ComputerHunter.org

 

The History of Cuckoo Clocks


Although the exact date remains a mystery, it is commonly thought that cuckoo clocks first made their appearance around 1730 in the Black Forest area of Germany. To this day, even with all that has come along with modern experience, skill and technology, no other clock or timepiece has made the lasting impression that the Cuckoo clock made at the time of its introduction. Although there are a number of conflicting stories about who actually made the first cuckoo clock, the invention is generally attributed to a gentleman by the name of Franz Anton Ketterer, from the town of Triberg.

The first cuckoo clocks were entirely made out of wood, including the internal plates and gears. As time went on, the inner workings and decorations of the clocks became more sophisticated and ornate. The birds' wings and beaks became animated, and some were even decorated with feathers. The inner workings of the clocks were improved with the introduction of metal gears and metal plates. Soon family scenes, hunting scenarios and military motifs gained in popularity, all accentuated with the "cuckoo" call on the half hour and on the hour.

All of the early cuckoo clocks were handmade including the inner timing mechanisms as well as the ornate decorations. The farmers in the Black Forest would spend the winter months making hand crafted cuckoo clocks from the local resources in their surrounding environs which gave the clocks their distinctive, rural look. The clocks were then sold during the warmer months both as timepieces and as works of art.

As the world became more industrialized in the late 1800's, the cuckoo clock industry was no exception. Cuckoo clock manufacturing houses dotted Germany and various other countries in Europe. It was still partially a cottage industry, with work being done in people's homes and barns, but there were also a growing number of factories. The work was split between the decorators and the masters of the inner workings, with technological advances in each area in order to offer clocks increasingly complicated and ornate and keep up with the growing competition. In the relatively small village of Triberg, it is estimated that by 1850 there were some 13,500 people engaged in some part of the manufacture of cuckoo clocks, working for over 600 different manufacturers, and all because Mr. Ketterer managed to duplicate the sound of a cuckoo bird!

Cuckoo Clocks Info provides detailed information on Black Forest, antique, and quartz cuckoo clocks, as well as parts, repair, movement, kits, manufacturer reviews, and advice on where to purchase discount clocks. Cuckoo Clocks Info is the sister site of Grandfather Clocks Web.







Google News - Top Stories

ABC News

US Automakers, UAW to ‘Genuflect’ to Divided Congress for Aid
Bloomberg - 2 hours ago
By Mike Ramsey and Jeff Green Dec. 2 (Bloomberg) -- General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC, running out of money to operate, must convince a divided Congress that their plans to shrink are severe enough to ensure repayment of $25 billion ...
Executives Return to Congress to Plea for $25 Billion in Loans Washington Post
Automakers have 5 crucial issues to address to get bailout USA Today
New York Times - Wall Street Journal - Los Angeles Times - Straits Times
all 840 news articles


guardian.co.uk

Obama's Former Rival Clinton Joins His Team
Washington Post - 1 hour ago
· Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton fought hard against each other this year during the Democratic primaries. But yesterday, President-elect Obama named his former rival to serve in an important role in his administration.
Video: Obama Picks Gates, Clinton for Foreign Policy AssociatedPress
Obama's team must hit ground running Houston Chronicle
Los Angeles Times - TIME - Yale Daily News - UW Badger Herald
all 4,302 news articles


Washington Post

Chances of WMD attack in big city greater: report
Reuters - 2 hours ago
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The chances of a terror attack on a major city somewhere in the world using weapons of mass destruction are better than even, according to a task force mandated by the US Congress, The Washington Post reported in its Tuesday ...
Panel warns biological attack likely by 2013 The Associated Press
Panel Fears Use of Unconventional Weapon New York Times
Washington Post - Los Angeles Times - Global Security Newswire - TopNews
all 250 news articles


Voice of America

Top Thai court bans ruling party
BBC News - 46 minutes ago
Thailand's constitutional court has dissolved the governing People Power Party and two of its coalition partners for fraud during the last election.
Thai Court Bans Ruling Coalition Parties from Politics Voice of America
Thai court dissolves ruling party, bans PM AFP
Bloomberg - The Associated Press - Times Online - PRESS TV
all 526 news articles


Washington Post

Holder a historic pick for AG, with big challenges ahead
USA Today - 3 hours ago
AP By Donna Leinwand and Kevin Johnson, USA TODAY Eric Holder, the first African-American nominee for attorney general, has blazed trails before.
Pardon Is Back in Focus for the Justice Nominee New York Times
Questions for Holder Rocky Mountain News
Washington Post - The Miami Herald - Kansas City Star - Voice of America
all 315 news articles

Google
 

Copyright © 2006 Computer Hunter - A Division of Arthur´s Job Base