Essay Contribution by Edin Beslagic
September 28, 2006

Material Culture Object Analysis : A Clock From 1959

Time defines humanity. The concept of time, while simple to grasp, is a really complex matter. Children can learn to read the clock but rarely question what time is; most scientists rely on its constant “rate” to conduct experiments, yet only physicists understand that time actually flows at different rates (Fishbane 6-8). To humanity, these precise definitions of time are irrelevant. Time defines humanity because we use time to gauge progress in our lives.

The ancient people of Mesopotamia kept track of time because they noticed that certain events were cyclic (Knapp 53-54, 273). By observing a year, they could predict when flooding of rivers would occur and thus when to plant and harvest crops. This would ensure their survival and comfort of life (Knapp 27-29). Much like thousands of years ago, lives of people today are dictated by the clock. A person’s life is scheduled by the hour: waking up, breakfast, classes, work, lunch, meetings, dinner are all set to occur at a particular time. This is why time keeping devices are extremely important to humanity – they are instrumental to our daily operation. For this reason, I chose to examine an antique clock from the house of my parents, who live in Texas.

Looking at this object, first thing of note is that it is unmistakably a clock; it assumes a dominant contemporary circular wall clock shape, has twelve labeled hour markings and has the typical three hands to indicate time. The back of the clock has a wall-mounting hole; it is therefore an everyday item but it is unusually decorated. It is mostly golden-colored, with concentric circles of varying colors, such as white and brass. The name of the manufacturer, “United,” is proudly written in white cursive script below the twelfth hour mark. This clock appears old because of apparent rust marks on the outside of it and because of its time keeping mechanism. Lastly, this clock seemed to be expensive at one point, because it is decorated with detailed metal imitations of leaves extending out from the clock.

The circular base of this clock is approximately six inches across and two inches deep. Judging by various colors of rust and malleability of the material, it is constructed out of multiple alloys and metals such as brass, bronze and copper. It weighs between two and three pounds, smells strongly of copper and has decorative leaves which extend three to four inches away from the circular base. The front side of the clock has a spherical glass surface (as opposed to flat) that covers the time-showing hands. This clock must have been partly expensive to construct because the glass faceplate cover does not seem to be a standard flat piece of glass. Instead, it is a custom-blown meniscus-shaped bowl. Random rust spots appear on its metal surfaces, indicating that this clock must be old. A stamped date showing “April 1 1959”, located on the inside of the clock, confirms this prediction. This clock is electro-mechanical in nature and therefore a standard two-wire electric cable sticks out of it, terminated with an AC (alternating current) plug.

The back of this clock contains stamped manufacturer information; it was produced by a “United Clock Co.” from Brooklyn, New York. The purpose of this object was more than just telling time. Much effort was placed into making this clock aesthetically pleasing as the clock was decorated to look like an abstract flower with leaves protruding out of it. The technology behind this clock was ingenious and reveals much more about the purpose of this clock. This device has no time keeping apparatus: the inside of the clock contains nothing more than a set of gears and an electric motor. The motor speed is regulated through the frequency of alternating current in electric lines (which is sixty hertz). The manufacturer of this clock essentially saved in manufacturing costs by relying on the United States power grid to supply a necessary functionality to their product. This suggests that this company targeted middle class families.

While examining the level of aesthetics and the simplified electromechanical components of this clock, a conclusion can be reached that the manufacturer gave the consumer what the consumer wanted: an economic trade-off between aesthetics and durability. This implies that the consumer market was focused around appearances of wealth. The genuine portions of this clock are visible while the cheaper components were hidden behind a riveted plate. This device kept time and likely attracted attention to the wealth status of its owner. It was not cheap or widely available in the South, since it was repaired (and not replaced) multiple times: the electric cord had been replaced, demonstrated by several missing rivets, and two burn spots inside the clock near where the electric cord begins.

This clock doesn’t just show time. It also serves to point out that an idea, separated by 47 years, is still alive and well today. There are members of our society who are more concerned with outward appearances than utilization; this clock is a proof that projection of an image has always been important. For example, if our society embraces automobiles as symbols of wealth and status, it would explain why so much of the automotive industry is centered on appearances rather than functionality. This would explain why General Motors released a dozen models of vehicles in the past year with different prices but using the same exact gasoline engine.

Bibliography
Fishbane, Paul M., Stephen G. Gasiorowicz, and Stephen T. Thornton. Physics for Scientists and Engineers. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc, 2005.

Knapp, Bernard A. The History and Culture of Ancient Western Asia and Egypt. Chicago: The Dorsey Press, 1988.