Moving-eyed monster clock by Dug North now on display

I combined my love of clocks with my affinity for wooden monsters to create this new piece. The monster is made of basswood, ebony, and tagua nut. A small weight-driven German-made clock movement powers the eyes and clock. It is titled simply "Monster Clock No. 1", which implies I may be making more of these!

The monster clock is part of an art exhibition titled "All Creatures, Real & Imagined" at The Arts League of Lowell Gallery in Lowell, Massachusetts. The show runs from June 6th to July 13th. The Reception for the show will be Saturday, June 21 from 4 PM to 6 PM. The piece can be purchased from the gallery at this time.

What
All Creatures, Real & Imagined

Where
The Arts League of Lowell Gallery
307 Market Street, Lowell, MA 01852
Phone: 978-221-5018

When
June 6th to July 13th, 2014
Wednesday - Saturday: 12 - 6 PM
Sunday: 12 - 4 PM

Here is where you can see more work by automaton artist Dug North.

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The world's biggest cuckoo clock in Triberg, Germany

The World Biggest Cuckoo Clock is located in its own house in Triberg, Germany. The construction of the clock was based on 100 year old cuckoo clock, but at a scale of 60 to 1! The cuckoo bird itself measures nearly 14 feet long, and weights an incredible 330 pounds.

Here is a short presentation about the clock and its construction presented by an animatronic clock-seller:

Here is a video of the cuckoo emerging. Clearly the bird isn't entirely traditional and possesses its own animatronic components. As grand as this is, I would have preferred a simple, traditional cuckoo bird.

Here is where you can learn more about the world's biggest cuckoo clock.

[ Thanks Falk! ]

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The Cuckooland Musuem features over 600 Black Forest cuckoo clocks

This wonderful photograph is of Roman Piekarski, who runs the Cuckooland Museum in Cheshire, England. He and his brother have assembled a collection of Black Forest cuckoo clocks -- many of which are rare and notable examples. They recently had the daunting task of changing the time on more than 600 cuckoo clocks with the spring time change.

The Cuckooland Museum features one of the largest collections of its kind in the world. You can learn more at ww.cuckoolanduk.net

Here is where you can read a recent article about the Cuckooland Museum from The Mail Online.

If you find that you like this sort of thing (as I do), you'll want to put this book on your reading list. It's titled Rare and Unusual Black Forest Clocks, written by Justin J. Miller. It's a beautiful book featuring clocks from Germany's Black Forest region. It includes 700 images of fine examples of clocks made in this region. It is a very comprehensive treatment of the subject.

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Justin Miller on the rare and unusual clocks of the Black Forest

The common cuckoo clock is just one form of animate clock that was produced in the Black Forest region of Germany. They are cute, charming, and relatively simple. Author and collector, Justin Miller, has had a fascination with the more obscure forms of Black Forest clocks for years. He a new book on the subject. The magazine Collector's Weekly recently interviewed Miller on the subject in an article titled "Not Your Grandma’s Cuckoo: Decapitating, Rat-Eating Clocks of the Black Forest".

From the article's introduction:

As the first truly comprehensive English-language guide to early Black Forest horology, Miller’s new book, "Rare and Unusual Black Forest Clocks," features particularly interesting examples of clocks with automata, or moving mechanical features. These range from timepieces used as mini-jukeboxes to play different tunes to clocks with animated figures who dance, eat, or even murder each other.

The interview covers where cuckoo clocks originated and its association with the Black Forest region. Miller also answers questions about singing bird clocks and other musical clock variations. He touches on how these clocks work and explains a bit about the original market for these clocks, some famous makers, and favorites from his collection of 80 Black Forest clocks.

You can see more of Justin’s personal collection on his Show & Tell page as well as his website, blackforestclocks.org.

You should also order a copy of Miller's new book, Rare and Unusual Black Forest Clocks, which will be available in mid July of 2012.

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Book on rare and unusual German Black Forest clocks

The Black Forest Region of Germany produced an amazing assortment of inventive and finely crafted clocks. While there certainly are books on the subject, most are in German. Rare and Unusual Black Forest Clocks by Justin J. Miller is the definitive guide for English-speaking clock enthusiasts. The book features over 700 images that showcase clocks, movements, components, catalogs, and literature related to Black Forest clocks. It also includes detailed biographies of notable clockmakers and clock-making firms.

From the book description:

The text provides much needed information on preeminent clockmakers Johann Baptist Beha and Emilian Wehrle, which place this among the best comprehensive single volumes ever produced in any language. This work also explains the various mechanisms and guides collectors and others trying to identify individual clocks by type, production era, and maker. The engaging text also vividly brings to life both the rich, romantic history of families and entire communities of craftsmen cooperating to create these unique timepieces that have drawn increasing numbers enthusiasts to the excitement of Black Forest horology.

Here is where you can get more info or pre-order the book Rare and Unusual Black Forest Clocks.

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