by Laurel | December 15th, 2011
Forgive my “artistic license” in adding some color on the City Hall clock faces — the picture is totally engineered, but the article is actually very real. I just can’t imagine what it looked like! Sometimes you need to look before you leap, or paint in this case, in terms of emulating the decorating ideas of other cities. It is difficult to believe no one noticed the painting in progress during the day. Lights a la Empire State Building effects, maybe … but painting the clock faces seems so wrong!
15 December 1936
Rendition of "The Blushing Clock"
Christmas Spirit Extends to Tower Dials — Much Criticism is Heard
Holyoke, Dec. 14. — The City Hall tower clock, whose illuminated faces serve as a timepiece to many and as a beacon to thousands on the outskirts of the city proper, blushed warmly tonight. Someone has painted the clock faces red. And are they red.
It was all the plan of someone who saw some tower clock some place or other so decorated and thought this would add just the right touch to carry out the Christmas display along the Main streets. So the custodian of the tower and clock, at the behest of authorities, simply carried out the plan.
But, as said many who witnessed the change tonight, it is too red. There’s none of a Christmas spirit about it they said — it looks like a bad case of sunburn. Others declared that it resembled a weather beaten railroad signal light. They thought it everything bit nice to look at.
And along with all the criticism of failure to produce the desired result it is far too difficult to tell time. To do that was the primary object in putting a clock in the tower. It’s difficult for one with good eyesight to see the hands for a distance of more than two city blocks.
From The Springfield Republican, my personal photo.
