The Bytown Times ISSN 1712—2799

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

September Meeting Cancellation 1

Maker Faire Success!! 1—2

Montreal Symposium 3

Clock Museum News 4—6

Clock Repair Course 7

Ottawa Chapter’s On-Line

Presence

7

Meeting Location 8

Wine and Cheese Party 8

Editor’s and President’s Corner 8

SEPTEMBER MEETING CANCELLATION!!!

Our next meeting…. 1:30 PM, November 25, 2018

The North Gloucester Library, 2036 Ogilvie Road

*********** Presentation:

A Watchmaker’s Shop in Paris in 1750 Robert St-Louis

********* Show and Tell

Bring your summer acquisitions!!

This was a FIRST! In the 43 years since the founding of the Ottawa Valley Watch and Clock Club and the 39 years since we became a chapter of the NAWCC, we have never had to cancel a meeting! The ice storm of 1998 couldn’t do it, but six tornadoes in the region managed to shut us down. Mem-bers were without power, some for a day but others for as many as six or seven. Roads were littered with fallen trees and branches and we were asked to avoid travelling the streets. But, thanks to Hydro employees, the Fire Depart-ment and Police, we are slowly getting back to normal.

We will see you at the November meeting!

VOLUME 38 NO. 5 NOVEMBER 25, 2018

MAKER FAIRE SUCCESS!!

Paul Devey had an idea. Why not set up a booth at the Mak-er Faire to try to attract new members? So, he did just that.

The Faire was held on Saturday and Sunday, September 29 & 30 at the Science and Tech Museum in Ottawa. Paul ar-ranged for two tables to display artifacts from club members. One table was focused on clocks and the other on watches and books.

Apparently, a key to attracting attention is to have things that move or can be touched. So, that was what he ordered! The watch table included a display of Canadiana Pocket watches as well as character watches with moving parts. There was a working escapement model; a shadow box with all the parts from a Waltham 18 size watch and a working movement; an escapement model used at a watchmakers’ school; jewellery store counter display pieces, and; all the books ever pub-lished on Canadian clocks, watches and their makers (many of which were written by our Ottawa club members!)

Cont’d P2

Paul Devey not only organized the club’s participation at the Maker Faire, he was at

the booth both days

Damage along Old Richmond Road

Page 2

THE BYTOWN TIMES Page 2

MAKER FAIRE SUCCESS

President : Don Purchase donpurchase@rogers.com

Vice President: Vacant

Editor ByTown Times Gary Fox chapter111.gary@yahoo.ca

Secretary Paul Sonnichsen secretary.chapter111@yahoo.ca

CHAPTER OFFICERS

Auditor: Jean Paul Tourigny

Immediate Past President: Daniel Burgoyne

Treasurer:

Ray Springer

Education & Workshop Chairman: Dan Hudon

From P1

The clock table display was no less intriguing. There were numerous alarm clocks with animation and two wooden works clocks made by the team of Paul Devey and Paul Williams. The two Paul’s wooden Orrery was also on display and created a lot of buzz.

The club was represented full time by Paul, Gary Fox and Maynard Dokken. Erin Fox arrived on Sunday af-ternoon to give us all a break. We had tremendous attention and had to field numerous questions. By the end of Saturday, Paul had lost his voice and Gary just hung on until the end of Sunday. Thank goodness for Maynard and Erin!

A number of folks left their email addresses and asked to be reminded of the date, time and place for our next meeting. Overall, the show was a great success. Many thanks to Paul for pulling this together on behalf of the club!

Page 3

The annual Montreal Horological Mart and Sale of Antique Clocks and Watches was held by Chapters 132 and 187 on Sunday, October 21 at the Ukrainian Youth Centre on Beaubien Street East in Montreal. As usual, this was a fun show with lots of clocks, watches and tools for sale. As always, there were plenty of doughnuts and smoked meat sandwiches and enough coffee to satisfy those with an appetite!

Our chapter had a table which saw a lot of action. We sold plenty of watches, and parts. Some of our pricier items got a lot of attention but sadly, no offers, Regardless, our table did very well. I attended with Maynard Dokken and we were pleased to see Georges Royer, Michel Menard and Miklos Valcamas along with our many friends from the Montreal chapters in attendance. Michel had his own table of interesting items includ-ing a huge wall clock from a hotel (see photo below).

As usual, the prices were in general pretty reasonable, especially some of the antique tools which, if I had the space in my display case, would have come home with me. I am already looking forward to next years show and hope to see even more Ottawa members there!

MONTREAL CHAPTERS’ SYMPOSIUM

VOLUME 38 NO. 5 NOVEMBER 25, 2018

Maynard Dokken and Georges Royer

Michel Menard Miklos Valcamas Gary Fox

Michel Menard’s Hotel Clock

THE BYTOWN TIMES Page 4

Four Uncatalogued “Pequegnat” Clocks in the Collection

There were almost one hundred catalogued mod-els of mantel, wall, and hall (grand-father) clocks produced by The Arthur Pequegnat Clock Compa-ny over the period from 1904 to roughly 1941. But individual people or other companies could pur-chase just the movements complete with hands and pendulum, everything needed except the wood case to make custom clocks.

Shown here is the page from the last known cata-logue (No. 6, 1928) that lists the wide range of standard Pequegnat movements available with their descriptions that included the various compo-nents and the retail prices. There was an addition-al charge for the dial and sash for the ‘parlor’ clocks.

Uncatalogued “Pequegnat” clocks turn up on occa-sion. Our museum has four examples that are de-scribed in this column.

Midgets Palace Floor Clock: I purchased this unusual short clock at an auction in Toronto in the early 1990s. I was interested because it has a Berlin-period Pequegnat hall clock movement. Later correspondence with the auction house (by old-fashioned post office mail) revealed that a To-ronto antiques dealer had put the clock in the auc-tion, and that it might have come from The Midgets Palace / Le Palais des Nains on Rue Rachel in Montreal. The base is triangular; the clock can be set in a corner. The maker of the walnut case is unknown. Note the three hot-wire, filament tube lights.

Through more recent correspondence after 2000 with the Montreal city archives, plus online re-search and souvenir purchases, I could confirm the original owners. Count and Countess Philippe Nicol met in the circuses common in North Ameri-ca in the early 1900s, were then married and moved to Montreal in 1913. Their home, with small-sized furniture and appliances, became a major tourist destination. Their lives were detailed in several souvenir booklets that the museum has copies of, with text in both English et en français. This clock was shown behind Mrs. Nicol and her seated midget son in the 1940s booklet. More than fifty clock museum visitors have remembered their parents taking them to the Midgets Palace. Cont’d P. 5

CLOCK MUSEUM NEWS

PEQUEGNAT CLOCK MOVEMENTS listed for sale in the 1928 company catalogue

Page 5

CLOCK MUSEUM NEWS (CONT’D)

VOLUME 38 NO. 5 NOVEMBER 25, 2018

Custom Hall Clock: This clock with the golden oak finish was purchased from Jane Varkaris after she and her husband Costas had completed work on their classic book The Pequegnat Story that was published in 1982. The small, Berlin-period, weights movement has brass plates. She had decided to sell most of the Pequegnat clocks that they had acquired during research for the book. The priced clocks were offered to members of the Ottawa Chapter. I also acquired her Winni-

peg model mantel clock at that time.

Large Buffet Clock: This massive piece of dark-finish oak furniture has a Berlin period (1904-1916) Pequegnat mantle clock pendulum movement. Although not found in any known company catalogues, at least three of this special-order “clock” have been seen. There are three small drawers, a large one at the bottom, and three cupboards with hinged doors for storage. The case is screwed down.

A Berlin, Ontario furniture company would have made the clock case and buffet (56” W), which is set up in the museum’s Exhibit Room. For about twenty years the local furniture companies made the early cases for Arthur.

The top of the buffet has a display of 1910s-1930s dishes, glass-ware, and other dining room items for museum visitors of all ages to recognize or learn about from a century ago. Custom-made Mantel Clock: The unusual design looks like a vertically stretched tambour clock, with dimensions 18” W by 19” H. I don’t recognize the striped wood veneer on the heavy, well-made case – perhaps tiger maple? The clock has a Pequegnat Berlin-period dial. The movement is mounted on the removeable back board that is held in place by ten screws. There is a 2½“ diameter brass-shell-over-cast-iron bob that is visible through the 2” diameter glass window in the door.

The Midgets Palace clock (60” H) on display in the Exhibit Room with souvenirs and booklets

The Midgets Palace clock is seen behind their son Philippe Jr. in this photograph in their 1940s bilingual

souvenir booklet (25₵ admission fee)

Golden oak case hall clock with leaded glass

components in the door Cont’d P . 6

THE BYTOWN TIMES Page 6

CLOCK MUSEUM NEWS (CONT’D)

From P. 5 I often wonder who made this clock, and why. Perhaps it was a special gift for someone a century ago?

Allan Symons, Curator The Canadian Clock Museum

Uncatalogued pre-1916 movement oak buffet clock

The small side door in the oak buffet which opens to access the pendulum bob

Uncatalogued mantel clock (19” H)

Back of the case with removeable movement board

Page 7

CLOCK REPAIR COURSE

VOLUME 38 NO. 5 NOVEMBER 25, 2018

Dan Hudon completed his annual clock repair course in mid-October. The classes were held, as in past years, on Saturdays at the Nepean Creative Arts Centre This year’s curriculum was covered specific machin-ing techniques and opening the floor to the students’ problems and their resolution.

Thanks for another great course, Dan!

Tom Devey creating a safe edge on a file while Tom Clifford inspects his own work

Robert St-Louis creating his safe edge Tom Clifford, Tom Devey & Robert

St-Louis comparing the results

Dan Hudon shows his technique for holding a hand graver when cutting and shaping on the lathe

THE OTTAWA CHAPTER’S ON-LINE PRESENCE

It’s easy to forget! The Club has both a Facebook Page and a Website!

The Web Site (www.ottawaclocksandwatches.ca) shows the history of the club, the dates of the meetings and the agenda for the next session. It provides the latest newsletter AND an archive of every newsletter go-ing back to January 1991! One page provides links to a number videos created by the late Jim Connell as well as information of general interest to collectors. This website is open to the public and even has an e-mail connection to our secretary.

Our Facebook Page is a great forum. If you have a question to ask about a specific repair, the history of a clock or watch, or any other horological issue, simply make a post and it will be directed to a member who can answer. Or if you would like to show off a new acquisition, you can do that too. Our page is currently accessible only to club members but that may change. Log into Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/) or, if new to Facebook, sign up on the same page. Then under “Search” at the top of the page, type “Ottawa Clocks and Watches”. That will bring you to our page. To post a message or query you need to be regis-tered. Simply request authorization via a post on that page. Daniel Burgoyne reviews all requests.

Removing a mainspring from a barrel using the Ollie Baker winder Thanking Dan for his course!

THE BYTOWN TIMES Page 8

PRESIDENT’S CORNER

The thought of Fall brings to my mind some favourite sensory pleas-ures: the smell of dry leaves and the sound of their crunch under foot, fresh air but still a slight heat in the sun.

The Fall also brings to mind our Clock Club Training Session conducted by our very own Dan Hudon. Every Fall since I’ve been a member of the Club Dan has lead amazing training sessions, from basic clock repair to ad-vanced skill development such as lathe work, tool making and clock repairs. I would personally like to take this opportunity to thank Dan for sharing his skills with the Club. During this Fall’s session I was able to make use of Dans main spring wind-er to remove two barrel springs from an antique wall mounted clock I inherited from my par-ents. The clock is now completely cleaned, reas-sembled, running, and proudly displayed at home.

Thank-you Dan for making the joy of clock repair possible for me and other Club members..

EDITOR’S CORNER

“It was a dark and stormy night!” Snoopy from the cartoon Peanuts started every new novel with that well worn line, but he never did finish a book! Well for us in Ottawa, it was definitely a dark stormy evening on Fri-day, September 21 when six tornadoes touched down in the region, devastating

Dunrobin, Arlington Woods and other areas in Gatineau and our city. Many of us were without power for days but we were among the fortunate whose homes weren’t destroyed. We all owe a vote of thanks to the Hydro crews, police and fire departments who worked tireless-ly to restore a sense of normalcy to our community. A special thanks to our members who helped out with contributions to the food bank and others who volun-teered to help clear properties damaged by the storms. Our own Jan Selles took chainsaw in hand and went to Dunrobin to clear access to homes. Unlike Snoopy who never finished a story, we will finish ours!

Our newsletter is much shorter than usual as we had to cancel the September meeting. Our report on that would have accounted for at least an additional two pages! Nonetheless, thanks to Allan Symons for his article and to Robert St-Louis for his pictures from Dan Hudon’s course! Gary Fox

NOVEMBER MEETING LOCATION

The November meeting of the Ottawa Valley Clock and Watch Club will be held at the…... North Gloucester Library,

2036 Ogilvie Road NB. We have reserved both rooms for this meeting.

The larger room for the presentations and the smaller for the Mart Directions…. • Take the Blair Road Exit from the Queensway and head North. • Turn Right on Ogilvie • The Library is on your right

The Library does not open until 1:00 PM so it is best to arrive after that hour

Don Purchase

WINE AND CHEESE PARTY

Come one and all to our Annual Wine and Cheese social!

It will be held on Saturday, November 24, 2018 from 2 to 5 PM.

The location will be the same as last year, at the home of Gary and Sharon Fox.

Despite rising costs, the price remains a very reasonable $10 per person.

If you haven’t yet received the emailed invitation, contact Paul Sonnichsen at…. secretary.chapter111@yahoo.ca