Introduction
Seth Thomas - a huge name in American Clocks and to this day multitudes of clocks can be found branded Seth Thomas. There are numerous questions asked online about the Seth Thomas Clock Company and their clocks:
1) Are Seth Thomas Clocks still made?
2) Where is the Seth Thomas Clock Company?
3) How do I date my Seth Thomas Clock?
Just to name a few.
I may be able to help answer some of these questions here.
But more than this, the hope is to try to enhance the online history of Seth Thomas. It amazes me how history becomes obscure and even lost, gradually falling into misunderstandings and half-truths. Even what could be considered modern history (from 1950 to current day) becomes obscure, especially online, as people start copying and pasting errors and taking these errors as facts.
NOTE: Throughout this discussion, references to images of actual newspaper articles will be provided as supporting information.
Here are of the common threads of thought that are erroneous, but taken as fact by many clock collectors:
- General Times bought the Seth Thomas Clock Company in 1930.
- Talley Industries bought Seth Thomas in 1968.
- The Seth Thomas Clock Company continues under different ownership to this day.
When I've brought up these errors in the past, some have said, "oh, you know what is meant," or "it's no big deal."
However, to some, the truth is a big deal.
For example: Did you know:
- The Seth Thomas Clock Company was never bought by General Time Corporation.
- A catastrophic flood in the northeastern United Stated in 1955 essentially ended production of clock mechanisms by the company.
- The Seth Thomas Clock Company experienced a hostile take over.
- The Seth Thomas Clock Company was forced out of it's New England home town of Thomaston (named after Seth Thomas) and sent south - leaving most of it's loyal workers and upsetting the local community.
- The hostility, anger and sadness was so great in Thomaston that a mock funeral for The Seth Thomas Company was held in the early 1980s - which foreshadowed the company's eventual doom.
- The Seth Thomas Clock Company was eventually "bought back" from Talley Industries by stockholders in 1988, but ultimately went bankrupt and ceased to exist as a company in 2001.
- Modern Clocks labeled Seth Thomas have nothing to do with the Seth Thomas Clock Company.
And finally, I bet you never knew that a new, Seth Thomas Mantel clock was burned in public during that mock funeral I mentioned. I don't know why, but this really stuck with me - to the point that I bought that model clock.
You may think I'm being dramatic, but the title of this article could have been
The Seth Thomas Clock Company - Great American Success Story or Great American Tragedy. You Decide.
The Video
See the Full Article for much more details and extensive references with links to actual newspaper articles.
Seth Thomas - a huge name in American Clocks and to this day multitudes of clocks can be found branded Seth Thomas. There are numerous questions asked online about the Seth Thomas Clock Company and their clocks:1) Are Seth Thomas Clocks still made?
2) Where is the Seth Thomas Clock Company?
3) How do I date my Seth Thomas Clock?
Just to name a few.
I may be able to help answer some of these questions here.
But more than this, the hope is to try to enhance the online history of Seth Thomas. It amazes me how history becomes obscure and even lost, gradually falling into misunderstandings and half-truths. Even what could be considered modern history (from 1950 to current day) becomes obscure, especially online, as people start copying and pasting errors and taking these errors as facts.
NOTE: Throughout this discussion, references to images of actual newspaper articles will be provided as supporting information.
Here are of the common threads of thought that are erroneous, but taken as fact by many clock collectors:
- General Times bought the Seth Thomas Clock Company in 1930.
- Talley Industries bought Seth Thomas in 1968.
- The Seth Thomas Clock Company continues under different ownership to this day.
When I've brought up these errors in the past, some have said, "oh, you know what is meant," or "it's no big deal."
However, to some, the truth is a big deal.
For example: Did you know:
- The Seth Thomas Clock Company was never bought by General Time Corporation.
- A catastrophic flood in the northeastern United Stated in 1955 essentially ended production of clock mechanisms by the company.
- The Seth Thomas Clock Company experienced a hostile take over.
- The Seth Thomas Clock Company was forced out of it's New England home town of Thomaston (named after Seth Thomas) and sent south - leaving most of it's loyal workers and upsetting the local community.
- The hostility, anger and sadness was so great in Thomaston that a mock funeral for The Seth Thomas Company was held in the early 1980s - which foreshadowed the company's eventual doom.
- The Seth Thomas Clock Company was eventually "bought back" from Talley Industries by stockholders in 1988, but ultimately went bankrupt and ceased to exist as a company in 2001.
- Modern Clocks labeled Seth Thomas have nothing to do with the Seth Thomas Clock Company.
And finally, I bet you never knew that a new, Seth Thomas Mantel clock was burned in public during that mock funeral I mentioned. I don't know why, but this really stuck with me - to the point that I bought that model clock.
You may think I'm being dramatic, but the title of this article could have been
The Seth Thomas Clock Company - Great American Success Story or Great American Tragedy. You Decide.
The Video
See the Full Article for much more details and extensive references with links to actual newspaper articles.
