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the writer to be correct but is presented with
no guarantee. Please contact me if you believe
that any of the above is incorrect, or if you
wish to share additional information about this
clock. Unless otherwise credited, the pictures
and information on this page are the property
of Robert Croswell and Greenfield Clock shop
and may not be sold or used for commercial
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Dungan & Klump model II Dickory Dickory Doc
"Mouse Clock" circa 1910
This is an early version of the model II
"mouse Clock", designed by Elmer
Ellsworth Dungan and made by the New Haven Clock
Co. Dungan partnered with Charles M. Klump to
form the company Dungan & Klump to
market the clocks. Dungan designed the
"mouse Clock" for his daughter Emily,
apparently with no intention of marketing it
until convinced by Charles Klump that the clock
had commercial potential. The clock was plagued
by problems from the beginning and turned out to
be Dungan's only unsuccessful business
venture.
All together there were five models of the
Dickory Dickory Doc "Mouse Clock", and
a few variations of each model. "The Model I
clocks produced by the New Haven Company failed
to work satisfactorily, although Dungan's
model worked perfectly1".
Both the model I and II were essentially the same
in appearance. Both had a 2-day full strike
movement mounted in the bottom of the case with
the mouse release mechanism at the top. The front
of the model I was hinged and would swing open
for easy access to the movement, which was
fastened to the back of the case. For Model II,
the mouse release mechanism was completely
redesigned and the movement and release were both
mounted to the front of the clock, but the
movement was still at the bottom with the release
at the top. The hinges were removed and the clock
front held in place by six screws. Access to the
mouse release mechanism, and the fast-slow
adjustment, was provided through two round
openings with metal covers in the back of the
clock. A later version of the Model II made the
fast-slow adjustment available through a slot in
the front of the clock. There were only small
differences in the actual movements. "Once
again Dungan's model worked perfectly, but
the Model II production clocks did
not1".
Some of these models were apparently finished in
a mahogany stain and others in black. Only a few
hundred are thought to have been made.
Dungan made extensive revisions and patented the
Model III in July 12, 1910. "When the Model
III was ready for production, the relationship
between the firm of Dungan & Klump and the
New Haven Clock Company had deteriated to such an
extent that no clocks were made from this
model1
The Model IV, patented on September 13, 1910, was
manufactured by the Sessions Clock Company. It
had a different shape (similar to the Horolovar
copy), was smaller, simpler, less costly, and
more reliable. The Model IV had a pendulum
regulated 8-day movement at the top of the clock,
and only struck at the one o'clock
hour.
After the sudden death of Mr. Klump, and the
release of the Model IV clock, Dungan apparently
lost interest in the "Mouse Clock". A
Model V was produced in small quantities. This
model was only 15½ inches high with a round dial.
There was no strike. The mouse just made a trip
up the clock every hour and did not point to the
time.
My model II shown here strikes the hours on a
bell. The mouse moves up the clock until the
clock strikes "one", at which time the
mouse slides down the clock (with a rather loud
and sometimes startling noise) and starts over
again. The clock is original except for the
lettering on the face, one numeral, and one gear
wheel in the movement. A previous owner
apparently had the face relettered and
"Dickory, Dickory...." was changed to
"Hickory, Dickory....", which is the
more familiar version of the children's rhyme
in this area.
In children's books, "Dickory,
Dickory, Dock," is sometimes
"Hickory, Dickory, Dock," or
"Ziccoty Dickety, Dock," or
"Zickety, Dickety, Dock." Although
the derivation of these seemingly meaningless
words is not clear, most experts think that
they have come down through the centuries,
corrupted by constant repition in
children's counting-out and nonsense
rhymes, from nunerals used by the prehistoric
Celts. The version Emily Dungan learned was
"Dickory, Dickory, Dock," and thus
the clock bears that
name.1
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My clock is in running order (at the moment), but
this clock can get cantankerous at times,
especially the mouse release mechanism. circa
1910
NOT FOR
SALE
1 Elmer Ellsworth Dungan and the
Dickory Dickory Dock Clock, by Charles
Terwilliger, Supplement to the Bulletin of the
National Association of Watch and Clock
Collectoes, Inc., summer 1966
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