Grandfather Clock, Then and Now

John Peter Zdrojewski, our JPZ, came to America on the boat in 1903 with his parents, Ludwig and Victoria Zdrojewski.  As a young man in Buffalo, he worked for a time in a carpentry shop.  We have a photo of the crew in the shop.  JPZ is second from right, identified for us by his son John, our JFZ.

John Peter built a grandfather clock, a "case clock," at home.  Family legend has him just finishing it up on the kitchen table when his firstborn, Eugene, our EJZ, was born in the next room.  That was October 7, 1923.

So it was always in the house, on St. Louis Street and then on May Street, in Buffalo.  Below we see Eugene home from Orchard Lake - high school? or college? - at Christmastime.  The grandfather clock is in the background, obscured by that lamp.

In 1940, JPZ's younger brother Casimir Zdrojewski and his wife Cecelia brought their firstborn, Paul, to visit.  Here is the photo of the young family seated by the grandfather clock.

During World War II, while Eugene was away 1943-1945, JPZ made a photo series about being a parent on the home front.  We have seen the photo below, here and also here.  This is the best photo we have found so far of that clock.

The grandfather clock moved to the Marilla house some time after its completion in 1957.  We have yet to find a photo of that clock in its place in the Marilla house!  That is a shock.  With luck we will find some.  It was important; it was a fixture; so where are the pictures?

In the 1980s Gene and Clara took the clock to somebody for refinishing.  We have a couple of Polaroids from their visit to the clock while it was in rehab.  Tye found them inside the case.

When the Marilla house was closed in 2008, the clock went to its new home with Tye and Kim Zdrojewski.  Thanks, Tye, for the photos.

The old, dark varnish had historic-sentimental value, but the new finish shows off the wood so much better.  Looks like curly maple, doesn't it?  

A treasure beyond price.