Before establishing the Lux Clock Company in 1917, Paul Lux worked for the Waterbury Clock Company. His family, including his wife and two sons, Fred and Herman, worked together for several years trying to form a clock company that would make novelty clocks. Despite a fire that delayed their project and their sons marching off to fight in World War I, their perseverance and help from friends moved the project forward, inspired by their motto “Our Clocks Must Go-or We Go.” When the two boys returned home from service, Lux clocks were ready to go to market.
Lux cuckoo pendulette, molded wood, bird sitting on the top, 30-hour, time only, spring driven, 4×6 1/2″h. $55.
Lux formed an association with the Keebler Company in Chicago. August C. Keebler, had Lux make clocks for him. A reciprocal agreement stated that each company could sell the same clocks, but they must be marketed with different names. Compressed molded wood was used to manufacture these clocks. One of their pendulette novelty clocks featured a black cat swinging its pendulum tail as its eyes moved. These clocks used a variety of themes such as Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer, Woody Woodpecker, the Empire State Building, castles, bulldogs, clowns, flowers, pirates, and other objects and animals. Clocks other than pendulettes featured current events, comic characters, patriotic themes, the Boy Scouts, and well known people ranging from Sally Rand (the fan dancer) to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Many of these examples are shown in chapter 8: Novelty Clocks.
The variety of Lux novelty clocks is seemingly endless. These fun clocks cause people to smile. Owners of some models can smile too when they think of how their values have soared. The price of Lux wall clocks starts at $250 and climbs to a phenomenal $3,500 for the “Christmas Wreath.”
