Mass Watchmakers-Clockmakers Association 2000 highlights

Massachusetts Watchmakers/Clockmakers
Association, Inc.

Meetings Past

Tuesday, November 21, 2000, Harrows Restaurant, Reading, Mass

Speaker John Stephens, Curator of the Willard House and Clock Museum

John Stephens gave us a very interesting slide presentation on the work being done at the museum and shared with us his experiences as curator. Thanks John for the great slide tour of the Museum and of its clocks. For anyone interested, John is looking for volunteers to work in the museum shop on weekends to give demonstrations on clock repair techniques. The museum is located on 11 Willard Street, Grafton, MA 01536 and can be reached at 1-508-839-3500. NAWCC Ch 8 sponsored web site

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Tuesday, September 19, 2000, Harrows Restaurant, Reading, Mass.

The Magellan I Guider-Probe Controller
Speakers: Jerry and Julie Sussman

MIT Professor Gerald Sussman (Jerry as we know him) and wife Julie participated in the design and construction of the Guider Probe Controller for the Magellan I 6.5 meter telescope, now being finished at the Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. The telescope is of monstrous proportions, yet it is of almost molecular precision. The site is located at 8000 feet, halfway between the sea and the backbone of the Andes mountain range.

At left Jerry describes part of the controller mechanism for the pick off probe. Jerry's Guider Probe Controller keeps the Magellan I telescope pointing exactly on target automatically as it moves with the rotation of earth. At right is one of the first photographs from Magellan I.

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Tuesday, June 20, 2000, Harrows Restaurant, Reading, Mass.
The Kurdzionak's (Dave, Terry, and Jack) were our guest speakers for this meeting.

They presented a slide program of their recent trip to Switzerland, Germany and England. Included was the Basel Fair, Anton Schneider Cuckoo Clock factory in the Black Forest, Reuge Music box factory, LeCoultre, and Franck Mueller, and numerous museums and John Wilding's workshop in England.

Jack and Dave Kurdzionak at left.

New officers for the 2000 - 2001 year being sworn in by Attorney Mark Bibeau; left to right: Joe Bonafine, John Lelierve, John Rogers, John Kurdzionak and Stephen Boynton.

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Tuesday, May 16, 2000, Harrows Restaurant, Reading, Mass.

Reverse Painting of Clock Glasses
Speaker: Linda Abrams

Linda Abrams was our guest speaker for this meeting. Well known locally and nationally; she has been working as a reverse glass painter since 1975. She has extensive experience in all areas of reverse painting on glass, goldleafing, and restoration.

Linda is a 1973 graduate of the Massachusetts College of Art with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. She has worked in various fields of art, studying under Nils Johnson of Boston and apprenticing under Ted and Fran Burleigh from 1975-1978.

Linda gave a hands-on demonstration and discussion of her various techniques, then proceeded into a short slide presentation. You could hardly believe her "before" and "after" slides.

Pictured left is one of the steps of goldleafing.

Linda Abrams displays her works of art. Not only are the results breathtaking, but her creative processes as she explained them was absolutely fascinating. It was a joy and privilege to be in attendance. Thank you Linda for sharing your talents with us.

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Tuesday, April 18, 2000, Harrows Restaurant, Reading, Mass. Recent Mechanical Watch Innovations Speaker: Dr. Ludwig Oechslin from the Ulysse Nardin Watch Company Dr. Oechslin, direct from Switzerland, presented his design work at Ulysse Nardin and the release of a unique mechanical perpetual calendar watch. For the first time in watchmaking history, the date, month, and year displays of the perpetual calendar watch can be set forward and backward through a single crown. He also described his inventions on the gearing that minimize power requirements.

Dr. Oechslin explaining his designs	Dr. Oechslin describing his designs

Massachusetts Watchmakers/Clockmakers Association, Inc.

Massachusetts Watchmakers/Clockmakers
Association, Inc.