 About the Cover
The Tiffany-style clock on the front over features a beautiful blue
enameled case with silvered banding. The clock movement is French made
and the case and lower movement is Swiss. A 24-hour alarm triggers the
opening of the medallion door on the box top and a fully feathered bird
raises from a filigreed nest.
The photo of this clock was provided by Bob Reichel. The clock is
currently at the shop of Vermont clockmaker Ray Bates. Unfortunately,
the bird is under repair and could not be photographed while performing.
Mr. Bates sent the photo above of another, featherless, singing bird and
the following explanation: A singing bird box is a small decorative box,
often of wood, silver, or gold, about four inches long and containing a
musical mechanism driven by a mainspring, which on release of a catch
activates multiple cams and levers that accompany the tiny bird who
appears from under the lid, producing through a small bellows and
variable pitch pipe a remarkably realistic bird song; the bird rotating
and flapping its wings, lifting its tail, and turning its head while
moving its beak. At the end of the bird song sequence the bird suddenly
returns to its nest, disappearing into the box, and the lid closes over
it as though it did not exist. Readers interested in enjoying an
automata bird’s amazing song may access a sound file on Ray Bates’
website at: http://www.thebritishclockmaker.com/automata/
Cover photo: Bob Reichel (WA); bird photo above: Ray Bates (VT) |
