Advert for James Ritchie & Son

Category

Library Item

Item no

28238

Title

Advert for James Ritchie & Son

Description

The advert reads,
'James Ritchie & Son, established 1809, chronometer watch & clock makers.
Patentees and manufacturers of the new electro sympathetic clocks, which require no winding up, and are invaluable for railway stations, hotels, factories and all public buildings in which perfect coincidence of time is required in different apartments...'

Artist / maker

Unknown

Date

1881

Type

Document

An advert for James Ritchie & Son shop at 25 Leith Street, Edinburgh, taken from the Edinburgh & Leith Post Office Directory. James Ritchie set up business in 1809 and was joined by his eldest son, Frederick James Ritchie in 1814. As well as being clockmakers to the citizens of Edinburgh, the company went on to play an important role in the history of the city itself. In 1853 Frederick worked with Charles Piazzi Smyth, the Astronomer Royal for Scotland in the creation of the Edinburgh time gun on the Nelson Monument, Calton Hill. He also designed the clock that fired the One o'clock Gun that was a further inovation in 1861. The company today still wind the time ball for the council six days a week. In 1903 James Ritchie & Son also designed the mechanism for Edinburgh's floral clock situated in princes Streey Gardens, this was the world's first floral clock.

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Related subjects

Architecture > Architectural features > Clocks and clock towers

Places > Edinburgh Landmarks > Nelson Monument

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