Veterans Strong and cultural treasures among the mantels in this year’s ‘Mantels for the Season’ exhibit

An old map of Bristol and a clock from the Forestville Manufacturing Co. are features of the mantel featuring historic treasures within Bristol's cultural district as part of the American Clock & Watch Museum's sixth annual 'Mantels for the Season' exhibit. | David Fortier

Posted By: David Fortier December 27, 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 final two mantels include one that features historic treasurers within the district and another that honors veterans.

“Cultural Treasures” focuses on the historic elements within the district with an old map of Bristol and a clock from the Forestville Manufacturing Co. with clockmaker J.C. Brown’s home in the tablet.

In close proximity to the mantel is a Christmas tree with ornaments depicting Bristol’s history.

“Keep the Home Fires Burning” is an homage to veterans and the Veterans Strong Community Center with its banjo clock from an Ohio company and military themes in its tablets, one highlighting a naval battle and the other the eagle in its iconography. Memorial Boulevard with its monuments and walkways honoring veterans falls within the cultural district.

In addition to the six mantels, there is an opportunity to vote for a favorite mantel and help the museum. Donate a $1 for a vote, have some fun and help support museum programming.

Clockwise from upper left, the “Cultural Treasures” mantel with its Forestville Manufacturing Co. clock, the tablet with clockmaker J.C. Brown’s home, another angle of the mantel, an old map that is a prominent feature of the mantel and the clock. | David Fortier

“This has been kind of fun because everybody has a different take on what they want their mantel to look like,” said the museum’s executive director Patti Philippon. “In the different years we’ve done it, we’ve had designers come in and they got a very different take, we’ve had community organizations come in and they’ve had different focuses.”

Clockwise, from top, the “Keep the Home Fires Burning” mantel, the banjo cloc, and a detail from the mantel. | 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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