Black Forest Apostolic Clock

Amazing Automata from the 18th Century

Here's something to knock the socks off of any of you fans of automata.



The newscast is in German, but anyone can get the drift. These are three mechanically animated figures. One plays the organ, one writes, and the other draws. To be clear: the organ isn't a player organ (that plays itself) while the figure sits in front and pretends to play... the figure ACTUALLY PLAYS the organ. The information for the tune is in her mechanics, so that her fingers and arms move to play the fairly complex little tune!

These are housed in the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire in Neuchâtel, and were built by theologian, mathematician and watchmaker Pierre Jaquet-Droz, his son Henri-Louis and their colleague Jean-Frédéric Leschot in the early 1770s. They were first exhibited to the public in nearby La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1774!



This is truly amazing stuff.. Unlike the two mechanical boys, the woman-organist's body and head move independently of her task, and she can sit and breathe and fidget (her head and neck making almost imperceptible movements) independently for an hour. Also unlike the boys she is operated by four separate pieces of machinery—one to pump the organ, one to operate her hands and fingers, one to operate her head and body, and one to power the bow she performs at the end of each song. She plays five tunes.





via Steampunk Magazine

A Rare Black Forest Clock Collection Located!

Over the past weekend I acquired a collection of 24 rare and antique Black Forest Clocks. The clocks have been in storage for over a decade. I was thrilled to be able to locate so many choice pieces and add them to our collection in a single transaction.


This collection includes many high-quality 8-day shelf cuckoos, several by Johann Baptist Beha.

A 5" C.1880 Hunter cuckoo with huge 8" 5 tune music box. Early cast brass pinned plate movement.

A Black Forest Trumpeter

A unique Black Forest Muscial piece

A GHS Apostle Clock

A GHS Monk Automaton

Many of these clocks are documented in the book Black Forest Clocks by Rick Ortenburger. (see sidebar for a link)

Please stay tuned for detailed posts of these Antique Black Forest Pieces! And check our private museum.

Best,

Justin J. Miller

www.blackforestclocks.org

The Restoration of a Black Forest Automaton

With the help of a good friend, we were able to track down a clock that has been on our want list for many years. Christmas has came early to our private museum Sorry Santa!

This clock had been in the same collection in the UK for over 50 years, until making its way to Black Forest USA. This Black Forest Automaton is one of the hardest of all the complex BF automa clocks to find, with only a small handful in existance. He was made C.1870 in Schwarzwald, it was made for the English market.

This post will focus on our conservation efforts to bring him back to its original beauty.
When he arrived to us, he came with nearly 140 years of grime, wax and smoke build up. The figure was very dark, much of the original color seemed to be lost. We brought him to a renound art conservator, who very carfuly cleaned years of grime from the figure. The original finish was in fantastic condition, we opted to do NO TOUCH UP, but to leave him 100% original.
After the cleaning was done, a new clear varnish was applied to protect it for another centry. We could not be more pleased with the outcome!

We have attached a you tube video of the clock in action! For more detailed photos, or to see other clocks in our private museum check us out at blackforestclocks.org

Related posts: Beer Drinkers, Automata, Dumpling Eaters, and more Beer Drinkers.

Beer Drinker

There is a long tradition of Beer Drinking automata in the Black Forest clock world. Certainly, there is some cultural significance to beer in Southern Germany. It may come as no surprise that beer is featured heavily in art and crafts from that region.

I recently found this great automaton on YouTube.

This one is interesting because it actually features a tube and pump of liquid being poured and swallowed by the mechanical figure.



There are also several new clocks, available today that feature a drinking figure, both in cuckoo clocks, and large mechanical figurines.





Stay tuned for a forthcoming post from Justin and his new prize: an Antique Black Forest King Beer Drinking Automaton.

Related Posts: Automata, Beer Drinkers and Dumpling Eaters

A Special Musical Clock by Emilian Wehrle

Fall is here, and as the weather cools we start to spend more time indoors. During the cold months we really pick up steam focusing on our collection of Black Forest clocks.Today as I was doing some "house keeping" dusting the collection... I thought of sharing this wonderful clock we have with you.

This fantastic clock has been in our care for many years.

Made C. 1874 this Singing Bird Clock (Singvogeluhr) by Emilian Wehrle of Furtwangen... is as impressive today as the day it was made.

The fully feathered bird is 6.5 inches from beak to tail. It is fully automated with movements in his beak, head, and tail.

Perched on the top of the clock on a carved vase of fruit and leaves, it is clearly visible and looks alive.

The carvings on this clock are all done in walnut, and the style of the case is very unique.

This clock utilizes a robust brass plate movement, with large double pumping bellow system mounted above the clock works (very similar to Wehrle's Trumpeter and Flute Clocks.)

The clock movement generates it own air pressure and by opening and closing a valve, air is moved through a large flute with a plunger. A cam wheel on the back operates the valve and the plunger to reproduce the sound of the song bird while controlling the bird and the Automation.

The beak runs in perfect sequence with the large song and boy does this bird look and sound alive!

This clock is featured in Emilian Wehrle's 1874 Catalog as No. 1 (see illustration). Originally, it cost of 180 Gold Marks in 1874. Just to put this into perspective, a very nice Beha cuckoo could be had for 25 marks.

Very few of these Singing Bird Clocks were made, even fewer survived. Making them almost impossible to locate today.

I am not aware of a museum worldwide that has a example of a Em. Wehrle Singing Bird Clock, although there are a few in private collections.

This unique clock was also published in the 2008 edition of Schwarzwalduhren, by Berthold Schaaf (The authoritative text on Black Forest Clocks, see sidebar for a list of other recommended reading and resources.)


Best,

Justin J. Miller

blackforestclocks.org

For more information on Singing Bird or Whistling Automata:

Article, Whistling Clock Peddler, Singing Birds in a Cage

...and here's a video of a modern "slide whistle" mechanism Justin describes above:

Orchestrion Hall, Baltimore

A few days ago, my Twitter followers may be been slightly mystified by my Tweets about finding hidden treasures in Baltimore.



I had the inestimable pleasure of seeing a private collection of clocks, mechanical musical instruments, old fans, lamps, and more... all very rare and very interesting.

The tower clock collection was particularly impressive. The house was fitted with several tower clock dials on the outside. I've gone down that street many years and never looked up to notice them. There is even a dragon outside that strikes a bell with his tail. On the inside, there were some large tower clock movements (like the one pictured above) with slots cut in the floor below them so that the pendulum could swing in the room below.

I did a reblog post a few weeks ago from a Steampunk site about old tower clock towers being converted into apartments - but those places didn't have clocks in them.





There were several tower clocks, most with 3-legged gravity escapements. The whole house seemed to tick away, as if the collector were living inside a giant engine room.




...That's just the tower clocks, in addition there are Winterhalter u. Hoffmeier tubular chimes, regulator master clocks, and Egyptian Revival clocks aplenty...

The place isn't called Orchestrion Hall for nothing. The collector is a worldwide authority on mechanical organ restoration, particularly the very rare and very excellent Welte orchestrions.




He has more mechanical musical instruments too, including a very loud band organ.



His shop is in the basement below, and he uses all turn-of-the-century, belt-driven machines. When I jokingly asked where the steam engine was he pointed to an original early electric motor, and around the corner (in the basement) there was a HUGE single-cylinder Diesel engine.

The collection also includes fans...




This one has a light bulb that's used only for impedance, to slow down the fan.

I wish I had more pictures. This place was a treasure trove of fascinating stuff!

Thanks to Arcadian Clock for some of the pictures above.

Clockwork Automata Fun

This is a fun webcomic with heavy automatic influences...

What is Steampunk?

For reasons that will soon become clear to you, we at North Coast Imports, are especially fond of a new sub-genre the kids are all talking about - called Steampunk

I thought I would write up a short blog post about this great thing, but keep in mind that this post only scratches the surface. There are authors, costumers, artists, film directors, hobbiests, tinkerers, and inventors all adding to and building on Steampunkery at an alarming rate. You can read about Steampunk on Wikipedia, of course, but there are also blogs ... and ... web forums aplenty.

"What does a Steampunk do?" You may ask. A Steampunk might collect recordings of turn-of-the-century steam engines. Someone enamored with the Steampunk aesthetic might also turn their humdrum computer into a work of art that looks like it came from Jules Verne's imagination...

...or, a Steampunk might dress the part...

The idea might be summed up as a longing for re-injecting style and beauty into our otherwise cold and artless modern lives. There was a sense of style and craftsmanship of the steam era that might as well be revisited today. Why shouldn't a computer be beautiful? Everyday items should inspire imagination and be aesthetically pleasing while still carrying out their functions.

...so, Steampunk items tend to portray an alternate timeline... as if machines like Charles Babbage'sAnalytical Engine was allowed to evolve in the mainstream of technology, or if the Hindenberg didn't crash, or if the microchip were never invented... our present day might look a lot like the Steampunks' expression - everything would have to be done with clockwork and steam pressure.

...but I feel that the important lesson to be learned is the idea that all things can and must be interesting to look at. Why settle for doldrum-looking devices and tools that only serve the function they must.

Clocks are a perfect example.

Mechanical clocks are interactive works of art that provide a daily function. They are kinetic sculpture. They are tools that don't require electricity to run.



If you're a member of the Steampunk family, browse our website. If you're a horologist, look into the world of Steampunkery. You won't be disappointed...

A Rare Look: An Early Experimental Beha Automaton

In a previous post we spoke about curious innovations made by Johann Baptist Beha, which never made it "main stream"...resulting in unique and unusual clocks left for us today.

This next post I would like to share a clock, and an innovation that did make it main stream.

This piece is a very early, and special shelf clock with automation made by Johann Baptist Beha in 1849.
First off we would like to thank Dr. Wilhelm Schneider of Germany for his assistance in researching this piece. Dr. Schneider ,besides being the authority on the Beha factory… is also a accomplished author and a good friend.

This early Beha was made in late 1849, and sold January 1850 to Mr. Spiengelhalder a dealer from Neukirch for 19 Gulden along with one other identical piece. This is the only know surviving piece of the two. The Spiengelhalder family operated a retail store out of London during that time. (As a side note worth mentioning...Johann Baptist set up his shop in Eisenbach in 1845, this clock was made within the first 4 years of the start of his business.)

The case on this piece was made by Peter Wehrle a case maker in Dittishausen. Peter Wehrle apprenticed in Vienna…building cases for fine Vienna Regulators. This explains why this case is very refined compared with many Black Forest clocks made during the period. It also closely resembles a fine Viennese shelf clock. The case is made from the finest veneers and brass inlay… the proportions also show Peter Wehrle had a well trained eye. Peter Wehrle’s early relationship helped Johann Baptist Beha secure his name and reputation as a quality BF clock maker.
The backboard on this case is hinged at the bottom, and has a locking mechanism at the top of the back board. This was done by Peter Wehrle prior to 1854.

The movement on this clock is an early wood plate, 8 day. double fusee movement…if you look at the stop wheel on the back of the movement (see pic)… it is a very crudely made and primitive… This movement predated Johann Baptist Behas integration of the fusee and cuckoo (One of Behas greatest innovations)… and a movement that would become the staple in his quality clocks in later years.

In the Beha books, Johann Baptist Beha talks about experimenting with the 8 day fusee movement…but first incorporating blinking eyes. This is one of those pieces. .. a Beha, without a cuckoo.

Shortly after the success Beha had on this piece, the cuckoo was added and the fusee cuckoo was born.

Above the dial in a small gilt frame, behind glass is a small 1.75 X 3.25 painting on zinc. In the painting a dog has cornered a rodent. The eye on both animals (no larger than the end of a pin head needle) move back and forth with the pendulum.

Rarely did the Beha factory ever mark their clocks, and to find a Beha factory label is considered unique.

The last detail on this piece that makes the package so sweet… is a clear signature “Johann Beha in Eisenbach” done by his own hand.

Since this clock was made within the first few years of Johann Baptist Beha's clock making career, and the importance this piece played in the Behas early development of the 8 day fusee movement it is a very special clock in our collection.
Also because of the documentation by Johann Baptist in the books regarding this piece being one of the first, and the Signature... it is safe to say that this clock was made not only by the Beha factory, but by the hand of Johann Baptist Beha himself.

We are very excited to be able to share this important piece of Beha history.

Best,
Justin

Johann Baptist Beha and a Unique Cuckoo Clock

John in a previous post gave us a wonderful introduction to the Beha factory. He spoke of the quality of the clocks Beha made...despite the pressure to compete in a price driven market. Johann Baptist was also a pioneer in Black Forest Horology, and was responsible for many of the modern improvements used in cuckoo clocks for years to come. Some of these improvements never took flight or became mainstream... and has left us with clocks that are unique or different.

This philosophy for improvement was also passed on to his Sons,who would later run the factory. Because of this philosoph, we can find Beha clocks with unique characteristics from the Early years to the turn of the century.
I would like to share a special piece out of my collection, that echoes many of these things.
This piece is a very special Beha cuckoo, and one of only a small handful known like it worldwide.
The quality and detail of the carving on this piece is nothing but the best, typical of Beha factory.
The vines are very delicately done. They wrap over and under each other with amazing detail...the two small carved birds that are perched on the sides of the clock look alive... but that is not what makes this clock so special, at least not among other quality Behas.

This Beha has a life-size cuckoo perched on the top of the clock... He is 12" from beak to tail, and fully automated! You can see on this piece there is no cuckoo door. The movement in this clock is also unique. It is a three train movement. Time, Strike, and Cuckoo. While other cuckoo clocks blend the cuckoo call and the strike (cuckoo-bong, cuckoo-bong) the separation of trains allows this clock to strike the hour... pause then call the hour with the cuckoo. This piece will also strike the half and full hour, but the cuckoo only calls on the full hour. The separation of the cuckoo and strike into two trains, allowed Beha to create a unique call and striking sequence on this clock.

If you look at the side view of the clock you can see that there is a large grapefruit size bell located on the top of the clock. Using a Large sized bell instead of a gong this clock creates a very loud distinct strike that is heard throughout the house.
Last but not least the pipes used in this cuckoo clock are not square, but are round. Turned on a lathe these cuckoo pipes produce a very unique sound. The call of the cuckoo generated from these pipes sound real. This Beha has been documented in several publications over the years. Its most notable publication is the 2008 Edition of Schwarzwalduhren, by Berthold Schaaf. This is the most authoritative text on Black Forest Clocks. The book is available through any German book seller or Amazon.de.
Johann Baptist was not only a quality maker, but a pioneer in Black Forest Horology and unique innovations can be seen in this very special Beha timepiece.

Curious Modern Timepieces

Before the cuckoo came into vogue many other animated figures were used on Black Forest clocks. Bell ringing monks, laughing faces, and the dumpling eater were charming examples.

Justin showed us a beautiful example of a very early shield clock with animated figure.  Here is a modern example, made today with the same tradition of craftsmanship.

This clock is an authentic replica of a Black Forest clock of the early Nineteenth Century. The Hand-painted shield clock features a face whose eyes move with the movement of the pendulum. "The Turk" also laughs, or gasps counting each hour on the hour and once on the half-hour.

This piece is handpainted by the award-winning shield painter Conny Haas.  The clock is built by Ingolf Haas who represents the fourth generation of Black Forest clockmakers.

A Curious Branch of Art from the 19C. To Today

“The most curious branch of art is, without exception, the manufacturers of automation clocks and the ingenuity of the Germans has produced some wonderful mechanical clocks.” As quoted in “The Watchmaker and Jewler” June 1875 issue.

The clocks that have been produced in the Black Forest Region of Germany, represent some of the most interesting timepieces every created by man…and are truly a work of art. Although the above quote was published almost 135 years ago… it is no less true today.

I would like to take a moment to take a step back in time… And see what this unknown writer back in the 19th C. would have seen in 1875...that would have prompted this comment.

Below is a clock that would have been nearly 50 years old at the time of that publication…

It is a Black Forest shield automa…a type of clock the Germans call “Figurenuhren”.

These early Black Forest pieces highly sought after today. This clock is called a “Schnappuhr”, and was made by Lorenz Bob of Furtwangen C. 1820-30.

This beautiful example has wood arbors, and is driven by ropes instead of the later used chains.

As the pendulum swings back and forth the eyes of the figure move side to side with every swing. The clock strikes the half and full hours , on a bell located on the top of the clock. The mouth of the figure opens and snaps closed with every blow to the bell.

The Germans constantly used these clocks to poke fun at other cultures… I have seen figures ranging from Turks, Harlekins, Indians, to the Russian figure seen here all used.


These pieces show that despite the cold long winters, without electricity, running water and modern tools (It was the early 1800’s!!!)…these creative people were able to make beautiful pieces of art, using only the resources available to them... and make a profit doing so.

These pieces continue to be admired today by both young and old.




Best,
Justin

Hello from Justin and his Black Forest clocks

Hello!

First off I would thank Dolf and North Coast Imports for the invitation to contribute to this Blog.

I am excited to share my knowledge of Black Forest Clocks, as well as learn from others.

Growing up in a family interested in Antiques and Horology, I became a member of the NAWCC (http://www.nawcc.org/) at the age of 2. As far back as I remember as a young boy… I attended NAWCC Regional Meetings and Chapter Meetings in sunny Southern California.

I was almost immediately drawn to clock collecting myself at a very early age. Saving my money to be able to add clocks to my little collection, and reading everything I could on the subject.

Although there are many different and wonderful types of clocks available to a collector, I was almost immediately was drawn to Black Forest Clocks made in Germany.

I think this is because they always seemed to do something special!
Whether it was the cuckoo bird coming out and calling the hour, or the painting clock with the eyes moving back and forth as the time ticked away… there was something about the Clocks made in the Black Forest.
As the years have passed my understanding on the subject has improved… the budget for acquiring pieces has grown… but my interest is the same… anything Black Forest that is Pre 1900 …Automated, Musical, Miniature, Heavily Carved or Unique. If you are interested in Unique Black Forest Clocks... please check out my online museum at blackforestclocks.org.

While many of these clocks I will sharing are antiques … I am very impressed with clocks currently available by quality makers and craftsman in the Black Forest of Germany. These clocks represent a great value, that will be sure to grace the collections of tomorrow.

Best,

Justin

Odds and Ends, links to learn more...

• The Beha hotel...
  

• While you are planning your travels to Cuckoo Country, consider this...
  

• Books on automata, and an automata blog...

...and here are some more book selections to check out, consider it your North Coast Imports' Book Club reading list:

The Turk by Tom Standage

Black Forest Clockmaker and the Cuckoo Clock by Karl Kochmann

Black Forest Clocks by Rick Ortenburger

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

Connections by James Burke

Rat Eater part 2

I thought I would do a quick follow-up post on the delicious Rat Eater owned by our friend and collector J. Miller.  This information and material is copied from the previously-mentioned discussion at the NAWCC forums...

Apparantly it was quite common, during time of war, for soldiers and citizens to be driven to eating rats - especially during sieges.  There are some accounts (during the Franco-Prussian war) of rat-sellers and one American journalist even writes about the best rat recepits and the comparisons between dog, cat, and rat meat.

Here is a painting by  of a "Rat Seller"(c.1870)

Here is an account from 1871 by an American journalist, shut in in Paris during the Franco-Prussian war

...and another account of eating rats in Metz c. 1814

Rare Black Forest Clocks

We are always happy to hear from our friend J. Miller. He's got quite a collection of rare and unusual antique Black Forest Clocks. He most recently acquired an exteremly rare piece from the 19th Century, and there is only ONE of these known to exist in the world.



This "Rat-Eater" is a very rare example of a set of German automata known as "Dumpling Eaters." For whatever reason, the clockmaker here decided to make the figure eat rats instead of dumplings or sausages.



(see more pictures on our Flickr photostream here )

There is also a very fascinating discussion about the clock here. Apparantly there are several interesting accounts of eating rats during wartime.

The rat eater isn't a clock you can run out and buy, but North Coast Imports is pleased to offer automata that eat dumplings and drink beer. Rombach und Haas has the only original Black Forest clock that eats dumplings or drink sips of beer, counting the hour and half hour.

Fresh Supply

We have recently recieved a limited supply of the hugely popular 1316 and 1459. Visit your North Coast Imports dealer today to find out about these fine pieces! They are perfect for holiday gifts!

New Chimneysweeps!

We are proud to introduce a new musical cuckoo clock. This charming Chalet has fresh lines and colors. The chimneysweep hopps in and out of his chimney - startled by the cuckoo call. There is also a music box that plays, and the waterwheel turns.

Fans of North Coast Imports already know about the charming version without music (the 1216) now we are pleased to announce that we can offer a larger version with music too! (see model number 1316)