Alarm Clocks On a Shelf
There were four forms of shelf alarm clocks that took over the market during the last quarter of the nineteenth century.
Parlor alarm clocks triumphed from 1870 to 1900. The black mantel clocks were in favor from 1850 to just before 1920. Kitchen clocks mass produced by the millions, and attained their popularity from 1890 until 1900. Alarms were in style from 1875 to date. They were the earliest mechanical clocks. They were used in the monasteries, so that the monks could keep their appointments. A bell sounded to awaken them because they lacked dials.
The cases were made of wood. Mahogany was the favorite, nonetheless. Clockmakers were looking for other materials. The new clock cases created included iron cases; painted cases, with oriental designs; papier-mache, with mother-of-pearl inlay, and plastic celluloid, which was patented in 1869. It was not until 1900 that celluloid clocks were on the market. Most of these were small, thirty-hour, time-only, shelf clocks. Two well-known alarm clocks manufactured by the Westera Clock Co. were the “Big Ben“, introduced in 1910, and the Little Ben, introduced in 1915. Today, Westclox produces these clocks which became the company name in 1936.
The “cottage clock” was a smaller form of the Connecticut shelf clock, made in the late 1800’s. Most of them have thirty-hour movements and wooden cases that are less then one foot in height with flat or three-sided
tops. Most of them were made in the last quarter of the nineteenth century.
A novel shelf timepiece called the “Inkstand clock” was developed by the Ansonia Clock Company, and had two ink containers on each side, six to thirteen inches high. It was usually one day, time only, and sometimes had a calendar attached. Two of Asonia’s clocks are named “Parlor Ink Stand no.2”, and “Office Ink Stand“. Another company that produced inkstand clocks was the Sons & Company. Most of the time, the ink bottles were made of cut glass.
Then there was the papier-mache shelf clock that appeared in the middle of the 1800’s. It was made of masked paper mixed with glue, and other adhesive materials that could be easily molded. Sometimes added were decorations, such as mother-of-pearl.
The Litchfield Manufacturing Company of Litchfield was the largest producer. After these clocks caught the public’s eye, a clock named “Iron Mache” was introduced. These were produced, using a painting and gilding process to make cast-iron front clocks look like genuine papier-mache models. The Jerome company produced a large series papier-mache shelf clocks. They are inexpensive.
The shelf clock was the first type of alarm clock that fit easily into many homes. All that was needed for display was a table, shelf, or mantel.
