Meetings PastNovember 17, 2018 Meeting Highlights
Chapter 148 (CT) held its year-end holiday meeting on Saturday morning, November 17, 2018. Mart tables were sold out in advance. Members cheerfully navigated the old Edmond Town Hall gymnasium, where they found plenty of warmth, food, friendship, and treasure.
At the American Clock & Watch Museum's table we learned that the Museum is now open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays per its winter schedule. The Museum's acclaimed Scoundrels & Scandals exhibit will continue to the end of the year. Tom Vaughn reported that the Bristol [CT] Historical Society has located a 19th century portrait, said to be that of clock maker Joseph Ives (1782-1862). The Society is trying to raise the sum of $500 to cover minor repairs and cleaning of the oil painting and its canvas. Donations can be made out to: Bristol Historical Society / Joseph Ives Portrait Restoration Fund, and mailed to: Bristol Historical Society, P.O. Box 1393, 98 Summer St., Bristol, CT 06011. Ten sumptuous holiday gift baskets were raffled off, in part to benefit the restoration of the above-mentioned portrait. Our speaker was Mary Jane Dapkus, longtime contributor to the NAWCC Bulletin's Research Activities & News Column, and contributing editor of the American Clock & Watch Museum's Timepiece Journal. Her talk, entitled: “Antebellum Shelf Clocks of Farmington & Unionville Villages, CT: Their Remarkable Makers and Amazing Stories” attracted an attentive audience.
Based on twenty years' research, Mary Jane's talk is the subject of a forthcoming book by co-authors Dapkus and Snowden Taylor, expected late this year or early in the next. Thanks are due to John Battistini (NY) for taking photos of our November meeting. Many thanks are also due to our indefatigable chapter officers, Al and Cheryl Comen, and to all the dedicated volunteers, presenters, and tableholders who made our meetings enjoyable and educational in 2018. * * * September 15, 2018 Meeting Highlights
Chapter 148 (CT) met on Saturday morning, September 15, 2018. A lot had happened since our last meeting. For example, member Chris Brooks was honored for his 50th year of NAWCC membership. Tom Vaughn learned that the Plymouth, CT home of 19th century clock tablet decorator William B. Fenn is still standing. Chris Corvelyn shared photos of the 2018 NAWCC National, when and where Bill Curley took first prize in the Craft Contest for a clock maker's staking tool of his own design and construction. Jim Katzin is to give a talk on Litchfield, CT clocks at 7:00PM September 26, 2018, at the East Litchfield Chapel. George Dingwell is searching for a Seth Thomas No. 5 Parlor Calendar clock to share with family members. Oral tradition maintains that Seth Thomas himself gifted the family with several of them over 100 years ago.
Members were saddened to learn that Chester Hicks' wife passed away after a lengthy illness. We offer our condolences. Tom Vaughn, vice president of the Plymouth Historical Society, exhibited an early 19th century pinion lathe in the Historical Society's collection. The machine, with a documented connection to clock maker Silas Hoadley, had likely been used at the Ireland (Porter Contract) factory later acquired by Hoadley. It was set up to operate by water power and had holders for jigs. Jim Katzin, David Ewbank, Tom Grimshaw, and Chris Brooks teamed to present another installment in our series on unusual collectible clocks. Jim began by describing a metal one-year movement produced by the Differential Power Clock Co. of Chicago, IL. Patented in 1911, the movement's simple differential reduces stress on the gear trains early in the year, when the springs are most tightly wound. Next, Tom Grimshaw shifted to the fertile topic of Seth Thomas (ST) clocks. Beginning with a rather plain S. B. Terry wall clock, he explained how the clock formed the basis for the ST No. 1 and No. 2 regulators. Tracing the development of the No. 1 and No. 1 Extra models, Tom illustrated many interesting observations and discoveries, including an example with a signed original tablet. David Ewbank followed with a slightly later ST Regulator No. 1, having an unusual weight and hands, describing his surprising discovery that these components were original. Another example had nickel trim and a trapezoidal movement. David followed with two more scarce examples not found in published references.
Thanks are due to our very knowledgeable presenters for a spectacular and exciting “show and tell” session. Many thanks are also due to our gracious and thoughtful chapter officers, Al and Cheryl Comen, and to the army of dedicated volunteers who consistently make our chapter meetings events to look forward to. * * * May 19, 2018 Meeting Highlights
Chapter 148 (CT) convened on the morning of Saturday, May 19, 2018. Members exchanged greetings over a well-stocked breakfast buffet, mart, and silent auction.
Chapter president Al Comen recognized a number of members in attendance who were recently awarded NAWCC long-time membership pins. A complete list is as follows: 10 years: Steve Traski, Alex Marshall, John Bieback; 20 years: Don Webb, Darren Dagnoli; 30 Years: Travis Engen, Scott Werner; 40 years: Joe Kaddis, Steve Molinelli. To them we extend hearty congratulations and best wishes! At the American Clock & Watch Museum's mart table we learned that the Museum's beautiful new Scoundrels & Scandals exhibit (based in large part on recent, original primary source research), will run through 2018. On Sept. 30, Curator Tom Manning will speak on Terry family clocks at the Antiquarian & Landmark Society's Isham Terry House in Hartford, CT. On Oct. 24, Director of Interpretation Colleen Nicastro will give a talk on the tragic story of early 20th century radium clock and watch dial painters. (Contact the Museum for information.)
Many thanks are due to our presenters, our chapter officers, Christopher Corveleyn for taking the accompanying photograph, and to the host of volunteers who helped make our May meeting exciting and educational. * * * March 17, 2018 Meeting Highlights
Over 90 Chapter 148 members and friends gathered at the old Edmond Town Hall on Saturday morning, March 17. Coffee and conversation flowed freely over an abundant mart.
The American Clock & Watch Museum has recently published the Spring 2018 issue of the Timepiece Journal, a benefit for its members. This issue, featuring an article about an Eli Terry, Porter Contract wooden movement tall case clock ca. 1809, recently acquired by the Hoffman Clock Museum of Newark, NY, includes tips on identifying Porter Contract movements and other items of interest. (Contact the Museum to obtain a copy.) If you haven't visited either the ACWM (and its new exhibit, entitled "Scoundrels & Scandals"), or the Hoffman Museum, both are well worth a trip. The team of David Ewbank and Tom Grimshaw returned with another installment of their popular series on collectible clocks. To the delight of both new and seasoned collectors in the audience, this time the duo drew upon their remarkably deep store of knowledge and objects to present an array of rare and unusual miniatures. Tom began by presenting a number of unusual cottage clocks. The smallest was a torsion pendulum example by S.B. Terry. Tom went on to show what is possibly the smallest ever wooden movement shelf clock: an example by Joseph R. Bill, Middletown, CT. Dating to ca. 1830, it had a time and alarm movement.
David Ewbank David won the competition for the smallest miniature clock--and probably also the rarest. It was a carriage / anniversary clock with a year-running movement, featuring a fine suspension wire and tiny ball pendulum. Standing only about 4 inches tall, only two others are known. Many thanks are due to Tom and David for their time and effort in bringing us another educational, and engaging presentation. Thanks are also due to our Chapter officers, Al and Cheryl Comen, and to all the other volunteers who help make our meetings a great pleasure to attend. * * * Meetings In 2017 |
Last (but by no means least), Chris Brooks took the stage to reveal his discovery of what at first appeared to be a rather ordinary ST No. 10 marine clock. What made this item extraordinary, however, was not only a separate inner circle of figures on the dial that reads “Greenwich time”, but also a center sweep seconds hand (see photo). Although this example had been (inappropriately) painted, the clock appeared in the ST 1938 catalog.
