Restricted for 15 years; until Jan-01-2024. Copyrighted material in Box 1 (Photograph of Buytl Rubber Manufacture Exhibition, Museum of History and Technology) and Box 2 (Hall of Coal: Scripts, circa 1960); see finding aid. Transferring office; 2/1/2011 memorandum, Johnstone to Jones; Contact reference staff for details
One production record book of the Illinois Springfield Watch Company.
Arrangement:
1 series.
Biographical/Historical note:
The Illinois Springfield Watch Company was organized in1869. Though the first movements were produced in 1872, the company didn't really achieve full production until 1875. The first stem-wind watch was produced in 1875. By 1885 the company name was changed to the Illinois Watch Company. The Illinois Watch Company was purchased by Hamilton Watch Company in 1927, but continued to produce Illinois watches under Hamilton management until 1932. Hamilton continued producing Illinois watches in the Hamilton factory until 1939.
Provenance:
Collection donated by Jon Hanson.
Restrictions:
Unrestricted research access on site by appointment.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
11.7 Cubic feet (8 boxes including photographs and negatives)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Annual reports
Advertising
Blueprints
Price lists
Account books
Photographs
Business records
Date:
1931-1954
undated
Summary:
Photographic prints and negatives documenting the interior operations of the Hamilton Watch Company primarily in the 1930s and 1940s.
Scope and Contents:
The collection consists of approximately 760 photographs and negatives created by the Hamilton Watch Company and documenting its employees, equipment, materials, and factory in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Many photographs depict the company's research and development efforts. There are also images of the Hamilton Watch Company's work in fuse assembly for bombs during WWII. The photographs are mainly organized by factory department or location. A number of these photographs were created by the advertising department and include identification numbers, location of the image, name of the photographer, and the identification of people in the photograph, as well as release forms for those pictured. If not located with the photographs, these items, as well as additional information, can be found in the corresponding folders. Negatives in poor condition were scanned. There are also five glass plate negatives.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged in one series.
Series 1, Photographic Prints and Negatives, 1931-1954, undated
Biographical / Historical:
Hamilton Watch Company, established in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1892, was known for its manufacture of high quality wrist and pocket watches. Broadway Limited, its first series of pocket watches, was nicknamed "the watch of railroad accuracy," and Hamilton soon became associated with the railroad industry. The company also supplied wristwatches to the United States Armed Forces in the 1910s Hamilton continued its association with the military during World War II when it stopped production of watches for consumers in order to provide the armed forces with one million timepieces. The company was responsible for the Ventura, the world's first electric (battery-powered) watch, and in 1970, the world's first digital watch.
In 1969, Hamilton closed its factory in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, signaling the end of its American manufacturing operations. All production moved to the facilities of the Buren Watch Company in Switzerland, a company that Hamilton had acquired three years before. The Hamilton brand is currently owned by the Swatch Group and carries two product lines, American Classic and Khaki.
Related Materials:
Materials in the Archives Center
E. Howard Clock Company Records (AC0776)
Seth Thomas Clock Company Records (AC0627)
James Arthur Clock and Watch Collection (AC0130)
National Company (NATCO) Atomic Clocks Records (AC0547)
Harold Lyons Atomic Clocks Collection (AC0701)
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana (AC0060)
Provenance:
This collection was donated by Jon Hanson in 2008.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research use.
Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with gloves.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
