Oneonta Man Invents Ingenious “Sidney Clocks” in 1800s!

Andrew Van Woert Strait was born in West Oneonta on May 12, 1849.  The cemetery in West Oneonta bears his family's name.

He was a clock and watch maker.  Eventually he moved to Bainbridge and then Sidney.  He opened up a factory on Cartwright Avenue in Sidney and proceeded to manufacture the famous Sidney Clocks.

These ingenious clocks featured a new-fangled invention...rotating advertisements that changed every five minutes or so.  They were not for sale to the general public, but were usually sold to businesses like hotels, stores and taverns.  At one point he was shipping more than 50 Sidney Clocks a month.

Today they are rare and highly prized.  My friend from Sidney, Ray Taylor, found one recently in a museum near Lancaster, Pennsylvania and he took some photos of it.

I would love to own one of these really beautiful, amazing antiques from my home town. Sidney, a clock town?  You learn something new every day!

The Sidney Clocks were usually given free to a customer and then the company would charge for each advertising roll.  After five (or maybe fifteen) minutes a bell would ring drawing people's attention and the roll would turn to show another advertiser.