door was stenciled like on the New Haven and Ithaca. This clock is seldom seen and is highly sought, because it has been virtually unknown to most collectors until a few years ago. Is this clock scarce or rare? The unabridged Webster s Dictionary defines the two as follows: Scarce: Deficient in quantity or number compared with demand. Rare: Seldom occurring or found. This same scenario applies to the Gilbert Fashion and could apply to some other models of Fashions. finials Finials were first used by The Southern Calendar Clock Co. on Model No. 2, and the same style was used on all models through Model No. 9. Three like finials were used; Figure 128 shows a larger middle finial than the two outside finials. I do not recall ever seeing these finials all the same size. Because the tips of the finials are delicate, they often are broken. Occasionally, an unusual type of finial shows up. Figure 129 is a Model No. 4 that has a few features that are different from the norm. The wire gong appears to have been replaced; as you can see the brass strike hammer in the photo and the finial tips appear to have been shortened or replaced, although I Figure 129. Unusual finials. Figure 128, below. Fasihon finials. Figure 126, above. Enclosed base. Figure 127, below. Base of pillars and nail pins. NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin March/April

3 have not examined the clock. Model No. 10 also used three finials with the center larger than the two outside finials (Figures 99, 100, and 101, Part 2). It is a specially designed heavy looking finial; Figure 130 is a close-up. Model No. 11 did not use three finials but had a specially designed decorative top that had one center finial (Figures 131 and 132). Clock Figures 105, 106, and 107, Part 2, show this decorative top. The Ithaca and New Haven models also used three finials with the same style and size but of a lighter weight and of a different design (Figure 133). In Figure 25, Part 1, the finials are shown on the clocks. The National used finials of a different design, and all three are the same size. They are heavy looking and mushroom shaped (Figure 134). Figures 28 and 29, Part 1, show these on clocks. The Gilbert was different from the other models. It used two round balls on the top at each end of the clock and one small urn-type finial in the center (Figure 135). Figures 27 and 33, Part 1, show a full clock view. the name fashion The name Fashion first appeared in a simple lettering on the time dial of the early Model No. 1 (Figure 38, Part 2) and changed to fancier lettering on the time dial of both the later Model No. 1 and Model No. 2 (Figure 39, Part 2). The calendar dial of the early Model No. 1 had Southern Calendar Clock Co. in simple block letters (see Figure 38). The later Model No. 1 and Model No. 2 had Southern Calendar Clock Co. in a very fancy style of lettering in a semicircle with a decoration beneath the name and St. Louis, Mo. beneath this, all on the upper half of the calendar dial. The word Patented is on the lower half of the calendar dial and the patent date is below this. The patent date is Figure 130. Model No. 10 finials. different on later Models No. 1 and No. 2 (Figures 39 and 40). With the change to the all-glass-door models, the name Fashion was added in gold leaf to the middle of the glass between the dials. On the short pendulum Model Nos. 3 and 4 the gold leaf pattern is of one design; the F and N measure less than 3" (Figure 136). On the long pendulum models the gold leaf pattern is thinner and elongated and the F and N measure over 3" (Figure 137). The name is now 1/2" wider across the glass and sometimes varies in the thickness of the letters. The gold leaf name Fashion on all models can be a shiny plain gold leaf or a flat gold leaf with a shiny outline etched into the glass. Usually, on the short pendulum models the name Southern Calendar Clock Co. is on the calendar dial in a semicircle across the upper half, and St. Louis, Mo. is on the lower half of the dial. Model No. 9, a special model, used the long pendulum style of gold leaf, usually flat with a shiny outline (Figure 138). Presentation Model Nos. 10 and 11 used a different style of lettering that was thinner than the long pendulum models and more elongated with the F and N measuring about 5" (Figure 139). Other names on dials were Seth Thomas in straight block letters on the time dial of Model Nos. Figure 131, above. Model No. 11 decorative top. Figure 132, below. Model No. 11 decorative top. Figure 133. Ithaca and New Haven finial. Figure 135. Gilbert finials. Figure 134. National finial. Figure 136. Model Nos. 3 and 4. Figure 137. Long pendulum. Figure 138. Model No. 9. Figure 139. Presentation. 132 March/April 2015 NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin

4 Figure 140. Long pendulum models. Figure 142. Gilbert Fashion glass. Figure 143. Seth Thomas Parlor No. 3. Figure 141. Stenciled name. 4-1/2, 5, and 8 of the variant models with the painted seconds bit (Figure 116, Part 2) and Made By Seth Thomas Clock Co. in a fancy style of lettering on the calendar dial of some of the long pendulum models (Figure 140). Figure 81, Part 2, is a close-up of the Dixie Calendar Clock Co. dial, and Figure 83, Part 2, is a close-up of the Fashion Calendar Clock Co. dial, both in fancy lettering; sometimes, there is no name at all on the dial. On the Presentation models, the name Southern Calendar Clock Co. appears on the upper half of the calendar dial in fancy lettering with the patent date on the lower half (Figure 108, Part 2). Some letters on these dials are serif. The name Fashion on the Ithaca, New Haven, and the National models is similar and not in gold leaf; it was stenciled (Figure 141). The name on the Gilbert Fashion is a different design. The name Fashion is written above the calendar and below the time dial, and Southern Calendar Clock Co. at the very bottom of the glass, with a painted scene between the two (Figure 142). collecting fashions Every clock collector collects in a different way. There are collectors who specialize in a specific type of clock. There are collectors who collect a specific maker of clocks, and there are collectors who want an example of various types of clocks. There is no right or wrong way to collect. Collect what you like and enjoy; when you collect calendar clocks, you have a wide choice of makers and styles. The Fashion Calendar Clock is one type. These are collected by various models, and not by size, and need a number of some kind to distinguish one from another. Because there are many models of Fashion calendar clocks by various makers, you have a choice of how you want to collect. A lot of collectors want just one model. Many want a short pendulum model and a long pendulum model. There are those who want every model that was made by the Southern Calendar Clock Co. and the Seth Thomas Clock Co., and there are those who want every model of the Fashion Calendar Clock, including all the makers. Each Fashion has certain features and characteristics that attract different collectors. Some are harder to find than others, and some are more attractive than others. In this article there are 20 different Fashion calendar clocks by the Southern Calendar Clock Co. and the Seth Thomas Clock Co. that I know about but only ten different models plus two presentations. This corrects the original eight models in my article of February Some fall under the same model but different versions: two Model No. 1s, an early model and a late model; a Model No. 2, Model No. 3, two Model No. 4s; Std. Model No. 4, and Model No. 4 variant with long pendulum calendar; Model No. 4-1/2 and five different versions of Model No. 5; Model No. 5 variant with bell, Std. Model No. 5, Model No. 5 variant with painted seconds bit, Model No. 5 with Fashion on dial, Model No. 5 with Dixie on dial, Model No. 6, two Model No. 7s, one with Pettigrew on dial and one Model No. 7 with full hood, two Model No. 8s, one Std. Model No. 8 and one Model No. 8 variant with painted seconds bit, Model No. 9 and two presentations Model No. 10 and Model No. 11. fakes and marriages Many collectors and dealers have accumulated various parts of Fashion calendar clocks, such as movements, dials, bells, gongs, calendars, and pendulums. Often clocks are found missing one or more of the parts, and these extra parts are used to make the clock whole again. If it is not done right, a restored Fashion will be sold as an original or a new model. Sometimes, it is as simple as putting the wrong dial on the clock. For example, Seth Thomas has a Parlor Model No. 3 (Figure 143). This clock is similar to the Fashion Model No. 1 (Figures 34 and 35, Part 2). The Fashion has a curved ogee-style base with molding around the door, whereas the Seth Thomas Parlor No. 3 has a plain straight base and no molding around the door. Dials from Fashion Model Nos. 1 and 2 are being placed on this Seth Thomas model and passed off as a Fashion No. 1 (Figures 144 and 145). In Figure 146 the door is open so you can see how the square dials of the Seth Thomas Parlor are easily attached to the clock. In Figures 147 and 148 you can see how easy it would be to NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin March/April

5 Figure 144. Seth Thomas Model No. 3 with Fashion dials. Figure 147, above. Seth Thomas No. 3 with later No. 1 Fashion dials. Figure 148, right. Attachment of dials. Figure 145. Seth Thomas Model No. 3 with Fashion dials. put dials from a Fashion No. 1 and a Fashion No. 2 onto a Seth Thomas Parlor clock. I have also seen the dials of a Model No. 2 used on the short pendulum glass door models. I also have seen a Model No. 2 that had the calendar dial of the later Model No. 1. Because of the visible variants of Model No. 4-1/2V, Model No. 5V, and Model No. 8V, dials have been repainted and placed on these models, sometimes by accident and sometimes on purpose. It seems to be the case when a dial is repainted, because it is easy to repaint the seconds bit on the dial or have a paper dial glued on the clock. I have seen a Model No. 5 turned into a Model No. 8 by having wood carvings applied to the door or having the calendar door replaced. On Figure 146. Seth Thomas Model No. 3 showing early Fashion dial attachment. close examination, all the above can be spotted easily. There is a Fashion No. 4 with replaced black dials (Figure 149). Although it is an attractive clock, keep in mind that it is not an original Fashion. Short pendulum Fashion calendar clocks did not have black dials. I have seen two styles of Gilbert Elberons with a repainted or replaced glass with the name Fashion (Figure 150). In Figure 151 is another Elberon that also has a repainted or replaced glass that is incorrect. On this model the center finial also is incorrect. It is important that the Gilbert Elberon Fashion has the proper label (Figure 7, Part 1). Figure 152 is a Waterbury Quebec wall clock that has the name The Fashion silkscreened on the front of the glass. These are just a few examples. There are probably other Fashion calendar clocks that are not real models. These clocks are antiques and you want to keep as much originality to the clock as possible. A clock can only be original once. Keep as much patina on the case as possible. Do not have dials repainted just because of some small flaking. I would rather have an original dial with a little flaking than a repainted dial, unless the dial is almost completely gone. If you have a Model No. 134 March/April 2015 NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin

6 5 Fashion with the name Dixie or Fashion on the lower dial and the dial needs to be repainted, take a picture of the clock and dial before repainting as proof of the clock being an original. Keep the picture with the clock. Figure 76B, Part 2, is a picture of a dial before having it repainted, as proof of what was on the original dial. On this dial you can see the remnants of the name Seth Thomas. other information Figure 45, Part 2, is an actual bill of sale. It was in a frame on the wall next to a Model No. 2 Fashion in a store in Meriwether County, GA. It is dated June 15, 1877, and says the promissory note is due the first day of November The replacement of parts was extended from six months to 12 months. The Fashion Calendar Clock in Figure 111, Part 2, was purchased circa as a wedding present for a couple who lived in a log cabin with one room and a loft for sleeping. In the years that followed, additions were built around the cabin, incorporating the cabin into two of the rooms. The clock and the home have passed down through four generations and the family still lives there. I was recently told of a Fashion in an antiques shop. I corresponded with the owner and was sent digital photos. I recognized the clock as a long pendulum variant Model No. 5. On seeing the clock I was told the man who brought in the clock said it was inherited, and he did not want it. I could see why it was dirty and looked as if it had been in an attic for years. It had that old musty odor inside. The finish of the clock was crazed and had a faded mahogany color. The finials were complete. The clock did not run and the calendar was stuck. The antiques dealer knew nothing about clocks and said that I could look in it and take it apart. I gave it a quick assessment and purchased the clock. At home I began a close examination and determined that everything about the clock was original. The dials were exceptional with no flaking. They are the exact dials on the variant Model No. 4-1/2, Model No. 5, and Model No. 8. The gong base is nickel plated with no patent date. The movement has the Seth Thomas logo and is stamped Made In US America. It also is attached to the frame by screws, like Model No. 6. The calendar rolls are original but had turned dark with age, so the owner used a felt tip pen to go over the days and months. It has a Figure 149. Model No. 4, replaced dials. Seth Thomas label, like that in Figure 4, Part 1. The name Fashion on the glass is as nice as you would want. It is a matte gold leaf with a shiny outline. Applied on the inside back of the case is the lettering KB4KVY made by a label Figure 150. Gilbert Fashion with incorrect glass. Figure 151. Gilbert Fashion with incorrect glass and finial. Figure 152. Waterbury with Fashion glass. NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin March/April

7 Figure 153. Ithaca Chronometer. Figure 156. Model No. 5 variant. Figure 154. Ithaca Index. Figure 157. Model No. 5 variant open door without dials. Figure 155. Ithaca Favorite. maker. In the bottom of the case are two chock blocks with one screw and nut and a mailing label sticker. A woman s name and address are in the upper corner and the name Wallace handwritten, saying mama s clock and signed by the woman. I wanted to call the woman to discuss the history of the clock. I found out that she died in July 2012 at age 97. The lettering in the case was her call sign; she was active in an amateur radio club where she became licensed in her seventies. She had an Extra Class Amateur Radio Operators License, the highest class available to HAMs. The arm that connects the calendar to the movement was stuck behind the pendulum, keeping the clock and calendar from working. I have since put the clock back together and cleaned and polished the case. I left the crazing and the faded mahogany color because it is attractive. I have yet to figure out why the clock is this color. The clock is up and running and would make a nice addition to any collection (Figures 156 and 157). Figure 158 is an example of a nickel-plated gong without a patent date. 136 March/April 2015 NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin

8 Figure 158, left. Nickel-plated gong base without date. Figure 160, right. Seth Thomas ad. Figure 159, left. Stationery. competition Some clock companies made clocks that appeared to be competition for the Fashion. The Ithaca Calendar Clock Co. made a few. All these clocks have a name across the middle of the glass door like the Fashion. The Chronometer (Figure 153) has pillars on each side of the clock like the Fashion. Another is the Ithaca Index (Figure 154), which also has some sort of pillars on the side of the clock, and the third model is an Ithaca Favorite (Figure 155). The Ithaca Fashion appeared on the market after the turn of the century and was similar to the New Haven Fashion. A description of these two Fashion calendar clocks can be found in the February 1967 Bulletin. post script Figure 159 is a picture of Southern Calendar Clock Co. letterhead used on company stationary which reads Patentees and Sole Proprietors of the Renowned Calendar Clock Fashion. Sometime after the Southern Calendar Clock Co. went out of business, its patents were purchased by the Seth Thomas Clock Co. This allowed Seth Thomas to continue making and selling Fashion Calendar Clocks (Figure 160). There is no known record of when this happened. It likely was done prior to the Southern Calendar Clock Co. reviving its clock business. history of the southern calendar clock co. While researching the Fashion Calendar Clock, I became interested in the history of the Southern Calendar Figures 161 and 162, left and right. The two-page document filed by the Culver brothers incorporating the Southern Calendar Clock Co. NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin March/April

9 Figure 164. A copy of the certificate incorporating the Southern Calendar Clock Co. Figure 163. Front of the legal folder of the Articles of Association from Clock Co. After many long hours of searching through various sources and numerous correspondences, I was able to obtain copies of historical documents that provide an explanation of the various dates connected to the company. The Culver Brothers, H. H. Culver, W. W. Culver, and L. L. Culver, filed a two-page document (Figures 161 and 162) with the State of Missouri, on February 26, 1875, to incorporate a business of which the corporate name of the corporation shall be called The Southern Calendar Clock Co. with a capital of $75,000. On March 2, 1875, it was granted Charter No. 865 which lasts for 20 years and expires on March 2, Figure 163 is a copy of the front of the legal folder of the Articles of Association that shows the aforementioned facts. Figure 164 is a copy of the certificate. On Wednesday, January 2, 1889, the Thirty-Fifth General Assembly of the State of Missouri passed a bill entitled Crimes and Criminal Procedure. It was an Act for the Punishment of Pools, Trusts and Conspiracies where all registered corporations had to respond. The Department of State in Jefferson City, MO, sent a letter of inquiry dated September 24, 1889, to the Southern Calendar Clock Co. It requested if your Company has ceased to do business or abandoned its Corporate name, please so certify to this department. A one-line answer was written at the bottom of this letter stating The above corporation has ceased doing business Figure 165. The letter of inquiry regarding the corporate name and H. H. Culver s response. 138 March/April 2015 NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin

10 and was signed by H. H. Culver, president, Figure 165. This implies to me that the Southern Calendar Clock Co. was already out of business prior to September 24, Businesses in the St. Louis area are normally listed in the city directories. The Southern Calendar Clock Co. was listed in the 1880s up until Starting in 1887 the Seth Thomas Clock Co. was listed for the first time. On February 5, 1887, an article was placed in the St. Louis Post by the Seth Thomas Clock Co. announcing the opening of its store in St. Louis for the purpose of increasing their trade in St. Louis and the Southwest in watches and clocks exclusively of their own make. In summary, the Southern Calendar Clock Co. was in business from 1875 to 1886, not 1889 as previously thought. Sometime at the end of 1886 or the beginning of 1887, the Seth Thomas Clock Co. purchased the patents, in a private sale, from the Southern Calendar Clock Co. and remained in St. Louis for three years until conclusion When I started this article, it was not supposed to get this involved. But the research began to give me more and more information. This article is not definitive, but I hope it will give Fashion Calendar collectors new information. photo credits Figures , 148, 151, 152, 159: Anonymous. Figures 118 and 119: Jon Curtis. Figures 123: Patent Office. Figures 149, 150, : James D. Julia, Auctioneers. Figures , 135, 139, 142: Ben Gravolet. Figure 129: Skinner Auctioneers & Appraisers. Figure 133: John Gabrick. Figures 121, 122, , 134, , 140, 141, 156, 157, 158: Author. Figure 160: Don Hellstern Permission was given for the use of all these photos by the present owner, past owner, seller, or auction houses. To these people I am grateful. acknowledgments In memory of James Robert (Bob) Ramsay lll, a good friend who was instrumental in my collecting and joining NAWCC. Together we attended many regionals buying, selling, and making many friends. He will be missed by all who knew him. I especially thank Maynard Dean, for his graphic arts assistance, the use of his clock, his correspondence, and especially the design of the front cover featured with Part 1 of this article, and Ben Gravolet, for allowing me to use photographs of his clocks, his correspondence, and knowledge. Without these two people this article might not have been written. I also thank Charlie May and Bo Chisholm for information and photographs of their clocks, and all who allowed me to use their photos and information. references McDonald, Daniel. A Twentieth Century History of Marshall County Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1908: LXVI Henry Harrison Culver Southern Calendar Clock Co. Fashion Magazine (reprint). Tschudy, Robert. History of the Southern Calendar Clock Co. and Their Fashion Clock. NAWCC Bulletin, No. 32 (February 1950): about the author Gerald Siegel has been a member of the NAWCC since He has written three other articles: one in February 1967, No. 126 on Fashion Calendar Clocks; one in April 1968, No. 133 on Howard Banjos and Figure Eights; and one in August 1995, No. 297 on Wagon Springs. In 1984 three of his early pillar and scroll clocks were on loan at the NAWCC Seminar in Hartford, CT. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Georgia and is a member of Atlanta Chapter 24. for the NAWCC Board of Directors and Nominating & Elections Committee Ballots are due by midnight on April 1, NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin March/April