Clock

1928–29

Paul Theodore Frankl (American, born Austria, 1886–1958)
Manufactured by Warren Telechron Co. (American, active 1926–1992)
Ashland, Massachusetts

In addition to skyscraper-inspired furniture such as the Art Institute’s tall, stepped cabinet (see 1998.567), Paul Frankl designed small objects intended to be strategically placed throughout the home in order to create unified, modern interiors. This electric clock was heralded as thoroughly modern, both inside and out. Not only was it featured as an exemplary modern decorative object in contemporary publications, it was also advertised as affordable and “nontarnishable” in order to appeal to a wide consumer base.

Status: On View, Gallery 271
Department: Arts of the Americas

Artist: Paul Theodore Frankl
Title: Clock
Place: Massachusetts (Object made in:)
Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.: c. 1928–1929
Medium: Bakelite, brush-burnished silver, chrome, and enamel
Dimensions: 19.4 × 12.9 × 9.5 cm (7 5/8 × 5 1/16 × 3 3/4 in.)
Credit Line: Gift of Susan and Jerome Kahn through the Antiquarian Society
Reference Number: 2000.129

Christopher Long, Paul T. Frankl and Modern Design (Yale University Press, 2007), 101, fig. 89.
Jennifer M.Downs, “‘The New Modern Feeling’: A Catalogue of the Collection,” Art Institute of Chicago Museum Studies 27, 2 (2001), 30–32, no. 5.

the Art Institute of Chicago, 2000.

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

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