Kit-Cat Klock
Encyclopedia
The Kit-Cat Klock is an art deco
novelty
style clock
. The clock is manufactured in the shape of a black cat
and is hung on a wall. The tail swings as a second hand and eyes move back and forth to give illusion of it watching you. It first appeared during the 1930s. The clock is an iconic symbol of kitchens in pop culture
.
The first clock was made in 1932 by the California Clock Company in Portland, Oregon
. Having changed very little in the intervening years, the clock is in the shape of a grinning black cat with cartoon eyes that roll horizontally in sync with a pendulum
tail that wags beneath. The clock is traditionally colored black, but models in other colors/styles are available. The first generation of clocks, manufactured in the '30s
, '40s
and '50s
, have two paws, while newer models have four paws and a bow tie. The words "Kit-Cat" were added to the clock face in the 1980s. The original clocks were plug-in, but most models sold since the late '80s use batteries
. The manufacturer estimates that the clock has sold on average at the rate of one every three minutes for the last 70 years.
.
To celebrate its 80th anniversary, Kit-Cat is sponsoring a 55-foot long float, entitled "Timeless Fun for Everyone", in the 2012 Rose Parade
.
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
novelty
Novelties
A novelty item is a small manufactured adornment, especially a personal adornment.- Novelty item :This term covers a range of small manufactured goods, such as*antiques*collectables*chocolates*esoterica*executive toys*gadgets*tools and implements...
style clock
Clock
A clock is an instrument used to indicate, keep, and co-ordinate time. The word clock is derived ultimately from the Celtic words clagan and clocca meaning "bell". A silent instrument missing such a mechanism has traditionally been known as a timepiece...
. The clock is manufactured in the shape of a black cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
and is hung on a wall. The tail swings as a second hand and eyes move back and forth to give illusion of it watching you. It first appeared during the 1930s. The clock is an iconic symbol of kitchens in pop culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
.
The first clock was made in 1932 by the California Clock Company in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. Having changed very little in the intervening years, the clock is in the shape of a grinning black cat with cartoon eyes that roll horizontally in sync with a pendulum
Pendulum
A pendulum is a weight suspended from a pivot so that it can swing freely. When a pendulum is displaced from its resting equilibrium position, it is subject to a restoring force due to gravity that will accelerate it back toward the equilibrium position...
tail that wags beneath. The clock is traditionally colored black, but models in other colors/styles are available. The first generation of clocks, manufactured in the '30s
1930s
File:1930s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Dorothea Lange's photo of the homeless Florence Thompson show the effects of the Great Depression; Due to the economic collapse, the farms become dry and the Dust Bowl spreads through America; The Battle of Wuhan during the Second Sino-Japanese...
, '40s
1940s
File:1940s decade montage.png|Above title bar: events which happened during World War II : From left to right: Troops in an LCVP landing craft approaching "Omaha" Beach on "D-Day"; Adolf Hitler visits Paris, soon after the Battle of France; The Holocaust occurred during the war as Nazi Germany...
and '50s
1950s
The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century...
, have two paws, while newer models have four paws and a bow tie. The words "Kit-Cat" were added to the clock face in the 1980s. The original clocks were plug-in, but most models sold since the late '80s use batteries
Battery (electricity)
An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
. The manufacturer estimates that the clock has sold on average at the rate of one every three minutes for the last 70 years.
In Popular Culture
The clock is one of many in Dr. Emmet Brown's house in Back to the FutureBack to the Future
Back to the Future is a 1985 American science-fiction adventure film. It was directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, produced by Steven Spielberg, and starred Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover and Thomas F. Wilson. The film tells the story of...
.
To celebrate its 80th anniversary, Kit-Cat is sponsoring a 55-foot long float, entitled "Timeless Fun for Everyone", in the 2012 Rose Parade
Tournament of Roses Parade
The Tournament of Roses Parade, better known as the Rose Parade, is "America's New Year Celebration", a festival of flower-covered floats, marching bands, equestrians and a college football game on New Year's Day , produced by the non-profit Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association.The annual...
.