Sunday Rewind: The Story Of New York City's Sidewalk Clock

New York is full of horological curiosities, and it's certainly been difficult to explore them the past year and a half. But now that there's a renewed sense of optimism in the air, it's time to make some summer plans. If you're in New York, the sidewalk clock should be on the list to see for yourself. If you're not in New York City, Stephen wrote a fantastic piece on this very clock way back in 2013 that will make you feel as if you're right there, standing at the intersection of Maiden Lane and Broadway, looking down and imagining what this landmark of lower Manhattan might have seen over the years. Documentary photographer Ida Wyman famously captured the clock on film; while reporting the story, Stephen had a wonderful exchange that sheds light on what life was like in 1947, when she made the famous photograph of the watch. "Not doing anything was not considered wasting time back then," Wyman told me when I asked her to expand on the above story. She sounded a little wistful and lamented that this idea has largely fallen by the wayside. For better or for worse, planning our lives to the second and constantly verifying that we are on schedule is business as usual for most of us these days. Click here to read The Story Of New York's Sidewalk Clock and then take some time to not do anything.It's been there, in one form or another, since 1899.