Aged Sheaffer Pocket Watches

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A couple of years ago I posted my particular research and photos on this subject .. but the photos have been lost!; so that is why today I start a new upload already stored in a secure site and taking advantage to expand its number, detail and a better layout. I hope you like it. We will start with the different locations of Sheaffer´s Jewelry stores in Bloomfield and Fort Madison.

 

Bloomfield:

 

The first jewelry location of Jacob R. Sheaffer, Walter's father, was on the Bloomfield´s West Side Square.

 

 

In the second location was in 1880 and as Sheaffer & Walton (surname of his political family) watches, clocks, jewelry and repair..

 

 

Different images in time from the third and definitive location in the North Side Squire of Bloomfield:

 

 

 

 

 

Fort Madison:

 

As you can see the dimensional zinc pocket watch sign was removed from Bloomfield (does not appear in the last photos there) and placed in the face of Fort Madison store in 1906.

 

 

Actually;

 

 

The building of this Fort Madison second location was renovated in the 70s so currently does not bear resemblance to the original Sheaffer's store

Edited July 15, 2018 by RamonCampos

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A poster conjugating motives of Elks Club of Fort Madison and a Sheaffer'S pocket watch.

 

 

To be continued...

Edited July 15, 2018 by RamonCampos

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Jacob Sheaffer, father of Walter, continued to run the Bloomfield jewelry store until his death in January 1917.

 

In 1913, to devote himself entirely to the manufacture of fountain pens, Walter Sheaffer sold Fort Madison´s jewelry and music store to Mr. Lerche and Mr. Saunders -his brother-in-law.- for $35,000.

 

In 1924 Dana Bushong -signature engraver in the SheafferS Autograph fountain pens- purchased to Lerche/Saunders outright and opened under their name with many of the WA Sheaffer assets including the wall cases, clocks etc.

 

Currently the heirs of Dana Bushong in Fort Madison keep jewelry store in a different place but with this original furniture wall cases and clock that originally were in Walter Sheaffer's jewelry:

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To be continued...

Edited July 15, 2018 by RamonCampos

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This Fredonia from around 1885 is one of the oldest that have reached our days. Note that in engraving only Jacob Sheaffer appears.

 

Edited July 16, 2018 by RamonCampos

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Here a c. 1898 Hamilton grade 929 from my particular collection. In the engraving already figure Jacob Sheaffer and his son (our Walter Sheaffer fountain pen). In his Life Story, page two*, Walter told us about the importance of the incorporation of these beautiful Hamilton watches in the good evolution of Bloomfield store's business; for its low serial number this pocket watch would be one of the first.

Please note that only Bloomfield appears in the engraving because until 1906 Walter would not buy the Fort Madison jewelry store.

 

 

*

Footnote. Walter in this Life Story speaks about 1888, but the truth is that it had to be later because Hamilton did not start manufacturing until 1893

 

To be continued...

Edited July 16, 2018 by RamonCampos

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A new poster with this very curious 1891 invitation to First Grand Ball given in Bloomfield by our Walter Sheaffer and friends (Ladies, please remember that if you deny to a gentleman a dance, it is good manners not to grant it to anybody until the next piece of music.Gentlemen, if you wish to be introduced to some damsel, please ask for floor managers -smile- whom will do everything possible to make presentations)

 

 

Edited July 17, 2018 by RamonCampos

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Walter Sheaffer went to work at the age of 12 for $1 a week as a printer´s devil. After that he was a grocery boy and operated a peanut stand in the summer months. His first jewelry store job was in Centerville, Iowa. He slept into this store. Later, he worked in a jewelry store in Unionville, Missouri, from where he returned in 1888 to associate with his father in the Bloomfield store. So, in this 1899 Hamilton; so we can already see in the engraving J.R. Sheaffer & SON.

 

 

Another Hamilton, this circa 1900:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Footnote. In all Sheaffer'S watches purchased from Hamilton we can observe dials marked as "Harward Special" which, as we will see below in upcoming post of this topic, differs from any other manufacturer where we will see the dials marked as "Sheaffer Special"

 

Other perspectives of the Sheaffer's different locations in Bloomfield

 

 

To be continued...

Edited July 19, 2018 by RamonCampos

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In this c. 1908 Hampden both stores, Bloomfield & Fort Madison, already appear:

 

 

The same in this c.1909 Illinois pocket watch acquired from Glen Bowen and for a few years in my collection.

 

 

 

Curiosly the engraving "SHEAFFER" of watches of this years has a certain resemblance -all capital letters and the initial "S" of greater height than the others- with the typography that years later Walter will use in the brand of the fountain pens.

Edited July 22, 2018 by RamonCampos

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For my part I will finish my contribution to this topic with these wallpaper.

 

Hampden c. 1912:

 

 

 

Illinois c. 1909

 

 

 

[Flounder]

Lovely swan neck regulator on that last one :-)