Cuckooland Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1990 |
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| Location | The Old School, Chester Road, Tabley (Knutsford), WA16 0HL, England, UK |
| Type | Horological museum |
| Collection size | Over 700 cuckoo clocks |
The Cuckooland Museum is a special place in Tabley, Cheshire, England. It used to be called the Cuckoo Clock Museum. This museum is all about cuckoo clocks. It shows clocks made over 300 years, from the 1700s to today.
Contents
How the Museum Started
The Cuckooland Museum opened in 1990. Two brothers, Roman and Maz Piekarski, started it. They had collected many old Black Forest cuckoo clocks. They kept adding to their collection over the years.
Both brothers began learning to make clocks at age 15. This was in Manchester. That's when they became very interested in clocks.
They realized that old European clocks might disappear. Many were getting broken and not fixed. So, they decided to save these important clocks. They only bought the best and most important clocks. These clocks had to show how cuckoo clocks changed over time.
Roman Piekarski once said, "When we started collecting in the 1970s no one wanted them. Battery and electric clocks were very popular. We bought many for almost nothing."
What You Can See in the Collection
The museum now focuses mainly on cuckoo clocks. In the past, it also showed other types of clocks. These included tall clocks, wall clocks, and shelf clocks.
Today, Cuckooland has over 700 cuckoo clocks. They come in many styles, sizes, and ages. Many of these clocks are very rare. The collection shows the best examples of cuckoo clock art.
- One clock makes a "cuckoo and echo" sound. It sounds like a real bird in the wild. People think there are only six such clocks in the world.
- The museum also has many clocks made by Johann Baptist Beha. He was a very famous and creative clockmaker.
- You can see clocks in unique styles. These include Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts designs.
- Other rare clocks include picture frame cuckoo clocks. Some have a life-sized robot cuckoo bird on top. Others have paintings of people or animals with blinking eyes.
- There are also modern "designer" cuckoo clocks. These are new creations from the 21st century. Famous international designers made them. Some designers include Christie Bassil and Lorenzo Damiani.
Research and Taking Care of Clocks
The brothers have learned a lot over the years. They go to clock fairs and auctions. They read special books and travel. They also do their own research. This helps them find and learn about many clocks.
They write down everything about each clock. This includes its age, history, and who made it. They also note its style and how it works.
One main goal of the museum is to fix and save the most special clocks. This way, future generations can enjoy them. The museum also helps people understand how important these clocks are. They are a big part of horology (the study of time) and Western culture.
More to Explore
- Automaton
- Clock
- Horology
- List of museums in Cheshire
- Similar museums
- Deutsches Uhrenmuseum
- Dorf- und Uhrenmuseum Gütenbach
- Museum fũr Uhren und Mechanische Musik
- Schwarzwaldmuseum
