Identificatie
referentie code
Titel
Datum(s)
- 1846–2003 (Vervaardig)
Beschrijvingsniveau
Omvang en medium
16 boxes (2.3 linear metres)
Context
Naam van de archiefvormer
Biografie
Francis Wadsworth (1935–2007) was the Antiquarian Horological Society’s Technical Enquiry Officer from 1965 to 1999, and the chairman of its Publication Committee. He studied horology at the Northampton Polytechnic’s National College of Horology and joined the Antiquarian Horological Society in 1954 as one of his youngest members. His career began at Smiths Clocks in Glasgow, where he designed alarm clocks and a timer, the latter of which went into production. In the early 1960s he moved to Cambridge to join W. G. Pye (later Pye Unicam), where he worked on the design of a scientific analysis equipment. Around that time, he started organising small meetings of local horologists, which later evolved into the East Anglian section of the AHS.
Francis was principally interested in watches. His paper, “A History of Repeating Watches'”, published in Antiquarian Horology from September 1965 to June 1966, became a definitive study of the subject and was later reprinted as a booklet. Another of his particular interests was the history of the Lancashire Watch Company. In his later years, he carried out a study of post-war clock manufacture in Britain.
As the Technical Enquiry Officer at the AHS for over thirty years, he answered enquiries from the members drawing on his encyclopaedic knowledge and his substantial private library. He promoted the role as the AHS as a publisher of horological books as the Chairman of its Publications Committee, and took an active role in their production. With his wife Christine, he hosted annual horological lunches at their home. As keen collectors on interesting horological items sourced from markets and fairs, they had a stand at the Brunel Clock Fairs for a number of years.
archiefbewaarplaats
Geschiedenis van het archief
Directe bron van verwerving of overbrenging
Deposited with the AHS at Ticehurst on 26 July 2008.
Inhoud en structuur
Bereik en inhoud
This collection comprises records created and collected by Francis Wadsworth. It includes a large series of original articles by various authors on horological and related topics (cut out of publications, many of them were purchased from antiquarian book dealers), as well as sales and auction catalogues and advertisements for clocks, watches and clockmaking tools; instructions, manuals, and patents; reference publications; alphabetical files relating to clockmaking firms and factories; exhibition and museum brochures; correspondence; ephemera; and papers relating to Wadsworth’s work on the AHS Publication Committee. In addition to purely horological topics, it reflects Francis Wadsworth’s interest in scientific instruments, stately houses and antique furniture and porcelain.
Waardering, vernietiging en slectie
Copies and reprints of articles from Antiquarian Horology and Horological Journal have been disposed of, as they are available at the AHS in the original publications.
Aanvullingen
An additional deposit is expected.
Ordeningstelsel
The one series currently available on the catalogue, the horological articles, is arranged alphabetically by author, with anonymous articles arranged chronologically.
WAD/01: Horological articles
Voorwaarden voor toegang en gebruik
Voorwaarden voor raadpleging
These records are mostly available for public access by prior appointment. Records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 2018.
Voorwaarden voor reproductie
Taal van het materiaal
Schrift van het materiaal
Taal en schrift aantekeningen
Mostly English, some French, German and Spanish
Fysieke eigenschappen en technische eisen
Toegangen
Generated finding aid
Verwante materialen
Bestaan en verblifplaats van originelen
Bestaan en verblijfplaats van kopieën
Related units of description
Aantekeningen
Alternative identifier(s)
Trefwoorden
Onderwerp trefwoord
Geografische trefwoorden
Naam ontsluitingsterm
Genre access points
Beschrijvingsbeheer
Identificatie van de beschrijving
Identificatiecode van de instelling
Toegepaste regels en/of conventies
Status
Niveau van detaillering
Verwijdering van datering archiefvorming
Taal (talen)
Schrift(en)
Bronnen
Aantekeningen van de archivaris
Part catalogued in June 2023 by the AHS Archivist. Other records collected by Frank Wadsworth, including correspondence, subject files, bibliographies, and other horological publications (catalogues, guides, manuals etc.) will be added to the catalogue after the final batch of material has been deposited at the AHS and catalogued.