Cuckooland Museum
Encyclopedia
The Cuckooland Museum, previously known as the Cuckoo Clock Museum, is a museum
that exhibits mainly cuckoo clocks, located in Tabley
, co. Cheshire
, England
. The collection comprises 300 years of cuckoo clock
-making history, since the very earliest examples made in the 18th to the 21st century.
cuckoo clocks that has been continuously increased ever since. Both men were trained as clockmaker
s in Manchester
from the age of 15, which is when their fascination with these timepieces began.
It became apparent to them that an important part of European clock making history was liable to disappear if surviving examples fell into irretrievable disrepair. Their guiding principles have always been to purchase objects only of the highest museum quality and which held an important significance in the historical development of cuckoo timekeeping.
The museum also hosts a range of Black Forest cuckoo and quail clocks, trumpeter clocks, monks playing bells and other associated musical movements.
Cuckooland has nowadays more than 600 c. clocks on display of different styles, sizes, manufacturers and ages and it is regarded as the most important of its kind in the whole world.
Many of the timekeepers are very rare and the collection contains the best examples of the cuckoo clockmaker’s art:
One of the aims of the museum is to restore and preserve the most unique, outstanding and unusual exemplaries to be enjoyed by future generations, as well as to contribute to the appreciation and estimation of this timepiece through its importance in horology
and historic significance in the Western culture
.
Similar museums
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
that exhibits mainly cuckoo clocks, located in Tabley
Tabley
Tabley is a name that is a component of several place names around where the M6 motorway and A556 cross in Cheshire, England. Its name comes from Anglo-Saxon Tabban-lēah = "Tabba's clearing or meadow".See:...
, co. Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The collection comprises 300 years of cuckoo clock
Cuckoo clock
A cuckoo clock is a clock, typically pendulum-regulated, that strikes the hours with a sound like a common cuckoo's call and typically has a mechanical cuckoo that emerges with each note...
-making history, since the very earliest examples made in the 18th to the 21st century.
Establishment and foundational reasons
The museum was set up in 1990 by brothers Roman and Maz Piekarski after bringing together a collection of antique Black ForestBlack Forest
The Black Forest is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 metres ....
cuckoo clocks that has been continuously increased ever since. Both men were trained as clockmaker
Clockmaker
A clockmaker is an artisan who makes and repairs clocks. Since almost all clocks are now factory-made, most modern clockmakers only repair clocks. Modern clockmakers may be employed by jewellers, antique shops, and places devoted strictly to repairing clocks and watches...
s in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
from the age of 15, which is when their fascination with these timepieces began.
It became apparent to them that an important part of European clock making history was liable to disappear if surviving examples fell into irretrievable disrepair. Their guiding principles have always been to purchase objects only of the highest museum quality and which held an important significance in the historical development of cuckoo timekeeping.
The collection
In the past, the exhibition also included other kind of timepieces such as longcase, wall and bracket clocks but now focuses on c. clocks especially.The museum also hosts a range of Black Forest cuckoo and quail clocks, trumpeter clocks, monks playing bells and other associated musical movements.
Cuckooland has nowadays more than 600 c. clocks on display of different styles, sizes, manufacturers and ages and it is regarded as the most important of its kind in the whole world.
Many of the timekeepers are very rare and the collection contains the best examples of the cuckoo clockmaker’s art:
- They have a “cuckoo and echo” clock that emulates the whistles and bellows the bird makes in the wild and is thought to be one of only six in the world.
- The museum also displays many timepieces made by Johann Baptist BehaJohann Baptist BehaJohann Baptist Beha was a prestigious Black Forest clockmaker born in Oberbränd . He was trained by his father, the master clockmaker Vinzenz Beha , in his workshop where he built around 365 clocks between 1839 and 1845. At that time V. Beha was already known for the quality of his clocks, he made...
, one of the most reputed, innovator and creative Black Forest clockmaker of all times. - Examples in Art NouveauArt NouveauArt Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
, Art DecoArt DecoArt deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
and other unusual styles. - Other rarities include; picture frame c. clocks, several timepieces with a life size automatonAutomatonAn automaton is a self-operating machine. The word is sometimes used to describe a robot, more specifically an autonomous robot. An alternative spelling, now obsolete, is automation.-Etymology:...
cuckoo bird on top of the case, models combined with paintings of people or animals with blinking or flirty eyes, etc. - Designer cuckoo clocks, a series of avant-gardeAvant-gardeAvant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
21st century creations autographed by foremost international designers such as (in alphabetical order): Mattia Cimadoro, Raffaele Darra and Riccardo Paolino & Matteo Fusi.
Research and conservation
Throughout the years, the attendance of the two brothers at clock fairs and auctions, the purchasing of specialized bibliography, trips, the internet, their own research, etc., have led them to acquire many of the clocks, gaining experience and knowledge on the subject. They document all of the aspects related to every piece of the collection in terms of: age, history, manufacturer, style, technical aspects and provenance.One of the aims of the museum is to restore and preserve the most unique, outstanding and unusual exemplaries to be enjoyed by future generations, as well as to contribute to the appreciation and estimation of this timepiece through its importance in horology
Horology
Horology is the art or science of measuring time. Clocks, watches, clockwork, sundials, clepsydras, timers, time recorders and marine chronometers are all examples of instruments used to measure time.People interested in horology are called horologists...
and historic significance in the Western culture
Western culture
Western culture, sometimes equated with Western civilization or European civilization, refers to cultures of European origin and is used very broadly to refer to a heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, religious beliefs, political systems, and specific artifacts and...
.
See also
- AutomatonAutomatonAn automaton is a self-operating machine. The word is sometimes used to describe a robot, more specifically an autonomous robot. An alternative spelling, now obsolete, is automation.-Etymology:...
- ClockClockA clock is an instrument used to indicate, keep, and co-ordinate time. The word clock is derived ultimately from the Celtic words clagan and clocca meaning "bell". A silent instrument missing such a mechanism has traditionally been known as a timepiece...
- HorologyHorologyHorology is the art or science of measuring time. Clocks, watches, clockwork, sundials, clepsydras, timers, time recorders and marine chronometers are all examples of instruments used to measure time.People interested in horology are called horologists...
- List of museums in Cheshire
Similar museums
- Deutsches UhrenmuseumDeutsches UhrenmuseumThe German Clock Museum is situated near the centre of the Black Forest town of Furtwangen im Schwarzwald, a historic centre of clockmaking. It features permanent and temporary exhibits on the history of timekeeping...
- Dorf- und Uhrenmuseum GütenbachDorf- und Uhrenmuseum GütenbachThe Dorf- und Uhrenmuseum Gütenbach is located in the village of Gütenbach, one of the historic centers of homebased manufacturing of clocks in the Black Forestregion of Germany near the town of Furtwangen im Schwarzwald. It features primarily permanent and temporary exhibits on the local history...
- Museum fũr Uhren und Mechanische MusikMuseum fur Uhren und Mechanische MusikThe Museum fur Uhren und Mechanische Musik is located in the village of Oberhofen am Thunersee, and is a museum dedicated to both horology and mechanical music....
- Schwarzwaldmuseum
External links
- Cuckoo land museum 1 and Cuckoo land museum 2, two videos about the collection on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....