ECW Weekender: Civil War Watches and the People Who Carried Them

by Chris Mackowski

Posted on June 28, 2019

ECW Weekender-Header

watch seminarThere are about a dozen “time”-related puns I can think of to kick off this post, so I’ll spare you the agony of my lame humor and get ticking….

“Timeless Testaments: Civil War Watches and the People Who Carried Them” is a special exhibit opening Saturday, July 6 and running through Thursday, January 30, 2020, and the National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors (NAWCC) Library and Museum in Columbia, PA.

“Learn about the kinds of watches carried during the Civil War, the stories of the people who carried them, and the ways that watch-making revolutionized warfare and daily life,” organizers say.

The exhibit draws from four museums and ten private collections and features 18 authentic Civil War watches, along with a selection of other period watches and Civil War artifacts.

“Extensive signage along with 27 narrated, self-guided touchscreen presentations give context about the watches, their first owners, their deeds, and their lives,” say the organizers. The exhibit will be especially interesting for anybody with an interest in the Civil War or American watch-making, although it’s appropriate for the general public.

As a special kick-off to the event, NAWCC will host an opening-day seminar on Saturday, July 6, from 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Speakers include:

  • Clint Geller, Ph.D., author of The Appreciation and Authentication of Civil War Timepieces
  • Cheryl Wells, Ph.D., author of Civil War Time: Temporarily and Identity in American
  • Al Mackey, author of the blog “Student of the American Civil War”
  • Michael Krauss, curator of the Soldiers & Sailors Hall and Museum, Pittsburgh, PA

Geller, an award-winning author, will sign books at 1:00 p.m.

Admission is $20 through July 5 and $25 at the door. Lunch is included. For tickets or information, call the NAWCC gift shop at (717) 684-8261, ext. 211, or visit www.NAWCC.org.

Columbia, PA, is 40 miles east of Gettysburg, 28 miles southeast of Harrisburg (just south of Route 30), and 90 miles west of Philadelphia.

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