140-T-0704

BOSTWICK & BURGESS COLUMBUS TIMEPIECE
INDEX # : 140-T-0704

circa: 1892-1893

CLOCK STYLE Wall Clock

CLOCK NAME Columbus / Anno 1492

MANUFACTURE Bostwick & Burgess, Norwalk, Ohio

CASE MODEL # N/A

MOVEMENT TYPE Wood gears, single weight, time only, folliot
escapement.

CASE SIZE & CONSTRUCTION Base = 5 ½", Height = 14", Depth = 5 ½"

LABEL INFORMATION No label, original paper label was on wood box that clock was packaged in.

DIAL INFORMATION Wood dial with raised pressed Arabic numerals, single hand for hour and minute. Dial serves as front plate of movement. 5 ½" chapter ring.

MISC. FEATURES Has raised likeness of Christopher Columbus and the date 1492.

ACQUIRED FROM Online auction. Seller was told by original owner that this clock was purchased during the 1934 Worlds Fair in Chicago, Ill. The clock appears to be identical to the other original Columbus clocks in our collection except for the time weight and the poor repairs that were made to the escapement and acorn weights.

CONDITION WHEN ACQUIRED The face of this timepiece has some damage and will require major restoration or replacement, also the original acorn weights are missing and were replaced with carved wooden acorns by a previous owner. The folliot
arm has also been replaced and will a reproduction will need to be fashioned. The wooden gears are all in good shape.

RESTORATION

N/A

HISTORICAL DATA

This clock was made by Bostwick and Burgess to mark the 400 year anniversary of Columbus's discovery of the America's, and was produced for the Chicago Columbus Exposition in 1893. It is reported that these clocks were also given away as souvenirs for a production of Rice's 1492 at the Palmer Theater in New York City in 1893 & 1894. Bostwick and Burgess were only in business from 1892-1893, and made some 15,000 to 20,000 Columbus clocks as souvenirs. Initially, they charged $5.00 apiece, and later it was reported that the left over clocks were sold for $1.00 each. The business is believed to have been purchased by Waitley of Worthington, Ohio in 1894. Reportedly, there are very few of the original Columbus Clocks left in existence. In 1945, it was estimated that only 500 clocks remained.

The image to the left is of the Bostwick-Goodell Co., c. 1920, which took over from Bostwick and Burgess. They made window blinds and screens.

Additional historical information has been provided by a descendant of the company, click here to view this information.

REFERENCES 1. NAWCC Bulletin No. 280, Volume 34, October 1992. Picture of timepiece on back cover, and description on page 513.
2. "The Book of American Clocks" by Brooks Palmer, 1967, picture of similar timepiece, illustration 281.
3. "The Columbus Clock" by Willis I. Milham, 1945.

NOTES This is the sixth Columbus clock in our collection, don't know why but I seem to have a soft spot for these things.

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CLOCK STYLE	Wall Clock
CLOCK NAME	Columbus / Anno 1492
MANUFACTURE	Bostwick & Burgess, Norwalk, Ohio
CASE MODEL #	N/A
MOVEMENT TYPE	Wood gears, single weight, time only, folliot escapement.
CASE SIZE & CONSTRUCTION	Base = 5 ½", Height = 14", Depth = 5 ½"
LABEL INFORMATION	No label, original paper label was on wood box that clock was packaged in.
DIAL INFORMATION	Wood dial with raised pressed Arabic numerals, single hand for hour and minute. Dial serves as front plate of movement. 5 ½" chapter ring.
MISC. FEATURES	Has raised likeness of Christopher Columbus and the date 1492.
ACQUIRED FROM	Online auction. Seller was told by original owner that this clock was purchased during the 1934 Worlds Fair in Chicago, Ill. The clock appears to be identical to the other original Columbus clocks in our collection except for the time weight and the poor repairs that were made to the escapement and acorn weights.
CONDITION WHEN ACQUIRED	The face of this timepiece has some damage and will require major restoration or replacement, also the original acorn weights are missing and were replaced with carved wooden acorns by a previous owner. The folliot arm has also been replaced and will a reproduction will need to be fashioned. The wooden gears are all in good shape.
RESTORATION	N/A
HISTORICAL DATA	This clock was made by Bostwick and Burgess to mark the 400 year anniversary of Columbus's discovery of the America's, and was produced for the Chicago Columbus Exposition in 1893. It is reported that these clocks were also given away as souvenirs for a production of Rice's 1492 at the Palmer Theater in New York City in 1893 & 1894. Bostwick and Burgess were only in business from 1892-1893, and made some 15,000 to 20,000 Columbus clocks as souvenirs. Initially, they charged $5.00 apiece, and later it was reported that the left over clocks were sold for $1.00 each. The business is believed to have been purchased by Waitley of Worthington, Ohio in 1894. Reportedly, there are very few of the original Columbus Clocks left in existence. In 1945, it was estimated that only 500 clocks remained. The image to the left is of the Bostwick-Goodell Co., c. 1920, which took over from Bostwick and Burgess. They made window blinds and screens. Additional historical information has been provided by a descendant of the company, click here to view this information.
REFERENCES	1. NAWCC Bulletin No. 280, Volume 34, October 1992. Picture of timepiece on back cover, and description on page 513. 2. "The Book of American Clocks" by Brooks Palmer, 1967, picture of similar timepiece, illustration 281. 3. "The Columbus Clock" by Willis I. Milham, 1945.
NOTES	This is the sixth Columbus clock in our collection, don't know why but I seem to have a soft spot for these things.