Imbedded in the sidewalk at the corner of Maiden Lane and Broadway is this small clock, a local landmark in the lower Manhattan area. This is the William Bartham Jeweler’s sidewalk clock.
William Barthman started his company in 1884 at the location. He wanted to find a unique way to advertise and in 1896 he came up with this idea. While it was Barthman’s idea, his associate Frank Homm was charged with bringing it to life. The original clock was mechanical and was officially unveiled in 1899. New Yorkers were instantly captivated by Barthman’s sidewalk clock and it became a local icon.
Frank Homm was also predominantly responsible for the clock’s maintenance. Even after Barthman’s death in 1914, Homm kept the clock running. Unfortunately, Homm died in 1917 and took the secrets of the clock’s maintenance with him. After Homm’s passing, the Barthman family had difficulty maintaining the clock due to constant wear from foot traffic and vibrations from nearby subways. It malfunctioned often and in around 1940, the family covered the clock with cardboard to hide their embarrassment. Soon, they replaced the original mechanic jump hour clock with a more modern round clock. In 1966, the clock was updated again and was refitted with a new face before in 1983 Barthman Jewelers teamed up with the legendary Cartier and refurbished the clock yet again.
In 2006, Barthman’s Jewelers moved to a site just down the street, but thankfully it included a basement that runs under the clock making repairs possible, ensuring that the sidewalk clock remains a working landmark today.
Note: We try to be as accurate as possible but make no guarantees. Please use this information at your own risk.
Sources:
Photo courtesy of John Wisniewski without change via Flickr (https://flic.kr/p/fb4ePS)
http://www.1000thingsnyc.com/sidewalk-clock/
http://www.nytimes.com/1993/01/10/realestate/streetscapes-the-barthman-clock-fixed-in-cement-not-in-time.html
http://www.williambarthman.com/index.php?file=pages&page_id=Sidewalk_Clock
https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/sidewalk-clock
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=20052530&PIpi=6549167
