See novelty clocks at Hoffman Museum

Novelty clocks will be the featured exhibit this summer at the Hoffman Clock Museum.

These clocks look unusual, because they were made to serve a special purpose or are simply whimsical, being made purely for fun.

The earliest example is a French sundial, in which the sun's rays ignite a charge of gunpowder in a miniature cannon at noon.

An American clock, made around 1860, is in the shape of a man, who blinks his eyes with each tick of the clock in his belly.

Also on display is a clock similar to the one invented by Benjamin Franklin, featuring one hand and an unusual face. Franklin used such a design to save money.

These and other antique clocks may be seen at the museum, housed in the Newark Public Library, at the corner of High and Mason streets.

The museum is open from noon to 9 p.m. Monday; 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday to Friday; and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. It is closed on Sundays and holidays.

Admission is free. For more information call 331.4370.