May 11th was the day Chapters 84, 2, 148 and 8 joined to sponsor the second annual Timexpo 2002. This was a smashing one-day success in Waterbury CT. About 700 registrants from the four chapters had to keep moving to take in all the activity divided between two sites.
By 8:00 a.m. the Kennedy High School had a large mart of over 210 tables going. There was a complimentary buffet breakfast for all attendees. During the mart there was a silent auction in process along with a 50/50 raffle. Activity was brisk and the variety of offerings was very diverse. Also at this venue, Daniel Nied, Director of NAWCC School of Horology, along with Mel Smith of Chapter 84 presented a lathe workshop. Dr. David Goodman, Chapter 2's well-known author and instructor, spoke on the science and philosophy of timekeeping. And lastly, Peter Miller, President of the Society of Gilders, presented a program on gilding and gold leaf methods for clock cases. (Pictures available on Ch 148's home page.)
At 1:00 p.m., when the mart closed, there was raffle with a $250 prize for table holders still fully set up. After the mart closed, the scene shifted to the Timexpo Museum a short distance away on the grounds of the Brass Mill Commons Mall. This museum, descending from the Waterbury Clock Company, has great horological exhibits in many hands-on set-ups. There is a section devoted to Waterbury Clocks in addition to the unbelievable variety of Timex watches that are displayed. The backstage tours at the museum were at full capacity again this year. Two more programs were given at the museum. Russ Oechsle, well know from the Syracuse Regionals, presented a talk on "Asa Munger and His Contemporaries: 8 Day Brass Clock Making in Upstate New York." The second feature was the "Restoration of the Springfield (Mass.) Armory Tower Clock," given by Jim Storrow. Jim and several others from Chapter 84 recently completed this task.
Attending all the festivities and also taking a table at the mart, Doug Cowan, President of the NAWCC, and his wife Jean met and talked to many members in an informal setting. Nancy Connelly, Executive Director of the NAWCC displayed many items for sale from the NAWCC Museum Gift Shop. Jean Haines from the American Clock and Watch Museum in Bristol CT., along with Cynthia Dias Reid, Assistant Curator of the Willard House Museum in Grafton, MA., had tables for their gift shops as well. It was indeed a busy and fun day for all!
- Dick Trepp