Cuckoo Clocks, A History by:Elizabeth Kelly
In the early years of the 17th century long before clocks were being carved in the Black Forest
, there lived in Augsbeurg, a merchang by the name of Philipp Hanhofer (21 July 1578 - 1647). Philipp Hainhofer was also a banker, diplomat and an art collector. Hainhofer described in his writings a cuckoo clock which was then owned by Prince Elector August von Sachsen. This was the first known detailed explanation of a Cuckoo Clock.
Athanasius Kircher also in the 17th centurary (1650) was a German Jesuit scholar. In his handbook on music Athanasiius wrote of a mechanical organ that featured many automated figures including a mechanical cuckoo. This book was the first to document in words and pictures the mechanical workings of the cuckoo clock. The book also goes on to describe how the mechanical cuckoo automatically opens it's beak while at the same time the cuckoo moves both the wings and the tail. As the beak opens and closes one hears the call of the cuckoo. Inside the clock are two organ pipes which are responsible for making the call of the cuckoo.
In 1669 Domenico Martinelli an ordained priest, authored a book on an elementary clock which bore the title "Horologi Elementari". In this book Domenico notes using the call of the cuckoo to sound off the hours on the clock. The mechanics of a working cuckoo clock in the late 1600's was already known, and any literate clock maker would be able understand that it was both advantageous and practical to have the cuckoo bird call off the hours. As a result of this book and it's findings, cuckoo clocks began appearing in areas which had not previously been known for their clock making. A few more decades would pass before Cuckoo Clocks began appearing in the Black Forest.
The First Black Forest Cuckoo Clocks
Who built the first cuckoo clocks in the Black Forest is not really known, but this appealing and fascinating clock quickly circumvented the realm. One of the earliest known Cuckoo Clock makers was Franz Anton Ketterer (1676-1749) whose heritage is in the Schonwald in Schwarzwald. By the mid eighteenth century many clock makers here were prevelent, and had set up many stores. Clock makers were generating cuckoo clocks that operated with the aid of wooden plates and gears. The clocks made here were beautifully carved, and decorated with hand painted shields. The first Cuckoo Clocks were very basic having only square faces and they were painted with water colors. As the clocks evolved and grew more refined in their designs, they were also embellished with animated birds who flapped their wings and moved their beaks.
There are many conflicting tales and legends which divulge the origins of the Cuckoo Clock in the Black Forest, but none of the stories can be verified. We have to also remember that the concept of placing a cuckoo bird in a clock complete with sound and movement did not originate in the Black Forest. However, it was the inhabitants of the Black Forest who developed the industry, then improved on the technology and designs which have made Black Forest Cuckoo Clocks highly desired collectibles all over the world.
By the end of the 18th century, up to the middle of the 19th century Cuckoo Clocks basically consisted of a a flat wooden face, with the workings of the clock attached behind the face. On top of the face of the clock was placed a semi circular piece of wood which was embellished with beautiful designs, and which housed the cuckoo bird. Europe then was in the middle of a weather phenomenon known as the "Little Ice Age" which brought extremely cold temperatures in the winter. During the cold winter nights of the mini Ice Age, the clock makers would work, making their beautiful highly decorated clocks. Then in the Spring the clocks were sold by door to door by clock peddlers who transported the Cuckoo Clocks by means of a rack which was borne on their backs. Entire families would work in their cottages making the Cuckoo Clocks, and each family member was skilled in making certain pieces of the clock which was then assembled by yet another family member.
Styles of Cuckoo Clocks.
There are now many styles of Cuckoo Clocks, the most familiar being the Swiss Chalet Style which evolved around the end of the nineteenth century. This was the Swiss contribution to the cuckoo clock. The most basic type of Cuckoo Clock is the One Day Cuckoo Clock which needs to be wound every twenty four hours. Next there is the Eight Day Cuckoo Clock which needs to be wound only one time per week. Each of these types of Cuckoo clocks has a musical version along with the addition of a Swiss music box. Animated figures now are added such as men drinking beer, a man sawing wood, bands playing and even a water wheel turning. Themes of the Cuckoo Clock include deer heads, dead and live animals, birds and leaves. Later versions of the Cuckoo Clock include a battery operated Quartz Cuckoo Clock which does not need to be wound and which has the recorded sound of an actual Cuckoo, along with the sound of running water.
The production center of the Cuckoo Clock is still the Black Forest of Germany, and the Cuckoo Clock is still a favorite of the tourist visiting there. Many tales including those written especially for children have been stories about Cuckoo Clocks and like the Cuckoo Clocks themselves they remain popular to this day.
About the author
Elizabeth Kelly is a retired nurse who for years has been fascinated by clocks. As a child she regularly visited an uncle whose house was filled with clocks of every size and shape. Now Elizabeth has realized her dream, and created her own web site at
http://www.abetterclock.com
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