Material Type

Artifact

Date Range From

1920

Date Range To

1930

Materials

STEEL, WOOD

No. Pieces

62

Height

14.6

Diameter

9.2

Description

WOOD HOLDER ON SWIVEL BASE HOLDS NUMEROUS PUNCHES & TOOLS. EACH PIECE IS STAMPED "K&D", EACH PUNCH IS NUMBERED ALSO. EACH TOOL IS SET IN FITTED HOLE. 5 EMPTY HOLES INDICATES MISSING PIECES. STAKING TOOL SET; STAKING TOOL HAS ARM WHICH HOLDS PUNCH. DIAL ADJUSTS SIZE; LOCKS INTO PLACE BY DEVICE ON BACK. "2067" STAMPED INTO BOTTOM.

Subjects

WATCHMAKING T&E

Historical Association

TRADES

History

EARL WAGNESS REPAIRED WATCHES PRIMARILY AS A HOBBY BEGINNING AFTER 1949. PRIOR TO THAT WORKED AS A GRAIN PURCHASER FOR ALBERTA PACIFIC GRAIN COMPANY AT WOODHOUSE (1929-1939), BARONS (1939-1946), MILK RIVER (1946-1956). RETIRED TO LETHBRIDGE, 1956 & BECAME WITH WESTERN SAVINGS & LOAN & HIS HOBBY OF WATCH REPAIRS. EARL & MARY WERE MARRIED IN STAVELY IN AUGUST 1929 AT UNITED CHURCH. EARL GRADUATED FROM ILLINOIS SCHOOL OF WATCH REPAIR IN NOVEMBER OF 1949. HIS GREATEST JOY WAS IN REPAIRING AND REVITALIZING OF OLD CLOCKS & WATCHES. HE DIED IN NOVEMBER OF 1990. *UPDATE* IN 2010, NICOLE HEMBROFF MET WITH SHIRLEY TUCKER AND JEAN SCHMITT (DAUGHTERS OF EARL AND MARY WAGNESS). SHE TALKED WITH THEM IN GENERAL ABOUT THEIR FATHER'S HISTORY AS A WATCH MAKER. ACCORDING TO SCHMITT AND TUCKER, EARL WAGNESS KNEW AN OLD JEWELER IN COUTTS. WHEN THE JEWELER PASSED AWAY (NAME UNKNOWN) EARL GOT ALL OF HIS TOOLS. ALL OF THE WATCH MAKING TOOLS IN THE WAGNESS DONATION CAME FROM THE JEWELER IN COUTTS. WHEN HE STARTED TINKERING WITH WATCHES WHILE WORKING FOR ALBERTA PACIFIC GRAIN, WAGNESS WOULD OFTEN GO TO THE JEWELER IN COUTTS FOR ADVICE. LATER, WAGNESS WOULD BUILD CLOCKS FROM KITS. CLOCKS WOULD ALWAYS BE CHIMING IN THE FAMILY HOME AND THEY WERE OFTEN SPREAD THROUGHOUT THEIR BASEMENT SUITE (WHICH WAS HIS WORKSHOP IN HIS LATER YEARS). HE LOVED FIXING WATCHES AND CLOCKS BECAUSE IT ALLOWED HIM TO INTERACT AND VISIT WITH PEOPLE. HE ALSO MADE PICTURES OF MOTORCYCLES FROM OLD WATCH PARTS (WAGNESS WAS ALSO KNOWLEGEABLE ABOUT MOTORBIKES). HE ESPECIALLY LIKED TO FIX LARGE CLOCKS. SCHMITT AND TUCKER RECALL THEIR FATHER DOING HOUSE CALLS FOR PEOPLE WHOSE BROKEN CLOCKS WERE SO LARGE THEY COULDN'T BE EASILY TRANSPORTED. HE ALSO DID OCCAISIONAL JOBS FOR WARD'S JEWELRY. ACCORDING TO SCHMITT AND TUCKER, WAGNESS GOT INTO WATCH FIXING BECAUSE HE LIKED TO TINKER. WHILE HE DID A LITTLE BIT OF WORK WITH JEWELRY HIS PRIMARY LOVE WAS CLOCKWORK. HE MADE CLOCKS FOR ALL OF THE KIDS IN THE FAMILY. WAGNESS'S SKILLS WERE WIDELY KNOWN.

Catalogue Number

P19930009001

Acquisition Date

1993-02

Collection

Museum

Less detail