In 1939 the Horological Society of New York started publishing its monthly newsletter, The Horologist's Loupe. HSNY's friends at the National Watch and Clock Museum recently found two books in their archives containing vintage copies of The Horologist's Loupe from the 1940s, 1950s, 1970s and 1980s. With their kind permission, those vintage copies were scanned and are now available for all to read.
The first editor of The Horologist's Loupe was Henry Fried, who later became President of HSNY. Fried was a prolific horological author and illustrator who wrote many books that are still referenced today by working watchmakers. The New York Times called him "The Dean of American Watchmaking." The Horologist's Loupe contained many of Fried's original illustrations and texts, giving a look at his work before it was adapted into his famous books.
Take a look at the caption for the lower photograph: "Part of the crowd of over 500 watchmakers and guests at the April [1950] meeting." Wow!
These vintage copies of The Horologist's Loupe also provide a glimpse into HSNY post-war happenings. Meetings were regularly attended by over 300 members, and regular gala dinners were a highlight of the year. We hope you enjoy this look into HSNY's history, and we thank the National Watch & Clock Museum for preserving these pieces of HSNY's past!