The History of Cuckoo Clocks

Although the exact date remains a mystery, it is commonly thought that cuckoo clocks first made their appearance around 1730 in the Black Forest area of Germany. To this day, even with all that has come along with modern experience, skill and technology, no other clock or timepiece has made the lasting impression that the Cuckoo clock made at the time of its introduction. Although there are a number of conflicting stories about who actually made the first cuckoo clock, the invention is generally attributed to a gentleman by the name of Franz Anton Ketterer, from the town of Triberg.

The first cuckoo clocks were entirely made out of wood, including the internal plates and gears. As time went on, the inner workings and decorations of the clocks became more sophisticated and ornate. The birds' wings and beaks became animated, and some were even decorated with feathers. The inner workings of the clocks were improved with the introduction of metal gears and metal plates. Soon family scenes, hunting scenarios and military motifs gained in popularity, all accentuated with the "cuckoo" call on the half hour and on the hour.

All of the early cuckoo clocks were handmade including the inner timing mechanisms as well as the ornate decorations. The farmers in the Black Forest would spend the winter months making hand crafted cuckoo clocks from the local resources in their surrounding environs which gave the clocks their distinctive, rural look. The clocks were then sold during the warmer months both as timepieces and as works of art.

As the world became more industrialized in the late 1800's, the cuckoo clock industry was no exception. Cuckoo clock manufacturing houses dotted Germany and various other countries in Europe. It was still partially a cottage industry, with work being done in people's homes and barns, but there were also a growing number of factories. The work was split between the decorators and the masters of the inner workings, with technological advances in each area in order to offer clocks increasingly complicated and ornate and keep up with the growing competition. In the relatively small village of Triberg, it is estimated that by 1850 there were some 13,500 people engaged in some part of the manufacture of cuckoo clocks, working for over 600 different manufacturers, and all because Mr. Ketterer managed to duplicate the sound of a cuckoo bird!

Cuckoo Clocks Info provides detailed information on Black Forest, antique, and quartz cuckoo clocks, as well as parts, repair, movement, kits, manufacturer reviews, and advice on where to purchase discount clocks. Cuckoo Clocks Info is the sister site of Grandfather Clocks Web.

Colorado Springs Independent

We need Interior decorating Colorado Springs Independent, CO - Dec 31, 2008 By BRIAN HOREJSI Western lands management has suffered for 20-plus years from a disastrous move toward consensus decision-making. ...

PR Web (press release)

Home Remodeling and Interior Decorating Made Easy with ... PR Web (press release), WA - Dec 17, 2008 Chicago, IL (PRWEB) December 17, 2008 -- For too long, home remodeling, interior decorating and building has been a time consuming, expensive, ...

Interior Decorating for Your Dollhouse Meadow Free Press, ID - Dec 20, 2008 Before beginning your interior design plan, be sure that you are clear on how the dollhouse will be used. If the dollhouse is to be used as a toy for small ...

Obama, Salazar and the Future of America's Public Lands Interior ... CounterPunch, CA - Dec 23, 2008 By BRIAN HOREJSI What western lands management has suffered from over the last 20 plus years has been, in my view, a disastrous move toward consensus ...

Samsung Gives TV Viewers the Skinny With New LED-Backlit Series TechNewsWorld, CA - 8 hours ago How many consumers would really be excited to pay a premium to make flat even flatter? Perhaps I just have no taste when it comes to interior decorating.

Interior decorator pursues her true passion Telegraph-Journal, Canada - Jan 6, 2009 "But it got to be so hectic and my true passion was interior decorating," she said. Partridge had studied interior decorating from a New York firm, ...

Missouri design uses creative solutions Belleville News Democrat,  USA - 33 minutes ago Hall, 57, started interior decorating as a hobby because she stayed at home and took care of her children. Though she worked some in the retail industry and ...

Petal Performing Arts Center to host Junior Miss Program Saturday Hattiesburg American, MS - 18 hours ago Her career goal is to work in interior decorating or physical therapy. She will give a vocal performance. Rachel Harris: Harris is the daughter of Randall ...

In line on design Bugle-Observer, Canada - 2 hours ago Sarah Pacey is the award-winning owner of the local Interiors by Decorating Den, which serves commercial and residential interior decorating needs from ...

Using The Mediterranean Greek Spartan Style PatrasToday, Greece - Jan 6, 2009 The Greeks may have been impressive, but when it came to interior decorating, they did not have the time or the resources to make their homes overly ...