-Clock Bank- still bank c. 1910

Editor: Here we have the "-Clock Bank- still bank," crafted around 1910, by the Arcade Manufacturing Company. It's an assemblage using metal, currently held at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. It strikes me as quite charmingly old-fashioned. How do you interpret this little sculpture? Curator: Its appeal certainly lies in its antiquated charm, but that "charm" also resonates with broader themes of time, labor, and value, as those were being codified during the rise of industrial capitalism. The clock face, eternally frozen, bears the inscription "A Money Saver." What meanings do you extract from this coupling of symbols? Editor: I guess it's a pretty literal connection, the idea that saving time equals saving money, right? Is there something more to it, maybe about societal pressures around work? Curator: Precisely! Consider the period. Clocks were becoming ubiquitous, regulating factory work, school schedules—daily life. This bank appropriates the symbolic authority of the clock. What emotions do you feel looking at the Roman numerals evenly placed along the rim of this circle? Editor: I feel sort of nostalgic but also pressured to perform well at my tasks... a conflicted feeling! Curator: Yes, the impression you get from the imagery speaks to the deep-seated cultural values that were promoted back then. By imbuing thrift with the gravitas of regulated time, this object reveals how cultural anxieties get shaped by industrialization. Notice the use of Roman numerals and the hands being gilded to resemble a watch. Those choices by the artist weren't random. Editor: That's fascinating! I never would have thought such a simple piece could reflect such complex ideas about culture. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for hidden symbols from now on! Curator: Indeed. Symbols rarely exist in isolation. Their power resides in how they interconnect with and reinforce other visual and cultural cues. I feel you will see decorative art with new eyes moving forward!