Artifact of the Month - Ansonia Mantle Clock
SHS1976.22.4 Gift of Jane, Ruth, and Mary Ann Lemm
Amanda Kramp, Assistant Curator of Collections and Exhibits
This month, we “Spring Forward” due to Daylight Saving Time (DST). Established in 1908, DST aims to make better use of daylight hours by moving the clock one hour forward, allowing darkness to fall later in the day.
SHS1976.22.4
Today, we don’t really have to think about changing our clocks. Most smartwatches, phones, and computers automatically adjust to the new time. Luckily, adjusting car, stove, and microwave clocks is much easier than it was in decades past too. We are particularly fortunate that we no longer have to wind our clocks. For instance, this late nineteenth century Ansonia mantle clock has an eight-day movement, meaning it needs to be wound once every eight days, which was a major improvement over earlier clocks that had 30-hour movements.
Visit the Museum to learn more about the enigmatic entrepreneur Anson Greene Phelps, the Ansonia Clock Company, and why, even though the clock company won an award at the 1878 Paris Exposition, this probably wasn’t this clock that won it.
Clock label
Amanda Kramp, Assistant Curator of Collections and Exhibits