Originating in Germany and Austria, particularly the Black Forest region, Cuckoo clocks are extremely popular worldwide. They are famous for their pendulums and the bird or birds that pop out of the clock face every hour on the hour—or more. They are usually made of wood and elaborately carved. They may be painted to accentuate the carving.
History
The first Black Forest Cuckoo Clock was designed and made by Franz Anton Ketterer in the small village of Schönwald near Triberg, Germany, nearly two hundred years ago. He reproduced the cuckoo noise by ingenious use of two tiny bellows. Although novelty clocks had been made in the region for some time, Ketterer's invention was to revolutionize the Black Forest clockmaking industry. The intricately carved clocks are still handmade by skilled craftsmen in the region.
Usually quite small in size, a cuckoo clock's pendulum might swing twice a second, as opposed to the approximately once every two seconds for a large grandfather clock. They can be either a one-day rack movement, or an eight day clock. They almost all make a similar "cuckoo" sound. However, some cuckoo clocks feature dancers and other gimmicks in place of the cuckoo.
Cuckoo Clocks that Go to Sleep at Night
If you love the idea of a cuckoo clock but would find the noise irritating at night, think about finding one that doesn't make a noise once it gets dark. Amazing as it seems, cuckoo clocks have been invented that sense when it is dark and stop making a noise! So, if you'd really love a cuckoo clock but like peace and quiet, you have no excuse not to get one.
ไม่มีความคิดเห็น:
แสดงความคิดเห็น