It recently came into my possession. My sister had been its' caretaker for a number of years, but with her passing I was honored to take over that duty. Actually it was offered to me and I accepted gratefully. This object comes with a bit of mystery. The true history of it has not been recorded. I do know that it came down through the family from my Great Grandfathers home. I believe I have seen it in a picture but haven't been able to locate that picture. So, what is this mystery object? It is a ladys' pendant watch.
Maybe you aren't familiar with that. A pendant watch looks very much like a pocket watch although it is much smaller. In the later part of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries they were quite the popular thing. A lady would pin that pendant watch to her dress when going out. The one I have was made by the Elgin watch company. I'm certain you have heard of them. Did you know they went out of business in 1968? I was surprised to learn that. But this one was manufactured in 1894. I was able to find that information on the web. Amazing to me that I was able to do that so easily. I just opened the back of the watch and wrote down the numbers engraved on the works. I cross referenced that number to find it was made in 1894. I also discovered that a total of 74,000 of that particular model was manufactured over the years. I was also able to learn that the case is gilded, not gold and the movement has 11 jewels. At the time of manufacture it was a mid-level watch. Its' value today is more as a curiosity than anything else. The case is quite beautiful and the face is porcelain.
That much I know for certain. It is documented in the records of the Elgin watch company. As to the origins of it in my family, that is where speculation enters the picture. As I mentioned I believe I have a picture of Great, Great Grandmother Agnes wearing such a watch. Whether it is the same one, is the mystery. They were quite popular and an everyday thing during that time. I expect it was much like wearing a wrist watch, everybody had one. I'm fairly certain that it came from Great Grandfathers house and great, great grandmother did live there for a while. Her daughter, my Great Grandmother Lucy lived there and in fact passed away in that house. So, it is entirely possible that the watch was handed down mother to daughter, eventually going to my sister, Lucy's' great granddaughter. If nothing else it makes a great story. I intend to house it in a shadow box with the information I know attached. I figure it has been around for 125 years now and deserves a spot on the wall.
I will continue to look for that picture and see if I can determine anything more. No one is around that could shed any further light on this object from the past. Still I somehow feel a connection to that past whenever I hold it. There is a sort of magnetism drawing me to discover more. It is kinda funny to think about. I have begun to view some of my treasures as artifacts. How old does something have to be to be considered an artifact? See what I mean, it's kinda strange. I have a few things that belonged to my Father and now they are artifacts. Good grief, that just sounds weird doesn't it?
Whatever the case may be I do enjoy having these things and speculating about their past. So little of everyday life gets recorded and that is why it is lost. We tend to document and retell the big stories, often embellishing them as the years go by. The everyday stuff, that which we take for granted often gets forgotten. Still it is those things, the everyday stuff that we reminisce about. That is the reason some collect certain items. They may or may not have the object they owned all those years ago, but just holding one brings the memory back. Now I never had a ladies pendant watch before, I don't recall ever holding one. The only memory I have is of an old photograph with a lady wearing such a watch. Why should I remember that? That's another mystery all in itself. Why do we remember such trivial things? Perhaps it is a voice from the distant past speaking to me. That it is a device for marking time is not lost on me. Presently it isn't working. Perhaps I should get it repaired, allow it to mark time once again. I wouldn't want time to run out! Well, makes for a good story I think, a harmless tale of possibilities. Artifacts and possibilities, no reason they shouldn't be shared.
Not the clearest picture but you get the idea.
Maybe you aren't familiar with that. A pendant watch looks very much like a pocket watch although it is much smaller. In the later part of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries they were quite the popular thing. A lady would pin that pendant watch to her dress when going out. The one I have was made by the Elgin watch company. I'm certain you have heard of them. Did you know they went out of business in 1968? I was surprised to learn that. But this one was manufactured in 1894. I was able to find that information on the web. Amazing to me that I was able to do that so easily. I just opened the back of the watch and wrote down the numbers engraved on the works. I cross referenced that number to find it was made in 1894. I also discovered that a total of 74,000 of that particular model was manufactured over the years. I was also able to learn that the case is gilded, not gold and the movement has 11 jewels. At the time of manufacture it was a mid-level watch. Its' value today is more as a curiosity than anything else. The case is quite beautiful and the face is porcelain.
That much I know for certain. It is documented in the records of the Elgin watch company. As to the origins of it in my family, that is where speculation enters the picture. As I mentioned I believe I have a picture of Great, Great Grandmother Agnes wearing such a watch. Whether it is the same one, is the mystery. They were quite popular and an everyday thing during that time. I expect it was much like wearing a wrist watch, everybody had one. I'm fairly certain that it came from Great Grandfathers house and great, great grandmother did live there for a while. Her daughter, my Great Grandmother Lucy lived there and in fact passed away in that house. So, it is entirely possible that the watch was handed down mother to daughter, eventually going to my sister, Lucy's' great granddaughter. If nothing else it makes a great story. I intend to house it in a shadow box with the information I know attached. I figure it has been around for 125 years now and deserves a spot on the wall.
I will continue to look for that picture and see if I can determine anything more. No one is around that could shed any further light on this object from the past. Still I somehow feel a connection to that past whenever I hold it. There is a sort of magnetism drawing me to discover more. It is kinda funny to think about. I have begun to view some of my treasures as artifacts. How old does something have to be to be considered an artifact? See what I mean, it's kinda strange. I have a few things that belonged to my Father and now they are artifacts. Good grief, that just sounds weird doesn't it?
Whatever the case may be I do enjoy having these things and speculating about their past. So little of everyday life gets recorded and that is why it is lost. We tend to document and retell the big stories, often embellishing them as the years go by. The everyday stuff, that which we take for granted often gets forgotten. Still it is those things, the everyday stuff that we reminisce about. That is the reason some collect certain items. They may or may not have the object they owned all those years ago, but just holding one brings the memory back. Now I never had a ladies pendant watch before, I don't recall ever holding one. The only memory I have is of an old photograph with a lady wearing such a watch. Why should I remember that? That's another mystery all in itself. Why do we remember such trivial things? Perhaps it is a voice from the distant past speaking to me. That it is a device for marking time is not lost on me. Presently it isn't working. Perhaps I should get it repaired, allow it to mark time once again. I wouldn't want time to run out! Well, makes for a good story I think, a harmless tale of possibilities. Artifacts and possibilities, no reason they shouldn't be shared.
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