Preface - I first saw a Lawson clock in an antique mall in the mid-1980s and didn't see another for several years. There was no information on the company and for a while I thought that my clock was the only model the company produced. Then, I saw another. Over time it became obvious that Lawson had been a prolific producer of clocks over many years--but where did they come from and where did they go?
Now, at last, I have some of the answers, courtesy of Henry Fenenbock, whose father owned the company from 1948 onward. As far as I know, none of this information has appeared anywhere else. Update: This article has been revised with additional information and illustrations provided by clock expert Dr. Neil Kuns. I am most grateful for his input.
When the Roaring Twenties came to an abrupt end in
October 1929, one casualty was ornate, European
inspired Art Deco. For the foreseeable future, the
last thing on people's minds would be keeping up
with the latest styles.
Sadly, things would get worse. The Depression hit bottom in 1933 and, at this most unlikely time, a new streamlined style went on display. This "moderne" style, a sort of egalitarian Art Deco, was an unusual mix of optimism and pragmatism, science and science fiction. The Depression would linger for years but streamlining offered a peek at the future, suggesting better days were just around the corner.
The first major exhibit of streamlined Art Deco was the Chicago World's Fair of 1933-34. It was here that Henry Fenenbock, a young entrepreneur from New York's lower east side, started a new venture. He became the "Turtle King", selling live turtles with hand painted shells as souvenirs. He sold thousands.
Due to a mishap with the heating system in his hotel, Henry's turtles were lost. He tried several other businesses before deciding to seek his fortune in California, where he arrived in Los Angeles in 1936.
In those days, good penmanship and a high quality fountain pen were essential for successful businessmen and Henry, who had always been interested in pens, opened Swanee's Pen Hospital (named after a favorite song). "Swanee" as Henry came to be known, would build a huge business, becoming the largest Parker Pen dealer in the world and ultimately owning a part of that company.
***************************************************************************
Two years earlier, and not far from Swanee's shop, Lindley S. Lawson and Harold B. Lawson had opened a clock business. Their company, Lawson Clocks Limited, at 2329 W. Washington Boulevard, made a line of strikingly modern digital clocks that displayed the time on rolling wheels much like an odometer. The clocks were of very high quality, with many exhibiting the latest streamlined designs. For some models, Lawson worked with designer KEM Weber to ensure the clock cases were as up-to-date as the digital concept.
Interestingly, before moving to Los Angeles, Lindley S. Lawson had lived in Pittsburgh--home of the Pennwood Company, another manufacturer of rolling wheel "cylometer" clocks, and whose patent appears on all but the earliest Lawson models. Lawson had been in the furniture business in Pittsburgh and may have applied this expertise to the designs of Lawson's wood cases.
Did Henry Fenenbock's work with fountain pens bring him into contact with the Lawsons? Did one of Henry's customers have a Lawson clock on his desk? We don't know. But selling and servicing fine pens in downtown Los Angeles, Henry must have been acquainted with Lawson products. Eventually, the paths of Fenenbock and Lawson Time would cross.
The cases for Lawson's metal clocks were crafted by Crown City Plating in Pasadena, owned by Harold E. Coombes. In 1940, Coombes acquired Lawson Time and consolidated production, relocating the Los Angeles facility to Pasadena, directly across the alley from the plating works, at 165 South Fair Oaks Blvd.
The arrival of World War II interrupted clock production, with the Lawson/Crown City facility turning its attention to anodizing, airplane parts and rivets for the war effort. Records show that shortly after the war, the business was sold again, this time to John Beall.
Meanwhile, Henry Fenenbock's pen business continued to grow and, always on the lookout for a for a good opportunity, he became the fourth and final owner of Lawson Time in 1948, relocating the business to 1109 S. Freemont, in Alhambra, California. The factory had excess capacity so Henry set up an operation making Onyx and black glass desk sets for Parker.
With Parker Pen's steady orders coming in, Henry was able to continue producing beautiful Lawson clocks. To the surprise (and some dismay) of Lawson collectors, the Lawson Alhambra facility continued making distinctly Art Deco clocks until sometime in the late 1960s and and the walnut case clocks were produced in small quantities until the mid-1970s! With this long run, it's no surprise the majority of Lawson clocks were made in Alhambra.
In a future installment, I'll delve into some nuts and bolts of these fascinating clocks, dates, variations, etc. But for now, scroll down for a look at the original catalog pages and original hand tinted salesman's sample photos. I've put together a photo gallery of clocks with model numbers and names, where known.
I am extremely grateful to Henry's son, also named Henry Fenenbock for providing illustrations and fascinating information on his family's history, without which this article would not have been possible.
©2010 Randy Juster. All Rights Reserved.
Continue to Part II - Lawson Clock FAQs
Sadly, things would get worse. The Depression hit bottom in 1933 and, at this most unlikely time, a new streamlined style went on display. This "moderne" style, a sort of egalitarian Art Deco, was an unusual mix of optimism and pragmatism, science and science fiction. The Depression would linger for years but streamlining offered a peek at the future, suggesting better days were just around the corner.
The first major exhibit of streamlined Art Deco was the Chicago World's Fair of 1933-34. It was here that Henry Fenenbock, a young entrepreneur from New York's lower east side, started a new venture. He became the "Turtle King", selling live turtles with hand painted shells as souvenirs. He sold thousands.
Due to a mishap with the heating system in his hotel, Henry's turtles were lost. He tried several other businesses before deciding to seek his fortune in California, where he arrived in Los Angeles in 1936.
In those days, good penmanship and a high quality fountain pen were essential for successful businessmen and Henry, who had always been interested in pens, opened Swanee's Pen Hospital (named after a favorite song). "Swanee" as Henry came to be known, would build a huge business, becoming the largest Parker Pen dealer in the world and ultimately owning a part of that company.
***************************************************************************
Two years earlier, and not far from Swanee's shop, Lindley S. Lawson and Harold B. Lawson had opened a clock business. Their company, Lawson Clocks Limited, at 2329 W. Washington Boulevard, made a line of strikingly modern digital clocks that displayed the time on rolling wheels much like an odometer. The clocks were of very high quality, with many exhibiting the latest streamlined designs. For some models, Lawson worked with designer KEM Weber to ensure the clock cases were as up-to-date as the digital concept.
Interestingly, before moving to Los Angeles, Lindley S. Lawson had lived in Pittsburgh--home of the Pennwood Company, another manufacturer of rolling wheel "cylometer" clocks, and whose patent appears on all but the earliest Lawson models. Lawson had been in the furniture business in Pittsburgh and may have applied this expertise to the designs of Lawson's wood cases.
Did Henry Fenenbock's work with fountain pens bring him into contact with the Lawsons? Did one of Henry's customers have a Lawson clock on his desk? We don't know. But selling and servicing fine pens in downtown Los Angeles, Henry must have been acquainted with Lawson products. Eventually, the paths of Fenenbock and Lawson Time would cross.
The cases for Lawson's metal clocks were crafted by Crown City Plating in Pasadena, owned by Harold E. Coombes. In 1940, Coombes acquired Lawson Time and consolidated production, relocating the Los Angeles facility to Pasadena, directly across the alley from the plating works, at 165 South Fair Oaks Blvd.
The arrival of World War II interrupted clock production, with the Lawson/Crown City facility turning its attention to anodizing, airplane parts and rivets for the war effort. Records show that shortly after the war, the business was sold again, this time to John Beall.
Meanwhile, Henry Fenenbock's pen business continued to grow and, always on the lookout for a for a good opportunity, he became the fourth and final owner of Lawson Time in 1948, relocating the business to 1109 S. Freemont, in Alhambra, California. The factory had excess capacity so Henry set up an operation making Onyx and black glass desk sets for Parker.
With Parker Pen's steady orders coming in, Henry was able to continue producing beautiful Lawson clocks. To the surprise (and some dismay) of Lawson collectors, the Lawson Alhambra facility continued making distinctly Art Deco clocks until sometime in the late 1960s and and the walnut case clocks were produced in small quantities until the mid-1970s! With this long run, it's no surprise the majority of Lawson clocks were made in Alhambra.
In a future installment, I'll delve into some nuts and bolts of these fascinating clocks, dates, variations, etc. But for now, scroll down for a look at the original catalog pages and original hand tinted salesman's sample photos. I've put together a photo gallery of clocks with model numbers and names, where known.
I am extremely grateful to Henry's son, also named Henry Fenenbock for providing illustrations and fascinating information on his family's history, without which this article would not have been possible.
©2010 Randy Juster. All Rights Reserved.
Continue to Part II - Lawson Clock FAQs
1940s-50s Catalog
Salesman's sample photos
Clocks