Arthur F. Poole, Gravity Electric Clock, Model 71, "Romanesque" 1928, serial number 10022

The Poole clocks were manufactured in the late 1920s, at a time when AC power was just starting to be regulated, and like many other early electric clocks, used batteries, as they were considered more reliable. Arthur French Poole was the mechanical genius behind these clocks, and he received numerous US patents for his work. He was bankrolled by the Morse Chain Co. and this clock was made by them in Ithaca, NY. This had also been home to the Ithaca Calendar Clock Co., which had gone out of business in 1919.

There is a magnetic field running through a metal plate at the base of the clock, and when the pendulum begins to slow down, a circuit is activated, giving the pendulum a nudge to keep going, and which also gives this clock a distinctive sound. The result of this "Hipp Toggle" type movement (which, by the way should not be oiled) is a very accurate and reliable clock. If the clock runs fast or slow it can be adjusted via the pendulum as on a mechanical clock. The clock will work properly as long as it is level, and there is a built-in bubble level and three adjustable legs for this purpose. There were at least 8 different Poole models made in this era, the Reliance, Sentinel, Winsor, Executive, Salem, Patrician, Romanesque, and Melrose. The most well-known of these is the glass-domed Poole Executive, originally sold for $20.00. The various models have similar, although not identical mechanisms. As you can see in the pictures, this model came with a cover for the battery compartment, but but prior to it had the batteries protected by some rolled-up still paper. One of the previous owners of this clock put a brace on the back of the clock to hold the batteries in place (to bad they didn't stain it to match the case). The entire front cover of the clock slides right off for easy access to the pendulum and clock mechanism. These clocks are considered very collectible and are featured on two pages of the Tran Duy Ly book American Clocks Volume 2. The Romanesque retailed for $47.50 in 1928, which totals to $835.67 in today's market The original Poole clocks were made until 1930 and Arthur F. Poole died in 1934. In 1937, his patents, designs and trademarks were acquired by the Barr Typewriter Corp. of Weedsport, NY, which was also originally associated with Morse Chain. The only Poole model they resurrected was the Executive, which was sold for the next 10 years or so under the Barr nameplate.

Once power companies began to regulate the output of electricity to homes, starting in the 1920s, the Telechron and Hammond electric clocks dominated the market, and battery-powered electro-mechanical clocks such as these fell by the wayside. But they are still a fascinating chapter in clock history, and Arthur F. Poole also had earlier associations with other legendary pioneer firms in the electrical clock industry,