National Watch and Clock Museum

It was a wonderful place to visit! [Now with two quick updates!]

There are times in your life when you realize you have moved happily into a status of nerdiness that may not be fully represented in society at large. And, you realize that you don’t care. This was definitely one of those times for me!

I saw the National Watch and Clock Museum on the map, when I was looking for the local library. I found some good Lincoln Highway things to see, and thought I was pretty close to the museum so I should just go ahead and walk to it and save the hassle of trying to park. And yes, that worked. But it was ONE HUNDRED DEGREES THAT DAY! I nearly cooked myself walking, but it was pretty. (I was texting with Ariel - hi Ariel! - and that helped to distract me from my feared heat death.)

I had glimpsed this mural as I was driving by, on my way to Lincoln Highway things. So I walked back up the hill from the nearby river to see it. Sorry it’s a little tilted, but I couldn’t stand directly across the street so you may have to take my word for it. I absolutely loved this mural!

I was wiping sweat off my face when I realized I was there! Yay! Air conditioning! (It was surprisingly hard to find the right door though. I hit a couple before I found the way in.)

(this is the sign for the machine on the far right in this picture)

Did you listen to the podcast S-Town? I love podcasts, and I had heard of this, but didn’t listen. (I’m going to go back and listen now!) So I don’t know the story, but these are the clocks from “the guy” (good guy? bad guy? dead guy? no clue) from the story being told there. “John despises his Alabama town town and decides to do something about it. He asks a reporter to investigate the son of a wealthy family who’s allegedly been bragging that he got away with murder. But then someone else ends up dead, sparking a nasty feud, a hunt for hidden treasure, and an unearthing of the mysteries of one man’s life.”

Because somehow this trip has turned me in a car guy - now I’m seeing car items everywhere! These were timepieces from cars, and airplanes. I really had not thought much about what was necessary for cars, but of course if you have a fancy car you also need a fancy timepiece in it.

This was an interesting display of novel timepieces! Lots of clocks that were unusual, definitely with personality. Most of these clocks would not be right for absolutely everyone - but there would for sure be someone who would appreciate each of these unique items.

This book related to a display back in the museum. (The book was for sale in the gift shop.) The man who wrote this story had a whole adventure in trying to track down his grandfather’s clocks - some of them ending up here!

My Grandfather's Clocks: The True Story of a Grandson's Search for an American Inventor's Lost Collection, by Gregory Gerard Allison “After receiving praise from watchmakers, engineers, and Golden Age Hollywood celebrities in 1940s Los Angeles, the Charles Allison Collection disappeared. This treasure trove contained thirteen hand-crafted timepieces—including a mystery clock—which had received kudos from Gene Krupa (drummer, The Benny Goodman Orchestra) and Mary Astor (actor, The Maltese Falcon), among other well-known names of the era.

After a generation of family stories, Charles’ New York-based grandson, Greg, resolved to find his grandfather’s missing collection. Four years of cross-country sleuthing and a surprise online message led him to an unlikely place—a former church building in Montana—and, ultimately, success.”

LATER UPDATES!

Just in case you don’t look down at the comments, the author of “My Grandfather's Clocks” left a quick message: “I did want to make anyone who is interested in the story aware that, for those whose budget doesn't support the "deluxe, color, hardcover" version, there is a less-expensive, black-and-white, softcover version at Drury Lane Books at this link.” Yay! More books, more readers - all good for us all!

I have the audio version, that I bought before I wrote this blog. I’m taking it on my trip later this week as my treat for a lot of travel, and I’m very excited to get the whole story!

Speaking of the whole story: I said above that I hadn’t listened to the podcast S-Town when I saw the clocks at the museum. I have now downloaded it and knocked off the episodes. It’s not what I thought it was - a little more interesting and a little sadder. If you like “slice of life” type podcasts you might enjoy it also.

Today is a great day to go check out something interesting! Find a niche interest and explore it. Start a hobby. Build something new. Go to a new place. Make a new recipe. Time is short, so this is the perfect time to try some new and interesting things!