Marking Modern Times: A History of Clocks, Watches, and Other Timekeepers in American Life

272 Pages·2013·3.177 MB·English

by  Alexis McCrossen

MARKING MODERN TIMES

Marking Modern Times
A HISTORY OF CLOCKS, WATCHES,
AND OTHER TIMEKEEPERS IN AMERICAN LIFE
Alexis McCrossen
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS | CHICAGO AND LONDON
Alexis McCrossen is associate professor of history at Southern Methodist University.
She is the author of Holy Day, Holiday: The American Sunday and the editor of Land of
Necessity: Consumer Culture in the United States–Mexico Borderlands.
The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 60637
The University of Chicago Press, Ltd., London
© 2013 by The University of Chicago
All rights reserved. Published 2013.
Printed in the United States of America
22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 1 2 3 4 5
ISBN-13: 978-0-226-01486-9 (cloth)
ISBN-13: 978-0-226-01505-7 (e-book)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
McCrossen, Alexis.
Marking modern times : a history of clocks, watches, and other
timekeepers in American life / Alexis McCrossen.
pages : illustrations ; cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-226-01486-9 (cloth : alk. paper)
ISBN 978-0-226-01505-7 (e-book)
1. Clocks and watches—United States—History—19th century. 2. Clocks
and watches—United States—History—20th century. I. Title.
TS543.U6M396 2013
681.1′1—dc23
2012045005
This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992
(Permanence of Paper).
To Adam and Annie

CONTENTS
List of Illustrations • ix
Acknowledgments • xiii
INTRODUCTION
Unveiling the Jewelers’ Clock • 1
CHAPTER 1
Time’s Tongue and Hands:
The First Public Clocks in the United States • 24
CHAPTER 2
Clockwatching:
The Uneasy Authority of Clocks and Watches in Antebellum America • 41
CHAPTER 3
Republican Heirlooms, Instruments of Modern Time Discipline:
Pocket Watches during and after the Civil War • 63
CHAPTER 4
Noon, November 18, 1883:
The Abolition of Local Time, the Debut of a National Standard • 89
CHAPTER 5
American Synchronicity:
Turn-of-the-Century Tower Clocks, Street Clocks, and Time Balls • 114
CHAPTER 6
Monuments and Monstrosities:
The Apex of the Public Clock Era • 143
viii | CONTENTS
EPILOGUE
Content to Look at My Watch:
The End of the Public Clock Era • 171
Notes • 185
Index • 247
ILLUSTRATIONS
TABLES
Table 1. Types of clocks ordered from Seth Thomas and E. Howard, 1871–99,
1902–11 • 7
Table 2. Customers for Seth Thomas and E. Howard Clocks, 1871–99,
1902–11 • 21
FIGURES
INTRODUCTION
Tarp being pulled off a new clock, Chicago, 1928 • 2
Sundial, New York, ca. 1800 • 11
Norman Rockwell, The Clock Mender, 1945 • 14
Trade card for watchmakers and jewelers Farr and Olmstead, ca. 1870 • 16
Elgin National Watch Company, Elgin, Illinois, 1914 • 20
CHAPTER ONE
The Old Liberty Bell, 1899 • 26
John Lewis Krimmel, Election Day, 1815 • 27
Jean-Baptiste Dubuc, George Washington mantle clock, ca. 1805 • 35
Notice for Philadelphia watchmaker Frederick Reed, 1818 • 37
Hard Times Token, New York, 1837 • 39
CHAPTER TWO
J. C. Wild, Market Street from Front Street, Philadelphia, ca. 1840 • 44
Charles Vanderhoof, The Old Mechanics’ Bell Tower, New York, 1882 • 46
Harry O. Hall, Isaac Bassett Turning Back Hands of Senate Clock, 1892 • 50
Trade card for watchmaker S. W. Benedict, New York, ca. 1840 • 52
Advertisement for H. Sperry and Company, New York, ca. 1858 • 53
Advertisement for Tiffany and Company, New York, 1856 • 54
Trade card for watch dealer William B. Eltonhead, Philadelphia, ca. 1855 • 57
CHAPTER THREE
Occupational portrait of a watchmaker, ca. 1840–60 • 65
Trade card for J. H. Johnston and Robinson, New York, ca. 1860–70 • 67
Portrait of Charles M. Walton mounted as a carte de visite, 1863 • 69
“How a Countryman ‘Bought a Watch,’” 1868 • 77