I can still recall the smell of the sand tarts she baked when I was a kid.
....and the grandfather clock circa 1973.
Grandma passed away in June of 1978
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Grandma
Today is Grandma's birthday, April 8, 1894
I can still recall the smell of the sand tarts she baked when I was a kid.
....and the grandfather clock circa 1973.
Grandma passed away in June of 1978
I can still recall the smell of the sand tarts she baked when I was a kid.
....and the grandfather clock circa 1973.
Grandma passed away in June of 1978
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
My Grandfather’s Clock
Actually it’s my mother’s clock
It’s an English longcase clock
In the early sixty’s my grandfather was an antique dealer in Lancaster County, PA. My uncle, his only son, became a dealer in the mid sixties. This clock was acquired by my uncle and sold to my parents with help of a small loan from my grandmother. That is pretty much the full history of the clock as I knew it until yesterday.
We were fairly certain that it was an English clock but knew no more than that. There were no identifying marks anywhere on the clock. We knew that there was a painted dial under the engraved brass dial but had never seen it.
My mother has recently moved and the clock has taken a trip to the clock shop before being relocated. The clock shop has exposed the painted dial as they perform fifty year maintenance procedures.
The clock appears to made by an English clockmaker named James Edwards of Stourbridge. Stoubridge is an industrial area 12 miles west of Birmingham (and place of manufacture of the first steam locomotive ever to operate in the United States, the Stourbridge Lion ).
I don’t yet know when Mr Edwards of Stourbridge manufactured his clocks.
The painted dial reveals that the clock originally had a movement with only two winding spindles protruding through the dial. Three additional holes have been drilled in the painted face to accommodate the three spindles of the current eight day movement. It is likely that the clock originally had a 30 hour movement which was replaced with the eight day movement with the chimes to make life more comfortable and convenient for the owner of the clock. A little Google time tells me this was not uncommon.
The engraved brass dial makes the story a little more interesting. While almost imperceptible from the front, the brass dial was also drilled to fit the original two spindle movement. Those older holes were carefully plugged, filled, and polished and then the engraving detail was carefully replicated. These plugged holes show clearly on the back of the dial. It appears that the brass dial was added some time before the clock was upgraded to the current movement. It would seem that whoever installed the movement now in the clock was skilled craftsman.
So that’s everything I know about the clock today. I am hoping to learn more and will share it as I find it. Meanwhile, if someone should stumble across this site who can tell me something about this clock or its clockmaker or who could point me along the way, I would appreciate hearing your comments.
Addendum; 3 April
I have learned a little bit more about the clock today. The back of the painted dial contains a “falseplate” used for attachment to the movement. The falseplate is stamped “S Baker Birmingham”.
A Google search yielded this interesting site with information on dating painted dials and an index of dialmakers.
I have posted a few more pictures of the clock on my Flickr photo sharing site. You can view them as a slide show or download full-size images there.
Check them out.
It’s an English longcase clock
In the early sixty’s my grandfather was an antique dealer in Lancaster County, PA. My uncle, his only son, became a dealer in the mid sixties. This clock was acquired by my uncle and sold to my parents with help of a small loan from my grandmother. That is pretty much the full history of the clock as I knew it until yesterday. We were fairly certain that it was an English clock but knew no more than that. There were no identifying marks anywhere on the clock. We knew that there was a painted dial under the engraved brass dial but had never seen it.
My mother has recently moved and the clock has taken a trip to the clock shop before being relocated. The clock shop has exposed the painted dial as they perform fifty year maintenance procedures.
The clock appears to made by an English clockmaker named James Edwards of Stourbridge. Stoubridge is an industrial area 12 miles west of Birmingham (and place of manufacture of the first steam locomotive ever to operate in the United States, the Stourbridge Lion ).
I don’t yet know when Mr Edwards of Stourbridge manufactured his clocks.
The painted dial reveals that the clock originally had a movement with only two winding spindles protruding through the dial. Three additional holes have been drilled in the painted face to accommodate the three spindles of the current eight day movement. It is likely that the clock originally had a 30 hour movement which was replaced with the eight day movement with the chimes to make life more comfortable and convenient for the owner of the clock. A little Google time tells me this was not uncommon.
The engraved brass dial makes the story a little more interesting. While almost imperceptible from the front, the brass dial was also drilled to fit the original two spindle movement. Those older holes were carefully plugged, filled, and polished and then the engraving detail was carefully replicated. These plugged holes show clearly on the back of the dial. It appears that the brass dial was added some time before the clock was upgraded to the current movement. It would seem that whoever installed the movement now in the clock was skilled craftsman.
So that’s everything I know about the clock today. I am hoping to learn more and will share it as I find it. Meanwhile, if someone should stumble across this site who can tell me something about this clock or its clockmaker or who could point me along the way, I would appreciate hearing your comments.
Addendum; 3 April
I have learned a little bit more about the clock today. The back of the painted dial contains a “falseplate” used for attachment to the movement. The falseplate is stamped “S Baker Birmingham”.
A Google search yielded this interesting site with information on dating painted dials and an index of dialmakers.
…the people who made the dials which the clockmakers used. The clockmaker's name is usually on the dial, but the dialmaker's name is often stamped on the reverse of the dial or cast into the "falseplate".http://www.dialrestorer.co.uk/7.html
BAKER, SAMUEL - BIRMINGHAM - clock dials 1823 to 1850
I have posted a few more pictures of the clock on my Flickr photo sharing site. You can view them as a slide show or download full-size images there.
Check them out.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Thurston Griggs Trail
Click on the trail marker to see the trail map. (While not shown on the map, there is a parking lot at the trailhead.)
The equinox and the full moon provided a good excuse for a hike to Black Rock and Annapolis Rock overlooks on the Appalachian Trail. The forecast was almost perfect, cool and windy with mostly clear skies, sunset at 7:23 PM. The moon, 99% illuminated and just 20 hours from full, rising at 6:34PM.
With no foliage on the trees I could watch the first sunset of spring from Black Rock then hike a portion of the trail by the light of the full moon.
Walking silently through the woods under the light of a bright moon. Pretty good way to welcome springtime if you ask me.
Sunset and Graffiti
Click the Pics. to see More
Sunset at Black Rock
The closest access to Black Rock overlook is via the trail that follows the old Bagtown Road roadbed, parallel to Black Rock Creek up the mountain to intersect with the Appalachian Trail near the site of the old Black Rock Hotel. That trail, with the lower portion re-routed to the south bank of the creek is now known as the Thurston Griggs Trail.
Moderately steep, rocky and wet the trail climbs for just under a mile until it intersects the AT near what is now the Pogo Memorial campsite where the Black Rock Hotel once stood. Turning south on the AT the trail climbs less steeply for about a half mile to Black Rock overlook (short side trail marked with blue blaze).
After capturing the sunset at Black Rock I continued south on the AT, now level and wooded along the summit ridge, with the glowing remains of the sunset to the west and bright full moon rising through the trees to the east, reaching Annapolis Rock overlook just before the last orange colors of the sunset faded to black in the west.
At Annapolis Rock I watched as the moon to climbed higher through the trees casting a bright glow and deep shadows on the rocks and cliff around me.
It was after 9 PM with the moon high in the sky when I left Annapolis Rock. The light from the moon was more than sufficient to follow the trail safely including watching my footing. I carried a light but ever needed it. I did need to stop occasionally for a brief period while a passing cloud darkened the moon. I made it back to my car by 11 PM including a second stop at Black Rock.
Turns out Thurston Griggs is a pretty interesting character and one who probably deserves to have a trail named after him.
One Man's Window on the Twentieth-Century
(Autobiography of Thurston Griggs)
This autobiography describes some periods and events in the life of Dr. Thurston Griggs, including 3 months spent in Germany when the Nazi party was gaining popularity, and several years spent in mainland China in Canton and Peking (Beijing) before and after World War II. Graduate education at Harvard and his experiences as a Conscientious Objector during World War II are the subject of several chapters. There is discussion of his musical and play-writing pursuits, his ground-breaking invention of a speech-transcription process for voice recognition in the 1960's, and his work on behalf of the Appalachian Trail and the hiking community in the Potomac Appalachian region.
Monday, March 17, 2008
The Irish Brigade at Antietam
In honor of St Patrick’s Day I am posting a few shots of The Irish Brigade Monument at Antietam National Battlefield. The monument stands at the entrance to the observation tower near the end of Bloody Lane.
How many of those were immigrants or sons of immigrants? How many came to this country simply because there were no jobs and little food back home? Came to perform hard and dirty work for a lower wage than the folks already settled here were willing to accept? How many came simply because it was the only way they could find to feed and clothe their families?
How many were welcomed by their new neighbors in the months and years before they spilled their blood early on an autumn day in a Maryland cornfield?
Just some food for thought as we raise a pint of Guinness in honor of the Patron Saint of Ireland.
Click the Pic. to visit it's Flickr PhotoPage where you can see (and download)high resolution originals. For example, the monument detail image to the left is available at 1500 x 1200 pixels.
Other pictures from the Antitam National Battelfield can be seen in my Antietam Battlefield PhotoSet on Flickr
Cheers!
Irish Brigade Monument
On September 17th, 1862 the Irish Brigade suffered heavy casualties as they crossed the corn field and approached Bloody Lane. The brigade’s casualty list included 113 dead, 422 wounded and 5 missing.Clicking on these images will enlarge them for easy reading.
How many of those were immigrants or sons of immigrants? How many came to this country simply because there were no jobs and little food back home? Came to perform hard and dirty work for a lower wage than the folks already settled here were willing to accept? How many came simply because it was the only way they could find to feed and clothe their families?
How many were welcomed by their new neighbors in the months and years before they spilled their blood early on an autumn day in a Maryland cornfield?
Just some food for thought as we raise a pint of Guinness in honor of the Patron Saint of Ireland.
Click the Pic. to visit it's Flickr PhotoPage where you can see (and download)high resolution originals. For example, the monument detail image to the left is available at 1500 x 1200 pixels.
Other pictures from the Antitam National Battelfield can be seen in my Antietam Battlefield PhotoSet on Flickr
Cheers!
Padre Pio goes to Doha
I was reading Dubai's Gulf News Online Yesterday when this reference to Padre Pio caught my eye.
It comes from an interesting article on the dedication of the first Catholic Church in QatarPope greets Hamad on church opening
I first encountered the name of Padre Pio while driving around Italy’s spectacularly beautiful Gargano Peninsula (the spur above the heal of the boot on the Adriatic coast) in June of 2002. The Pope declared Padre Pio a saint on the 16th and his name and face were front page headline news on all of the newspapers on the newstands. It could not read the Italian text but it was pretty clear that the folks in the area were quite proud of their local Saint.
Wikipedia has many interesting things to say about Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, The Capuchin Friar famous for his stigmata and the patron saint of stress relief and the January blues.
Padre Pio was assigned to Our Lady of Grace Capuchin Friary, located in the Gargano Mountains in San Giovanni Rotondo. Except for a brief time during WWI, Padre Pio remaned there until his death.
The reference to Padre Pio inspired me to post a few photos taken on that spectacular drive.
Clicking on the photos will take you to my Flickr photo set of photos from the Gargano Peninsula where you can see a slide show or download full size images.
The emotional ceremony reached its climax when Cardinal Diaz presented the chalice donated by the Holy Father to the Church and placed a relic of Saint Padre Pio Da Pietralcina in the altar during the dedication ceremony.
It comes from an interesting article on the dedication of the first Catholic Church in QatarPope greets Hamad on church opening
I first encountered the name of Padre Pio while driving around Italy’s spectacularly beautiful Gargano Peninsula (the spur above the heal of the boot on the Adriatic coast) in June of 2002. The Pope declared Padre Pio a saint on the 16th and his name and face were front page headline news on all of the newspapers on the newstands. It could not read the Italian text but it was pretty clear that the folks in the area were quite proud of their local Saint.Wikipedia has many interesting things to say about Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, The Capuchin Friar famous for his stigmata and the patron saint of stress relief and the January blues.
Padre Pio was assigned to Our Lady of Grace Capuchin Friary, located in the Gargano Mountains in San Giovanni Rotondo. Except for a brief time during WWI, Padre Pio remaned there until his death.
The reference to Padre Pio inspired me to post a few photos taken on that spectacular drive.
Fishing at Vieste
Clicking on the photos will take you to my Flickr photo set of photos from the Gargano Peninsula where you can see a slide show or download full size images.
Gargano Coast
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