testing, testing… tick tock, tick tock

Mackintosh Studio Clocks restoration project (2011-13)

In June 2011, the Archives and Collections Centre was awarded a grant by Museums Galleries Scotland under its Recognition scheme. The amount awarded was £16,800.

The Mackintosh Studio Clocks restoration project intends to conserve and reinstate the original studio clocks, designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh in 1910. The importance of these wooden clocks is that they were run as an electrically operated ‘master and slave’ system – a rare and important technical innovation of the time.

Since the early 1990s the clocks have no longer worked (caused mainly by the failure of various technical components). The project seeks to reinstate the clocks back to their original working condition and to provide evidence as to their significance to early 20th century British horology.

After many months of hard work, today sees the first of the clocks being tested in our Archives and Collections Centre… and by jove it works! A momentous day indeed.

Horologist Nick Sanders and GSA Curator Peter Trowles work on one of the original Mackintosh clocks in the Archives and Collections Centre
Horologist Nick Sanders and GSA Curator Peter Trowles work on one of the original Mackintosh clocks in the Archives and Collections Centre