Presenters

Alan Bloore has been a collector of Electro-Mechanical clocks for more than 30 years. His primary interest is in clocks that are part of synchronized time systems. He has several Master clocks and Secondary (Slave) clocks installed in his home and he keeps his clocks running at all times . The Standard Electric Time Company clocks make up a good part of his collection.

Alan and his wife Kay have 5 children and 10 grandchildren. He has recently retired after 40 years of practice as an Orthodontist in Beverly Hills, California. They live in Santa Monica, California. He plans to spend time now doing research on the relationship between the Pacific Electric Clock Company of California and The Standard Electric Time Company of Springfield, Massachusetts.

Marybess Grisham began her studies in horology under the direction of George Schlehr at Mountain View Community College in Dallas, TX. Classes included instruction in the repair and servicing of clocks and watches, as well as music boxes, metronomes and Victrola phonographs. She completed the Associate Degree in Horology.

During that time, she became familiar with the clock movements manufactured by the Self Winding Clock Co. (SWCC) of New York. Grisham found little available information on these ubiquitous American timekeepers, and thus began her quest to fill the void. During the past 25 years, she has amassed a large collection of original company documents, interviewed surviving employees who worked in the SWCC service centers across the country, and catalogued hundreds of movement serial numbers in an attempt to track patterns of development of the standard “F” movement. Grisham has published an instructional guide entitled “Self-Winding Clock Co. NY – Style “F” – Guide for Restoration,” which she uses when teaching classes on the repair of these battery-operated clocks. The Bulletin of the NAWCC has published two articles by Grisham on the subject of Self Winding Clocks (April 1992 and February 2001).

In addition to her work in Electrical Horology, she achieved the designation of Certified Clockmaker from AWI in 1984; served on the board of NAWCC Chapter #124 from 1985-1989 in the positions of Jr. Director (Mart Director), Sr. Director, Vice President and President; was named a Fellow of the NAWCC in 1993; and has taught classes in the repair of American Kitchen Clocks, Chiming Clocks, Weight Driven Clocks and Self Winding Clocks for Chapter #124 and the NAWCC. She also accompanied the late Henry Fried on eight overseas trips sponsored by AWI as a photographer and reporter, responsible for writing summaries of Fried’s lectures for reference and publication.

Les has been addicted to Sangamo clocks for the past 10 years and has conducted extensive research (with the help of Ken Kerr, Bob Helfert and Steve Spinner) into the history of these fascinating clocks. To assist the public in discovering Sangamo Clocks, we have also put together a Web Site (www.SangamoClocks.com) which list identification and historical information as well as pictures of the various Sangamo models.

Les was also the founding President of NAWCC Chapter 168, The International 400-Day Clock Chapter and has served as VP and Secretary/Treasurer for St. Louis Chapter 14 for the past several years.