Next up for ‘Mantels for the Season’ at American Clock and Watch Museum is museums and city art and culture

The mantel highlighting museums from the Bristols' cultural district is one of six on display at the American Clock and Watch Museum through Dec. 30. | David Fortier

Posted By: David Fortier December 24, 2023

By David Fortier

The American Clock & Watch Museum will be featuring its sixth annual “Mantels for the Season” exhibit through Dec. 30. This year’s exhibit highlights businesses and organizations in the recently established cultural district.

The Bristol Edition will be highlighting each of the six mantels on display through the month. The third and fourth mantels feature the museums in the cultural district and the Bristol City Arts and Culture Commission under the themes, “Magic of the Holidays” and “Celebrating the Arts,” respectively.

“This is our sixth year,” said Patti Philippon, executive director the museum who led a tour of the exhibit earlier in December. “For many people it’s a busy time of year for having visitors and family coming in, it’s kind of nice way for people to come in and get a chance to go out and see a treasure in Bristol.”

“And if you have been before this a good reason to come back.”

The “Magic of the Holidays” mantel features museums that are within the city’s cultural district. | David Fortier

“Magic of the Holidays” has stockings that represent each of the museums in the display–American Clock and Watch Museum, Imagine Nation, The Carousel Museum, Museum of Fire History, Memorial Military Museum and the Bristol Historical Society.

The clock was chosen because it was made in Bristol but also for the snowflake elements on the tablets.

“Celebrating the Arts” features ornaments that highlight activities sponsored by the City Arts and Culture Commission, with an emphasis on theater. The clock is an old Pennsylvania Dutch theater clock representing the newly renovated and recently reopened Rockwell Theater at the Bristol Arts and Innovation Magnet Schoo.

A focus of the “Celebrating the Arts” mantel is an old Pennsylvania Dutch theater clock. | David Fortier

Each mantel has at least one clock that matches the theme and the design. The placards with the descriptions of the clocks and displays are acorn shaped since the logo for the cultural district is the acorn.

Each of the clocks in the mantel display is from the museum’s collection, according to Philippon.

The cultural district in Bristol includes, roughly, the area from Maple Street, where the American Clock and Watch Museum is located, south to Memorial Boulevard, west to Church Street, where the Imagination Museum is located, and east to the entrance of the boulevard.

The Federal Hill Green and Brackett Park as well as the Bristol Arts and Innovation Magnet School and The Rockwell Theater are within its borders. For a more detailed description with a map, click here.

The establishments celebrated in the display are included because they fall within the boundaries of the cultural district.

The American Clock and Watch Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and closed on holidays. There is an admission charge. For information, call (860)583-6070 or visit www.clockandwatchmuseum.org.

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