Vintage clocks stand the test of time

Curator Kitty Ross said the exhibition would feature many clocks made in Leeds

An collection of vintage clocks, including timepieces created by local artisans, is going on display as part of a clockmaking workshop.

The exhibition at Leeds Discovery Centre includes cuckoo clocks, long case clocks, better known as Grandfather clocks, and even retro digital alarm clocks, and will be available to view on Wednesday.

Kitty Ross, Leeds Museums and Galleries' curator of social history, said the work of they city's clockmakers had stood the test of time.

She said: "We have a large collection of clocks in the collection. Like many towns, there was a lot of clockmakers in Leeds so we have a lot of clocks made by Leeds clockmakers.

"Clocks are such an important thing, we all need to know what the time is. But they can be really mundane or they can be really fancy."

Visitors and families will have the chance to make their own wall clock to take home, as well as taking part in a family workshop exploring the art of clockmaking.

The display includes elaborate painted clock faces by J C Elliott and G Winter, who both had workshops in the city in the late 19th Century.

Visitors will also be able to see intricate early 20th Century Swiss-made wooden cuckoo clocks, 19th and 20th Century carriage clocks and a 1970s Minitman digital bedside alarm clock.

The exhibition features clock from the 1800s to the 1970s

The exhibition also includes pieces made by notable Leeds clockmakers Potts and Sons, established in Pudsey in 1833 by William Potts.

As the company grew, it supplied 1,568 clocks for locations including Leeds Town Hall and Leeds Corn Exchange.

Its clocks could also be found at Lerwick Town Hall, in the Shetland Islands, the Roman Catholic Church Hall ,in Melbourne, Australia, and the post office in Port Lyttleton, New Zealand.

Ms Ross added: "The variety of the timepieces in our collection demonstrates how keeping time has been a blend of form and function for generations, with people not only wanting an accurate and reliable way to tell the time, but also a decorative and often beautiful one too.

"This led to a wealth of remarkably talented and artistic clockmakers honing their craft in cities like Leeds, often passing on their skills to their descendants and forming highly respected family businesses which made a lasting contribution to the city."

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