By Laura Bailey

The art, science and history of Bristol’s clock making industry are encapsulated in the timepieces at the American Clock and Watch Museum. Located in historic Federal Hill, the exhibits honor the workers, pioneers and industrialists of the clock industry. 

“It’s not just the clocks, it’s the stories behind them,” said Patti Philippon. “The artistry, the paintings on the dials and the woodwork that they’re carved in.”

Philippon, a Forestville resident, has been the Executive Director of the American Clock and Watch Museum for eight years. 

The museum first opened its doors to the general public in 1954 under the name “Bristol Clock and Watch Museum.” The name was changed in 1958 to reflect the growing membership and grand scope of the collection. Today, the American Clock and Watch Museum attracts guests from all walks of life, from lifelong Bristol residents to collectors from across the country. 

Among the many exhibits in the American Clock and Watch Museum is the novelty gallery, where clocks and watches featuring classic pop culture icons evoke feelings of nostalgia in many visitors.

“People will say ‘My grandmother had that Felix the Cat clock’ or ‘I had that Mickey Mouse watch as a kid,’” said Philippon. “It’s really fun to hear those stories.”

“My favorite clock is a swinger clock made by the Ansonia clock company,” continued Philippon. “‘Gloria’ is the name of the figure. I love the art style, the iconography and the imagery.”

The Ingraham Wing of the museum provides a look into daily life at the Ingraham Clock Company. Photos of workers circa 1914 are seen throughout the room, alongside clocks and machinery made in the factory. An early television can be seen on display with ornate cabinetry built in the Ingraham factory.

More local ties from the clock and watch museum are coming in 2023, including three conserved stained-glass windows from the Ingraham Clock Company office building, which will be hung in the Ingraham Wing.

Visitors will also see the unveiling of a restored work of American art. An oil on canvas painting of Bristol-born clock maker Eli Bartholomew was purchased in 2020 at auction, and sent to Yost conservation in Oxford, Conn, to be conserved. The painting is framed and ready to be displayed alongside Bartholomew’s timepieces in the Museum’s collection. 

“Part of the exhibit is going to be talking about Eli as a clock maker, but also the conservation work that was done on this portrait,” said Philippon. “We’ll be talking about the museum bringing this particular piece back to life, and we’re very excited about that.”

The painting is scheduled to be unveiled in the early spring.

For more information, visit https://www.clockandwatchmuseum.org.

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