Orville Hagans Collection

This collection represents the collected papers and manuscripts of noted horologist of the mid 20th Century, Orville Hagans. This includes articles, photographs, and correspondence of Hagans, as well as scrapbooks, research, and various other material.

There are a number of article manuscripts from the Hagans library that are represented in this collection (see Series I). These are primarily typed articles, several of which include suggested edit, correspondence, and photographs that were used in preparation of publication of the material. The articles primarily seem to have been published (or intented to have been published) in horological and hobbyist journals for which Hagans was a contributor or editor.

There are additional articles included in this collection that were collected by Hagans for his own reference and research purposes. These are arranged in Series III: Research. These articles were not published, edited, or written by Hagans, but rather are bibliographies, clippings, and other horological research compiled by Hagans.

Furthermore, this collection consists of material from various horological associations that Hagans was a member of, including the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCC), the American Watch Institute (AWI--now known as the American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute, or AWCI), and the United Horological Association of America (UHAA). The material in this series (Series II), include correspondence, membership forms and information pamphlets, association material, and photographs, including convention photographs from the 1950s.

There is also a number of items from Hagan's various horological business, academic, and museum enterprises in series IV and V. This includes information on the American Academy School of Horology, based in Denver, Colorado, and of which Hagans was a prominent member of the faculty. There are a number of photographs of graduating classes from the late 1940s and early 1950s, as well as some commencement speaches.

There are also a number of materials regarding Clock Manor, a horological musuem run by Hagans and based in Denver, Colorado. This includes clippings from various newspapers about the Clock Manor as well as photographs and other material. Furthermore, there are a number of photographs and collected material regarding other horological museums and collections around the world that were around during the mid-20th Century.

Additionally, there are a large number of correspondences of a horological nature that was saved by Hagans throughout the years. This correspondence includes questions about clocks and watches, and this material can primarily be found in Series VI. Series VII includes some correspondence as well, but primarily in the form of greeting cards. There are a large number of greeting cards in this collection, most of which depict clocks or watches. This appears to be the motivation behind collecting this material, as some of the cards appear to be cut so that only the cover (or relevant watches and clocks) remain. For some of the cards, this seems to have resulted in cutting off messages written on the cards. It also appears that some of the greeting cards were obtained without the intent of writing in them, and obtained becuase of the horological theme of the card. The greeting cards are primarily cards celebrating winter holidays and Christmas, but there are birthday cards, sympathy cards, and other types of occassions and celebrations.

This collection also includes a number of photographs and scrapbooks, which have been arranged into two separate series (Series XIII and IV). The photographs include a number of unidentified clocks and watches, as well as photographs of watch collections and watch holders. The scrapbooks are primarily created by Hagans, although there is one scrapbook created by L.D. Stallcup that was presumably incorporated into Hagans collection at some moment. Stallcup was a fellow horologist, and the first editor for the NAWCC Bulletin. The remaining scrapbooks include articles, ephemera, photographs, and certificates of achievement (horological and other), that were created and curated by Hagans. There is one scrapbook that has some information on W.H. Samelius, including certificates and newspaper clippings.