Moderne Time, the only book on Lawson Clocks, now available.
My sincere thanks to everyone who’s bought the book. I started by listing 10 copies on eBay, and they sold out in 24 hours! Of the 250 copies printed, about 160 remain. I’ve even sent some overseas. For a project that took several years to complete, this is very gratifying.
A big surpirse was hearing from readers. Some of you said thanks for the helpful reference (you’re welcome!) Others offered thanks for filling in the blanks in the history of Lawson Time. I learned that many of you grew up in a home where a Lawson clock was a prized possession.
Again, thank you.
And by the way…if you don’t have a copy yet, you can get them via the links at the bottom of this page.
Back cover
FYI, I do plan to sell them on Amazon, but shipping won’t be free (if you’re in the USA, it’s just $3.33 by Media Mail.)
It turns out that, to offer free 2-day shipping, Amazon needs to stock the book in their warehouses. That’s fine with me, but in addition to seller’s fees, Amazon charges the seller rent for items they keep on the shelf in those massive warehouses. So it’s a great place to get exposure, but that exposure comes at a price.
In the future, I’ll be doing a post on a few additional bits that have come along since the book was published. But for now, here’s the short summary:
A unique, southern California story.
Forty years ago, I saw my first Lawson clock. Very little information was available on the Lawson Time Company, and I assumed they made just one model before the company vanished.
Well, never assume anything. In the years that followed, I saw 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 different Lawson models. I went to antique shows and when eBay arrived, I followed Lawson clocks online.
For years, the only lead I had was that the clocks were sold by jewelers (true.) Everything else, including the story that Lawson Time went out of business during the Depression, turned out to be false. I vowed that if I ever uncovered the true story, I’d write a book.
And that’s what I did.
Moderne Time tells the story, from Frederick Greenawalt’s invention of a digital “cyclometer” clock mechanism in 1933, to Lawson Time’s closing in 1980. This history comes from interviews with members of the Lawson, Coombes, Beall and Fenenbock families, all of whom owned the company at different times.
In addition to the history of Lawson Time, the book also covers:
- Estimating the age and rarity of a Lawson clock
- The Lawson clock designers
- Lawson clock prototypes
- Evaluating clock condition
- The many small variations in some models
- Repairing Lawson clocks
- Lawson clock advertising
- Lawson clock catalogs, patents, name tags
- Clocks with Lawson mechanisms that weren’t made by Lawson
- Lawson clock appearances in the movies
Where known, production dates, model names and original selling prices are given.
Please note: the book does not have a list of values for the clocks. This is because many Lawson models are so scarce that years can pass between sales. New collectors enter the little-known world of Lawson clocks and prices increase. Each of the six collectors whose clocks appear in the book has at least one Lawson that appears to be one of a kind—that’s how scarce they are! Finally, Lawson clock prices can vary enormously, from lucky finds at estate sales, to high-end antique sellers.
Moderne Time does cover the seven common Lawson clock models. These clocks include some of the most desirable and sought after Lawsons, but they are relatively easy to find, and worth waiting for a good example to come along.
The high quality of Lawson clocks demanded a high quality presentation. Originally intended as a print-on-demand book, the quality just wasn’t good enough, so Moderne Time was printed by traditional means, in an edition of just 250 copies. Will the book itself become a collector’s item? That’s hard to say, but it’s unlikely more will be printed.
All known models are pictured, and everything is in color except where the original was black and white. Book measures 7.5 in x 9.25 in. Softcover, 184 pages, 202 illustrations, 143 in color. A great gift for anyone interested in industrial design, Art Deco and obscure 20th century history.
To order a copy of Moderne Time on eBay, click here.
To order a copy of Moderne Time on Etsy, click here.
(If you are outside the U.S., ordering from eBay is cheaper, as they have negotiated discounts with the U.S. Postal Service.)