North Coast Imports, Inc.

The following is a post in from our friend John, who emailed me: "Frühe Kuckucksuhren. Entwicklungsgeschichte der Schwarzwälder Kuckucksuhr von 1750 bis 1850". In this book Dr. Schneider includes a vast amount of new, original research regarding the history of early Black Forest clocks, clockmakers and their families (many of whose ancestors no longer survive). I have personally found the contents of this book to be essential to the identification of one of my clocks made by the long forgotten Eisenbach clockmaker Johann GEORG Beha. It is my hope that those of you (like me!) that struggle outside the English language will find this summary helpful. Moreover, in the interest of highlighting the contents of this book in the most concise form, I have forgone the formality of proper English and adopted the outline form: Selected topics summary of "Frühe Kuckucksuhren. Entwicklungsgeschichte der Schwarzwälder Kuckucksuhr von 1750 bis 1850": 1) This book contains ...

This early Black Forest soldier Automaton is another one of our favorite shield clocks in our collection. This clock shows a more primitive style of Black Forest Clock making…and was made in a time before the mass production of the large factories. It was made by the hand of a clock maker, in the Black Forest that took pride in his work. The soldier automaton was a favorite done by the Black Forest clockmakers. While most of these antique soldier clocks that are seen today are incorporated into the shelf cuckoo (and made around the turn of the 19th C)… These early shield variety were made a generation or two earlier, and in much fewer numbers …and are difficult to locate today. This Automaton was made C. 1820. It has a early wood plate, wood spindle movement.. The movement has Time, Strike & Automation. The two trains on this clock are front to back. The clock is in fantastic condition for its age, the soildier cannon...normaly missing or replaced are period. This clock is very ple...

This Beha cuckoo was made C. 1870 in Eisenbach, Schwarzwald. The typical wood plate 8 day double fusee movement is housed in a beautiful round top elongated walnut case. The case is intricately done with fruit wood inlays of oak leaves and acorns both on the base and well at the top. The cuckoo door is also inlaid with flowers and leaves. What makes this Beha special is the full oil painting on zinc or tin. While Beha frequently used paintings on his cuckoo clocks, this was rarely done on the shelf or table examples. These Beha shelf clocks with large oil paintings are prized by collectors worldwide. The painting on the clock is well done. It shows a mother and child on the ground...quietly looking up into the tree at the cuckoo up in the branches. The mother pointing to the cuckoo. This painting was painted by the well known Black Forest painter Carl Heine, of Neustadt (1842-1882). Carl Heine's work almost always includes the tree with the bending trunk, and cuckoo up in the branc...