Horological Treasures of the Midwest

The National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors (NAWCC) is hosting the 2025 Ward Francillon Time Symposium at the Halim Time and Glass Museum in Evanston, IL, October 13-16.  The public is invited to join us for a combination of invited lectures and experiential learning at the Halim Time and Glass Museum, The Adler Planetarium, Elgin History Museum, The Sanfilippo Estate, and Mark Frank’s Astronomical Clock and other private collections.

The annual James Arthur Lecture will be presented by Cameel Halim.  He will share stories of his fascination with time and his passion for collecting clocks for his Halim Time and Glass Museum.  Cameel will present on Wednesday morning, October 15, 2025.

A full roster of eminent speakers has been recruited including:  Carlene Stephens – History of Time and Navigation in 7 Objects; Cathy Pagani – Chinese Art and Horology; Andrew Johnston – The (Brief) Golden Age of Celestial Navigation in Space; Steve Franke – 1558: To Bush or Not To Bush?; Mark Frank – Historical Perspective of Decoding and Predicting the Heavens with Mechanical Devices.

The lectures will be held on October 15, at the Halim Time and Glass Museum, with time to enjoy all the exhibits, followed by an evening banquet.  The complete program starts on Monday, October 13 with a visit to Mark Frank’s Astronomical Clock and an evening Welcome Reception.  Tuesday, October 14 includes a visit to the Adler Planetarium in Chicago for a special program with Dr. Katie Boyce-Jacino, Curator and Director of Collections, to see Star Gazer’s Pavillion, and time keeping devices in storage.  Tuesday will end with a dinner cruise on Lake Michigan.  On Thursday, October 16, we will visit The Elgin History Museum in the morning, and listen to Watch Specialist Bill Briska highlight the history of the famous Elgin National Watch Company.  There will be time to view exhibits of the pocket watches, innovations, and complex technology of the Elgin National Watch Company and learn about the Company’s impact on Elgin, its citizens, and the world.  The program concludes Thursday afternoon after an exclusive 3 hour tour of the Sanfilippo Estate in Barrington Hills, Illinois.  The tour features the World’s finest collection of automatic music instruments, the story of the family and their Collection, demonstrations of a variety of music machines, a mini-concert on the Mighty Wurlitzer and the history of the items in the Carousel Pavilion.

The public is invited, and registration, including all programs, museum tours, and meals is just $775.  Each event is also separately priced if you have limited time.  For more information regarding symposium registration, the complete speaker list, schedule, meals, and lodging, visit https://symposium.nawcc.org.