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1000 results for “invest_in_me_research”
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12 May is
International ME Awareness DayA view from UK charity Invest in ME Research
"𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙈𝙀/𝘾𝙁𝙎 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙖 𝙛𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚"
https://investinme.org/investinMEresearch2024.shtml
#mecfs #InternationalMEawarenessDay #severeME #MEawareness #MEAwarenessmonth
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12 May is
International ME Awareness DayA view from UK charity Invest in ME Research
"𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙈𝙀/𝘾𝙁𝙎 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙖 𝙛𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚"
https://investinme.org/investinMEresearch2024.shtml
#mecfs #InternationalMEawarenessDay #severeME #MEawareness #MEAwarenessmonth
-
12 May is
International ME Awareness DayA view from UK charity Invest in ME Research
"𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙈𝙀/𝘾𝙁𝙎 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙖 𝙛𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚"
https://investinme.org/investinMEresearch2024.shtml
#mecfs #InternationalMEawarenessDay #severeME #MEawareness #MEAwarenessmonth
-
12 May is
International ME Awareness DayA view from UK charity Invest in ME Research
"𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙈𝙀/𝘾𝙁𝙎 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙖 𝙛𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚"
https://investinme.org/investinMEresearch2024.shtml
#mecfs #InternationalMEawarenessDay #severeME #MEawareness #MEAwarenessmonth
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14/
May is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.) Awareness Month.
You can help by sharing and/or liking this image.
Day #14
#MyalgicE #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis
#mecfs @mecfs @invest_in_me_research -
14/
May is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.) Awareness Month.
You can help by sharing and/or liking this image.
Day #14
#MyalgicE #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis
#mecfs @mecfs @invest_in_me_research -
14/
May is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.) Awareness Month.
You can help by sharing and/or liking this image.
Day #14
#MyalgicE #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis
#mecfs @mecfs @invest_in_me_research -
14/
May is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.) Awareness Month.
You can help by sharing and/or liking this image.
Day #14
#MyalgicE #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis
#mecfs @mecfs @invest_in_me_research -
14/
May is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.) Awareness Month.
You can help by sharing and/or liking this image.
Day #14
#MyalgicE #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis
#mecfs @mecfs @invest_in_me_research -
More on the BMJ Opinion Piece from the Psychobabblers
By David Tuller, DrPH
When it comes to ME and ME/CFS, The BMJ—formerly called The British Medical Journal but now, like the food franchise once known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, officially reduced to a mere acronym—is a long-time champion of the “biopsychosocial” ideological brigades. (I use the “scare quotes” because the term is a misnomer, given that these experts focus pretty much exclusively on the “psycho” and “social” while largely ignoring the “bio” part of the equation.) So it should not surprise anyone that The BMJ recently published yet another ignorant and misguided screed from this crew—a commissioned opinion piece titled “Patients with severe ME/CFS need hope and expert multidisciplinary care,” from Miller et al. (I first posted about this propaganda piece a few days ago.)
Indeed, The BMJ, and the many other titles under the BMJ publishing umbrella, have for decades provided opportunities for the GET/CBT zealots to air their theories about deconditioning and problematic illness beliefs as causal factors for ME/CFS—theories now extended to Long Covid. A 1989 letter written by Dr Melvin Ramsey, an early ME researcher, reveals the historical nature of this prejudicial and biased approach.
Dr. Ramsey investigated the 1950s disease outbreak at London’s Royal Free Hospital, the event that subsequently gave rise to the name “myalgic encephalomyelitis.” In 2021, an invaluable Twitter (now X) account, Royal Free 1955, which has released an impressive archive of relevant documents, posted Dr. Ramsey’s letter. In the letter, addressed to someone named Edith, Dr. Ramsey discussed the challenges he was confronting in trying to publish ME-related research. Here’s the key section:
“For many months we have been in difficulty by the influence exerted by a psychiatrist, Dr. Simon Wessly [sic] who has secured for himself the position of referee to the BMJ whose Assistant Editor has been strongly anti-ME and we cannot get anything published in British medical journals in our favor. Simon Wessly cuts right across my fundamental tenet of “rest” for chronic M.E. cases and tries to get them admitted to Psychiatric Units where they are immediately put on vigorous exercise.”
The BMJ’s skewed view of this issue continued during the reign of Dr Fiona Godlee, the previous editor in chief. I had many go-round with Dr Godlee, who stepped aside in 2021, over some of the nonsense published in various BMJ journals during her tenure. That included the report on the fraudulent pediatric study of the woo-woo Lightning Process conducted by Professor Esther Crawley, Bristol University’s ethically and methodologically challenged pediatrician and grant magnet. (Professor Crawley has since retired from the university and from medical practice, for reasons that have not been publicly explained. No great loss!)
That clinical trial, published in 2018 in BMJ’s Archives of Disease in Childhood, violated core principles of scientific research, rendering its findings unreliable and essentially uninterpretable. Specifically, the authors recruited more than half the participants before the trial was formally registered, and swapped primary and secondary outcomes after having collected much of their data. All major medical journals have policies forbidding such actions, none of which were revealed in the published trial report. The paper should clearly have been retracted. Instead, it now carries a 3,000-word correction and a 1,000-word editorial note offering tortured but unconvincing excuses for why it was re-published with the exact same findings.
Dr Godlee’s successor was Dr. Kamran Abbasi. I have had prior dealings with Dr Abbasi as well. He was formerly the editor of the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. During his tenure, the journal published a seriously problematic paper whose authors included Professor Sir Simon Wessely and Trudie Chalder, King’s College London’s mathematically and factually challenged professor of cognitive behavior therapy. The paper was called “Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for chronic fatigue and CFS: outcomes from a specialist clinic in the UK.”
Among other concerns, the authors made causal claims of success for their intervention even as they acknowledged that their observational study was incapable of documenting causal relationships. Dr Abbasi refused to take any corrective action. We ended up publishing our critique as a full-fledged paper in the Journal of Health Psychology.
In other words, Dr Abbasi protected Professor Sir Simon, Professor Chalder and their colleagues from accountability for their indisputable errors. His failure to pursue the necessary steps to ensure the accuracy of the scientific literature was extremely disturbing and represented a violation of his responsibilities to both the field of medicine and the general public. Dr Abbasi’s decision revealed his true colors—and his biased approach to this issue. No one should expect anything different from him during his stewardship of the BMJ stable of publications.
**********
Snippets from some of the rapid responses
The recent opinion piece has now racked up more than a dozen rapid responses, many of them quite eloquent in their expressions of dismay at the bogus arguments advanced by the authors. I’ve included a few quotes from these responses here.
Elke Hausmann, GP in Derby: “There are thousands of us, including many doctors with Long Covid or ME, who argue that continuing to invest in researching mind/body approaches is taking away from the real research we need, into understanding the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms at play in ME and Long Covid, which has always been where progress in medicine and medical treatments has come from.”
Tom Parsons, severe ME patient in Sussex, England: “The so-called biopsychosocial approach is continuously presented as a new and cutting-edge approach to treating people with ME/CFS when it has been the dominant treatment paradigm in this country and elsewhere since the 1990s and, in that time, its advocates have failed to produce any good quality evidence that these approaches help people recover any significant degree of functioning. To present these approaches as exciting new science is, to borrow a phrase, serving old wine in new bottles.”
David Putrino, neuroscientist and professor at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, along with more than a dozen other experts and patient advocates: “Miller et al continue to promote the unsubstantiated claims that ME/CFS is deeply rooted in psychosomatic aetiology and occurs due to a combination of deconditioning and “unhelpful illness beliefs.” They argue that “the patients’ belief that they won’t recover can harm their mental wellbeing.” These assertions lack credible scientific basis, contradict current NICE guidelines, and risk causing further harm to people with ME/CFS.”
Dom J. Salisbury, patient advocate in Lancashire, England: “In their opinion piece, Miller and coauthors ignore PEM when listing common symptoms of ME/CFS. This is an attempt to continue framing this illness as belonging to a family of ‘fatiguing conditions’, which, along with other ‘medically unexplained symptoms’, they argue can be treated with psychological interventions and rehabilitation.”
Michiel Tack, patient in Hulst, The Netherlands: “The view that ME/CFS is maintained by unhelpful thoughts and behavior is poorly supported by current evidence and may unfairly blame patients for their illness and failure to recover. This model has been tested in the past with disappointing results, which is likely why NICE no longer recommends it.”
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Great collection of researchers coming together/working together for International ME Conference Week 2024
https://investinme.org/meconferenceweek2024.shtml
#mecfs #research #InternationalMEawarenessMonth #longcovid #cpd #brmec13 #sparkme #IIMEC16
@euromeresearch @YoungEmerg @EUROMEALL -
Registration open for the
15th International ME Conference 2023
#IIMEC15https://investinme.org/IIMEC15.shtml
#mecfs #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #research #clinician #InternationalMEconferenceWeek #LongCovid
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Registration open for the
15th International ME Conference 2023
#IIMEC15https://investinme.org/IIMEC15.shtml
#mecfs #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #research #clinician #InternationalMEconferenceWeek #LongCovid
-
Registration open for the
15th International ME Conference 2023
#IIMEC15https://investinme.org/IIMEC15.shtml
#mecfs #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #research #clinician #InternationalMEconferenceWeek #LongCovid
-
Registration open for the
15th International ME Conference 2023
#IIMEC15https://investinme.org/IIMEC15.shtml
#mecfs #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #research #clinician #InternationalMEconferenceWeek #LongCovid
-
Registration open for the
15th International ME Conference 2023
#IIMEC15https://investinme.org/IIMEC15.shtml
#mecfs #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #research #clinician #InternationalMEconferenceWeek #LongCovid
-
Thanks to our sponsors for 15th International ME Conference 2023
https://www.investinme.org/IIMEC15-sponsorship.shtml#IrishMETrust and #OpenMedicineFoundation
#mecfs #MyalgicE #IIMEC15 #MEConferenceWeek2023 -
Tired of Struggling with Writing (or Speaking)? Unlock Your Potential with Personalized Writing Guidance!
From Coach Donna Marie: Parents and High School Students – Polish your essays for college and scholarship applications. Hire me.
https://www.youtube.com/live/RU4-1Y1LQbM
Are you tired of struggling with writing or speech preparation tasks? Let Coach Donna Marie guide you or your learner to become confident and competent.
Consider hiring Coach Donna Marie as a writing (or speaking) tutor. To ensure you get the right help, I first assess the learner’s needs and clarify their goals. I guide them through a systematic process, transforming their struggles into confidence and competence. Witnessing their progress is incredibly rewarding, and I hope to do the same for you and yours.
Invest In Transformation: Experience the Benefits of Personalized Tutoring
Ready to Transform Your Writing or Speaking Skills? With personalized guidance from Coach Donna Marie, you will:
- Build Confidence: Overcome challenges and gain self-assurance.
- Achieve Competence: Master essential skills and techniques.
- See Results: Enjoy tangible improvements in your projects or assignments.
Take the First Step Today!
If this is what you want, hire me now at this link to my tutor profile.
Still Unsure? Let’s Talk! Schedule a free brief video chat to discuss your needs and goals. Link: Calendar
Have Questions? Scroll down to see the FAQs or send me an email. Email: Click Here
Read on for more information about my education, experience, and testimonials from past learners.
Certified & Verified Tutor: Your Trusted Writing Guide
View my verified tutor profile to see my subject matter certifications.
https://www.wyzant.com/Tutors/coachdonnamariePassionate About Writing Excellence: Transforming Writers
I have been tutoring emerging writers and speakers for over a decade. I have seen them transform into more confident, accomplished leaders. I have become even more passionate to see more learners experience this type of transformation. I would be honored to help you, also. I use a personalized, step-by-step approach tailored to each learner’s needs. My method includes detailed assessments, goal setting, and consistent feedback to ensure steady progress.
Even though I was always a very good student, I still had extra support from tutors, coaches, and mentors. They helped me emerge as a more excellent and confident leader. I understand there is always room for improvement for anyone. Because of this, I can empathize with and better support other emerging leaders.
Education and Experience: Building Strong Foundations
Despite my degrees and awards, I always have more room to keep growing and improving. Teaching others helps me keep learning, too, especially because the writing standards change over time. So, I provide the most up-to-date information to my learners, based on current standards.
In high school, I was a National Honor Society inductee and earned four-year college scholarships. I received my B.S. degree and then became employed in a teaching role as a certified therapist. All my academic and professional experience has included training, tutoring, and mentoring others, as well as writing, editing, speaking, and presenting.
Successes with Child Learners: Creating Academic Achievers
I tutored and taught children for ten years, because I home-schooled my children. I covered elementary school subjects including reading, writing, math, science, history, and some special interest topics. All of my children were very successful. They remained honor roll students for their entire academic careers after they transitioned from homeschool to public school.
College and Scholarship Essays: Securing Future Success
I also specialized in tutoring them for their college and scholarship application essay writings. My guidance helped all my children to earn full four-year college scholarships. I wrote about them on our Butterfly Homeschool blog, if you would like to learn more about them.
Graduate Level Education: Advanced Skills for Leadership
After my children entered public schools, I earned my M.A. degree and certification in leadership development and coaching. My GPA in business school was 3.8 on a 4.0 scale. I was inducted into Omega Nu Lambda and Delta Mu Delta.
See More on My Linkedin Profile
Use my LinkedIn Profile to see more about my verified skills, education, experience, and recommendations from my colleagues.
Successes with Adult Learners: Empowering Professional Growth
After homeschooling for a decade and completing graduate school with honors, I have become a more competent and confident teacher. I have seen great results with my learners, both children and adults. Recently, I was one of six trainers in a work-based learning program for six months. I was assigned thirty of our new team members and provided them with:
- an online discussion board via Slack
- answered daily questions and answers
- posted weekly learning objectives based on the client’s curricula
- spoke and taught during weekly video chat presentations via MS Teams
- provided downloadable learning resources
- posted urgent and important updates
- gave one-on-one coaching as needed via MS Teams
Many of my learners won performance awards and bonuses. They shared testimonials stating that I taught them well and helped them build confidence. I have shared some of these testimonials below.
Testimonials: Proven Results from Happy Clients
Client testimonials reflect my dedication to teaching and the confidence my learners gain. To see more detailed feedback, let’s schedule a free chat.
Free Brief chat Video Chat Screenshot of Angie R.Testimonial From Coaching Client
Angie came to me for financial coaching*, and this is what she shared about her experience. (Her image is used with her permission. Her answers are paraphrased for conciseness.)
- What did you get out of your session with Coach Donna Marie?
- You showed me that I already have some of this knowledge and understanding inside of me to help me manage my finances better. For the things I need more help with, I realize that I need to tap into my local community for what is already here and that is accessible and affordable for me, instead of assuming that I cannot afford more help. Your suggestions for local and online resources were helpful, and I will look into those now that I am aware of them.
- How would you rate your 90-minute session?
- 10 out of 10
- Any other feedback?
- I felt that 90 minutes was not enough time, but I understand that I need to tap into the resources around me in my community for additional help over time.
*Disclaimer: This was a complimentary financial coaching session for this client to support her after she posted a cry for help on the NextDoor App and many community members, including Coach Donna Marie, came to her aid.
Training Class Testimonials
Students from my training class decided to leave testimonials. Their names are omitted for confidentiality. (They shared these testimonials in the comments area of the attendance sheet.)Learner Feedback: Ensures Steady Progress
I appreciate every learner’s feedback, whether positive or negative. It helps me keep what is working. It also helps me improve what is not working. My style of teaching is collaborative, so every learner is welcomed to interact with me throughout their learning process. I will also ask each learner for anonymous feedback. This is especially important after several sessions together. It helps me understand how I am doing.
How I Can Help You: Customized Tutoring for Your Needs
I want to support my learners with achieving writing excellence by mastering essential writing improvement skills. These skills include learning correct grammar and how to use proofreading and editing tools effectively. Reach out for a free brief chat. We can get to know one another and clarify the learning goals and needs.
If you’re ready to hire me, use my tutor profile link below. It provides details about my rate and schedule. You can also see my verification and background check information there. I look forward to the possibility of helping you or your learner become a competent and confident writer.
Visit tutor profileFrequently Asked Questions About Writing
- What is the best tip for improving writing?
- Read more challenging books or journal articles, and read them often. As you read writings by excellent writers, you will learn how to write better based on their great examples. My favorites are biographies of historical figures and research journal articles. What topics are your favorite to read?
- How can I make sure I am proofreading correctly?
- My favorite tool is the Editor feature in Microsoft Word. If you’re a student (or teacher), you can get this for a free or discounted price.
- Many colleges and universities require students to use Microsoft Word as a standard tool to create higher quality documents. Therefore, many schools provide Microsoft software at no additional charge to enrolled students.
- How much does tutoring cost?
- My rates range from $40 to $70. You can click here to see my profile.
- How do I use who and whom correctly?
- If you think of them according to sentence structure and parts of speech, it can guide you with understanding better. Also, doing daily challenging reading would also help you to see how professional writers have used these words. Challenging reading could be classical literature, a professional research journal article, or even a biography of a historical figure. Less challenging reading would be news articles and online posts found on blog and social media platforms.
- Who
- part of speech = pronoun
- Subject pronoun = acts as the subject of a verb, precedes the action of the verb, the person does the action
- Example = The woman who won the race is from this college.
- Whom
- part of speech = pronoun
- Object pronoun = acts as the object of a verb, receives the action of the verb or preposition, the person is the object of the sentence
- Formal Example = Is this the woman about whom you were talking?
- Informal Example = Is this the woman you were talking about?
#blog #coachDonnaMarie #coaching #collegeApplication #collegeEssay #education #featured #fixYourEssay #highSchool #parentOfHighSchoolStudent #scholarshipApplication #teaching #tutoring #writing
-
Tired of Struggling with Writing (or Speaking)? Unlock Your Potential with Personalized Writing Guidance!
From Coach Donna Marie: Parents and High School Students – Polish your essays for college and scholarship applications. Hire me.
https://www.youtube.com/live/RU4-1Y1LQbM
Are you tired of struggling with writing or speech preparation tasks? Let Coach Donna Marie guide you or your learner to become confident and competent.
Consider hiring Coach Donna Marie as a writing (or speaking) tutor. To ensure you get the right help, I first assess the learner’s needs and clarify their goals. I guide them through a systematic process, transforming their struggles into confidence and competence. Witnessing their progress is incredibly rewarding, and I hope to do the same for you and yours.
Invest In Transformation: Experience the Benefits of Personalized Tutoring
Ready to Transform Your Writing or Speaking Skills? With personalized guidance from Coach Donna Marie, you will:
- Build Confidence: Overcome challenges and gain self-assurance.
- Achieve Competence: Master essential skills and techniques.
- See Results: Enjoy tangible improvements in your projects or assignments.
Take the First Step Today!
If this is what you want, hire me now at this link to my tutor profile.
Still Unsure? Let’s Talk! Schedule a free brief video chat to discuss your needs and goals. Link: Calendar
Have Questions? Scroll down to see the FAQs or send me an email. Email: Click Here
Read on for more information about my education, experience, and testimonials from past learners.
Certified & Verified Tutor: Your Trusted Writing Guide
View my verified tutor profile to see my subject matter certifications.
https://www.wyzant.com/Tutors/coachdonnamariePassionate About Writing Excellence: Transforming Writers
I have been tutoring emerging writers and speakers for over a decade. I have seen them transform into more confident, accomplished leaders. I have become even more passionate to see more learners experience this type of transformation. I would be honored to help you, also. I use a personalized, step-by-step approach tailored to each learner’s needs. My method includes detailed assessments, goal setting, and consistent feedback to ensure steady progress.
Even though I was always a very good student, I still had extra support from tutors, coaches, and mentors. They helped me emerge as a more excellent and confident leader. I understand there is always room for improvement for anyone. Because of this, I can empathize with and better support other emerging leaders.
Education and Experience: Building Strong Foundations
Despite my degrees and awards, I always have more room to keep growing and improving. Teaching others helps me keep learning, too, especially because the writing standards change over time. So, I provide the most up-to-date information to my learners, based on current standards.
In high school, I was a National Honor Society inductee and earned four-year college scholarships. I received my B.S. degree and then became employed in a teaching role as a certified therapist. All my academic and professional experience has included training, tutoring, and mentoring others, as well as writing, editing, speaking, and presenting.
Successes with Child Learners: Creating Academic Achievers
I tutored and taught children for ten years, because I home-schooled my children. I covered elementary school subjects including reading, writing, math, science, history, and some special interest topics. All of my children were very successful. They remained honor roll students for their entire academic careers after they transitioned from homeschool to public school.
College and Scholarship Essays: Securing Future Success
I also specialized in tutoring them for their college and scholarship application essay writings. My guidance helped all my children to earn full four-year college scholarships. I wrote about them on our Butterfly Homeschool blog, if you would like to learn more about them.
Graduate Level Education: Advanced Skills for Leadership
After my children entered public schools, I earned my M.A. degree and certification in leadership development and coaching. My GPA in business school was 3.8 on a 4.0 scale. I was inducted into Omega Nu Lambda and Delta Mu Delta.
See More on My Linkedin Profile
Use my LinkedIn Profile to see more about my verified skills, education, experience, and recommendations from my colleagues.
Successes with Adult Learners: Empowering Professional Growth
After homeschooling for a decade and completing graduate school with honors, I have become a more competent and confident teacher. I have seen great results with my learners, both children and adults. Recently, I was one of six trainers in a work-based learning program for six months. I was assigned thirty of our new team members and provided them with:
- an online discussion board via Slack
- answered daily questions and answers
- posted weekly learning objectives based on the client’s curricula
- spoke and taught during weekly video chat presentations via MS Teams
- provided downloadable learning resources
- posted urgent and important updates
- gave one-on-one coaching as needed via MS Teams
Many of my learners won performance awards and bonuses. They shared testimonials stating that I taught them well and helped them build confidence. I have shared some of these testimonials below.
Testimonials: Proven Results from Happy Clients
Client testimonials reflect my dedication to teaching and the confidence my learners gain. To see more detailed feedback, let’s schedule a free chat.
Free Brief chat Video Chat Screenshot of Angie R.Testimonial From Coaching Client
Angie came to me for financial coaching*, and this is what she shared about her experience. (Her image is used with her permission. Her answers are paraphrased for conciseness.)
- What did you get out of your session with Coach Donna Marie?
- You showed me that I already have some of this knowledge and understanding inside of me to help me manage my finances better. For the things I need more help with, I realize that I need to tap into my local community for what is already here and that is accessible and affordable for me, instead of assuming that I cannot afford more help. Your suggestions for local and online resources were helpful, and I will look into those now that I am aware of them.
- How would you rate your 90-minute session?
- 10 out of 10
- Any other feedback?
- I felt that 90 minutes was not enough time, but I understand that I need to tap into the resources around me in my community for additional help over time.
*Disclaimer: This was a complimentary financial coaching session for this client to support her after she posted a cry for help on the NextDoor App and many community members, including Coach Donna Marie, came to her aid.
Training Class Testimonials
Students from my training class decided to leave testimonials. Their names are omitted for confidentiality. (They shared these testimonials in the comments area of the attendance sheet.)Learner Feedback: Ensures Steady Progress
I appreciate every learner’s feedback, whether positive or negative. It helps me keep what is working. It also helps me improve what is not working. My style of teaching is collaborative, so every learner is welcomed to interact with me throughout their learning process. I will also ask each learner for anonymous feedback. This is especially important after several sessions together. It helps me understand how I am doing.
How I Can Help You: Customized Tutoring for Your Needs
I want to support my learners with achieving writing excellence by mastering essential writing improvement skills. These skills include learning correct grammar and how to use proofreading and editing tools effectively. Reach out for a free brief chat. We can get to know one another and clarify the learning goals and needs.
If you’re ready to hire me, use my tutor profile link below. It provides details about my rate and schedule. You can also see my verification and background check information there. I look forward to the possibility of helping you or your learner become a competent and confident writer.
Visit tutor profileFrequently Asked Questions About Writing
- What is the best tip for improving writing?
- Read more challenging books or journal articles, and read them often. As you read writings by excellent writers, you will learn how to write better based on their great examples. My favorites are biographies of historical figures and research journal articles. What topics are your favorite to read?
- How can I make sure I am proofreading correctly?
- My favorite tool is the Editor feature in Microsoft Word. If you’re a student (or teacher), you can get this for a free or discounted price.
- Many colleges and universities require students to use Microsoft Word as a standard tool to create higher quality documents. Therefore, many schools provide Microsoft software at no additional charge to enrolled students.
- How much does tutoring cost?
- My rates range from $40 to $70. You can click here to see my profile.
- How do I use who and whom correctly?
- If you think of them according to sentence structure and parts of speech, it can guide you with understanding better. Also, doing daily challenging reading would also help you to see how professional writers have used these words. Challenging reading could be classical literature, a professional research journal article, or even a biography of a historical figure. Less challenging reading would be news articles and online posts found on blog and social media platforms.
- Who
- part of speech = pronoun
- Subject pronoun = acts as the subject of a verb, precedes the action of the verb, the person does the action
- Example = The woman who won the race is from this college.
- Whom
- part of speech = pronoun
- Object pronoun = acts as the object of a verb, receives the action of the verb or preposition, the person is the object of the sentence
- Formal Example = Is this the woman about whom you were talking?
- Informal Example = Is this the woman you were talking about?
#blog #coachDonnaMarie #coaching #collegeApplication #collegeEssay #education #featured #fixYourEssay #highSchool #parentOfHighSchoolStudent #scholarshipApplication #teaching #tutoring #writing
-
Tired of Struggling with Writing (or Speaking)? Unlock Your Potential with Personalized Writing Guidance!
From Coach Donna Marie: Parents and High School Students – Polish your essays for college and scholarship applications. Hire me.
https://www.youtube.com/live/RU4-1Y1LQbM
Are you tired of struggling with writing or speech preparation tasks? Let Coach Donna Marie guide you or your learner to become confident and competent.
Consider hiring Coach Donna Marie as a writing (or speaking) tutor. To ensure you get the right help, I first assess the learner’s needs and clarify their goals. I guide them through a systematic process, transforming their struggles into confidence and competence. Witnessing their progress is incredibly rewarding, and I hope to do the same for you and yours.
Invest In Transformation: Experience the Benefits of Personalized Tutoring
Ready to Transform Your Writing or Speaking Skills? With personalized guidance from Coach Donna Marie, you will:
- Build Confidence: Overcome challenges and gain self-assurance.
- Achieve Competence: Master essential skills and techniques.
- See Results: Enjoy tangible improvements in your projects or assignments.
Take the First Step Today!
If this is what you want, hire me now at this link to my tutor profile.
Still Unsure? Let’s Talk! Schedule a free brief video chat to discuss your needs and goals. Link: Calendar
Have Questions? Scroll down to see the FAQs or send me an email. Email: Click Here
Read on for more information about my education, experience, and testimonials from past learners.
Certified & Verified Tutor: Your Trusted Writing Guide
View my verified tutor profile to see my subject matter certifications.
https://www.wyzant.com/Tutors/coachdonnamariePassionate About Writing Excellence: Transforming Writers
I have been tutoring emerging writers and speakers for over a decade. I have seen them transform into more confident, accomplished leaders. I have become even more passionate to see more learners experience this type of transformation. I would be honored to help you, also. I use a personalized, step-by-step approach tailored to each learner’s needs. My method includes detailed assessments, goal setting, and consistent feedback to ensure steady progress.
Even though I was always a very good student, I still had extra support from tutors, coaches, and mentors. They helped me emerge as a more excellent and confident leader. I understand there is always room for improvement for anyone. Because of this, I can empathize with and better support other emerging leaders.
Education and Experience: Building Strong Foundations
Despite my degrees and awards, I always have more room to keep growing and improving. Teaching others helps me keep learning, too, especially because the writing standards change over time. So, I provide the most up-to-date information to my learners, based on current standards.
In high school, I was a National Honor Society inductee and earned four-year college scholarships. I received my B.S. degree and then became employed in a teaching role as a certified therapist. All my academic and professional experience has included training, tutoring, and mentoring others, as well as writing, editing, speaking, and presenting.
Successes with Child Learners: Creating Academic Achievers
I tutored and taught children for ten years, because I home-schooled my children. I covered elementary school subjects including reading, writing, math, science, history, and some special interest topics. All of my children were very successful. They remained honor roll students for their entire academic careers after they transitioned from homeschool to public school.
College and Scholarship Essays: Securing Future Success
I also specialized in tutoring them for their college and scholarship application essay writings. My guidance helped all my children to earn full four-year college scholarships. I wrote about them on our Butterfly Homeschool blog, if you would like to learn more about them.
Graduate Level Education: Advanced Skills for Leadership
After my children entered public schools, I earned my M.A. degree and certification in leadership development and coaching. My GPA in business school was 3.8 on a 4.0 scale. I was inducted into Omega Nu Lambda and Delta Mu Delta.
See More on My Linkedin Profile
Use my LinkedIn Profile to see more about my verified skills, education, experience, and recommendations from my colleagues.
Successes with Adult Learners: Empowering Professional Growth
After homeschooling for a decade and completing graduate school with honors, I have become a more competent and confident teacher. I have seen great results with my learners, both children and adults. Recently, I was one of six trainers in a work-based learning program for six months. I was assigned thirty of our new team members and provided them with:
- an online discussion board via Slack
- answered daily questions and answers
- posted weekly learning objectives based on the client’s curricula
- spoke and taught during weekly video chat presentations via MS Teams
- provided downloadable learning resources
- posted urgent and important updates
- gave one-on-one coaching as needed via MS Teams
Many of my learners won performance awards and bonuses. They shared testimonials stating that I taught them well and helped them build confidence. I have shared some of these testimonials below.
Testimonials: Proven Results from Happy Clients
Client testimonials reflect my dedication to teaching and the confidence my learners gain. To see more detailed feedback, let’s schedule a free chat.
Free Brief chat Video Chat Screenshot of Angie R.Testimonial From Coaching Client
Angie came to me for financial coaching*, and this is what she shared about her experience. (Her image is used with her permission. Her answers are paraphrased for conciseness.)
- What did you get out of your session with Coach Donna Marie?
- You showed me that I already have some of this knowledge and understanding inside of me to help me manage my finances better. For the things I need more help with, I realize that I need to tap into my local community for what is already here and that is accessible and affordable for me, instead of assuming that I cannot afford more help. Your suggestions for local and online resources were helpful, and I will look into those now that I am aware of them.
- How would you rate your 90-minute session?
- 10 out of 10
- Any other feedback?
- I felt that 90 minutes was not enough time, but I understand that I need to tap into the resources around me in my community for additional help over time.
*Disclaimer: This was a complimentary financial coaching session for this client to support her after she posted a cry for help on the NextDoor App and many community members, including Coach Donna Marie, came to her aid.
Training Class Testimonials
Students from my training class decided to leave testimonials. Their names are omitted for confidentiality. (They shared these testimonials in the comments area of the attendance sheet.)Learner Feedback: Ensures Steady Progress
I appreciate every learner’s feedback, whether positive or negative. It helps me keep what is working. It also helps me improve what is not working. My style of teaching is collaborative, so every learner is welcomed to interact with me throughout their learning process. I will also ask each learner for anonymous feedback. This is especially important after several sessions together. It helps me understand how I am doing.
How I Can Help You: Customized Tutoring for Your Needs
I want to support my learners with achieving writing excellence by mastering essential writing improvement skills. These skills include learning correct grammar and how to use proofreading and editing tools effectively. Reach out for a free brief chat. We can get to know one another and clarify the learning goals and needs.
If you’re ready to hire me, use my tutor profile link below. It provides details about my rate and schedule. You can also see my verification and background check information there. I look forward to the possibility of helping you or your learner become a competent and confident writer.
Visit tutor profileFrequently Asked Questions About Writing
- What is the best tip for improving writing?
- Read more challenging books or journal articles, and read them often. As you read writings by excellent writers, you will learn how to write better based on their great examples. My favorites are biographies of historical figures and research journal articles. What topics are your favorite to read?
- How can I make sure I am proofreading correctly?
- My favorite tool is the Editor feature in Microsoft Word. If you’re a student (or teacher), you can get this for a free or discounted price.
- Many colleges and universities require students to use Microsoft Word as a standard tool to create higher quality documents. Therefore, many schools provide Microsoft software at no additional charge to enrolled students.
- How much does tutoring cost?
- My rates range from $40 to $70. You can click here to see my profile.
- How do I use who and whom correctly?
- If you think of them according to sentence structure and parts of speech, it can guide you with understanding better. Also, doing daily challenging reading would also help you to see how professional writers have used these words. Challenging reading could be classical literature, a professional research journal article, or even a biography of a historical figure. Less challenging reading would be news articles and online posts found on blog and social media platforms.
- Who
- part of speech = pronoun
- Subject pronoun = acts as the subject of a verb, precedes the action of the verb, the person does the action
- Example = The woman who won the race is from this college.
- Whom
- part of speech = pronoun
- Object pronoun = acts as the object of a verb, receives the action of the verb or preposition, the person is the object of the sentence
- Formal Example = Is this the woman about whom you were talking?
- Informal Example = Is this the woman you were talking about?
#blog #coachDonnaMarie #coaching #collegeApplication #collegeEssay #education #featured #fixYourEssay #highSchool #parentOfHighSchoolStudent #scholarshipApplication #teaching #tutoring #writing
-
Tired of Struggling with Writing (or Speaking)? Unlock Your Potential with Personalized Writing Guidance!
From Coach Donna Marie: Parents and High School Students – Polish your essays for college and scholarship applications. Hire me.
https://www.youtube.com/live/RU4-1Y1LQbM
Are you tired of struggling with writing or speech preparation tasks? Let Coach Donna Marie guide you or your learner to become confident and competent.
Consider hiring Coach Donna Marie as a writing (or speaking) tutor. To ensure you get the right help, I first assess the learner’s needs and clarify their goals. I guide them through a systematic process, transforming their struggles into confidence and competence. Witnessing their progress is incredibly rewarding, and I hope to do the same for you and yours.
Invest In Transformation: Experience the Benefits of Personalized Tutoring
Ready to Transform Your Writing or Speaking Skills? With personalized guidance from Coach Donna Marie, you will:
- Build Confidence: Overcome challenges and gain self-assurance.
- Achieve Competence: Master essential skills and techniques.
- See Results: Enjoy tangible improvements in your projects or assignments.
Take the First Step Today!
If this is what you want, hire me now at this link to my tutor profile.
Still Unsure? Let’s Talk! Schedule a free brief video chat to discuss your needs and goals. Link: Calendar
Have Questions? Scroll down to see the FAQs or send me an email. Email: Click Here
Read on for more information about my education, experience, and testimonials from past learners.
Certified & Verified Tutor: Your Trusted Writing Guide
View my verified tutor profile to see my subject matter certifications.
https://www.wyzant.com/Tutors/coachdonnamariePassionate About Writing Excellence: Transforming Writers
I have been tutoring emerging writers and speakers for over a decade. I have seen them transform into more confident, accomplished leaders. I have become even more passionate to see more learners experience this type of transformation. I would be honored to help you, also. I use a personalized, step-by-step approach tailored to each learner’s needs. My method includes detailed assessments, goal setting, and consistent feedback to ensure steady progress.
Even though I was always a very good student, I still had extra support from tutors, coaches, and mentors. They helped me emerge as a more excellent and confident leader. I understand there is always room for improvement for anyone. Because of this, I can empathize with and better support other emerging leaders.
Education and Experience: Building Strong Foundations
Despite my degrees and awards, I always have more room to keep growing and improving. Teaching others helps me keep learning, too, especially because the writing standards change over time. So, I provide the most up-to-date information to my learners, based on current standards.
In high school, I was a National Honor Society inductee and earned four-year college scholarships. I received my B.S. degree and then became employed in a teaching role as a certified therapist. All my academic and professional experience has included training, tutoring, and mentoring others, as well as writing, editing, speaking, and presenting.
Successes with Child Learners: Creating Academic Achievers
I tutored and taught children for ten years, because I home-schooled my children. I covered elementary school subjects including reading, writing, math, science, history, and some special interest topics. All of my children were very successful. They remained honor roll students for their entire academic careers after they transitioned from homeschool to public school.
College and Scholarship Essays: Securing Future Success
I also specialized in tutoring them for their college and scholarship application essay writings. My guidance helped all my children to earn full four-year college scholarships. I wrote about them on our Butterfly Homeschool blog, if you would like to learn more about them.
Graduate Level Education: Advanced Skills for Leadership
After my children entered public schools, I earned my M.A. degree and certification in leadership development and coaching. My GPA in business school was 3.8 on a 4.0 scale. I was inducted into Omega Nu Lambda and Delta Mu Delta.
See More on My Linkedin Profile
Use my LinkedIn Profile to see more about my verified skills, education, experience, and recommendations from my colleagues.
Successes with Adult Learners: Empowering Professional Growth
After homeschooling for a decade and completing graduate school with honors, I have become a more competent and confident teacher. I have seen great results with my learners, both children and adults. Recently, I was one of six trainers in a work-based learning program for six months. I was assigned thirty of our new team members and provided them with:
- an online discussion board via Slack
- answered daily questions and answers
- posted weekly learning objectives based on the client’s curricula
- spoke and taught during weekly video chat presentations via MS Teams
- provided downloadable learning resources
- posted urgent and important updates
- gave one-on-one coaching as needed via MS Teams
Many of my learners won performance awards and bonuses. They shared testimonials stating that I taught them well and helped them build confidence. I have shared some of these testimonials below.
Testimonials: Proven Results from Happy Clients
Client testimonials reflect my dedication to teaching and the confidence my learners gain. To see more detailed feedback, let’s schedule a free chat.
Free Brief chat Video Chat Screenshot of Angie R.Testimonial From Coaching Client
Angie came to me for financial coaching*, and this is what she shared about her experience. (Her image is used with her permission. Her answers are paraphrased for conciseness.)
- What did you get out of your session with Coach Donna Marie?
- You showed me that I already have some of this knowledge and understanding inside of me to help me manage my finances better. For the things I need more help with, I realize that I need to tap into my local community for what is already here and that is accessible and affordable for me, instead of assuming that I cannot afford more help. Your suggestions for local and online resources were helpful, and I will look into those now that I am aware of them.
- How would you rate your 90-minute session?
- 10 out of 10
- Any other feedback?
- I felt that 90 minutes was not enough time, but I understand that I need to tap into the resources around me in my community for additional help over time.
*Disclaimer: This was a complimentary financial coaching session for this client to support her after she posted a cry for help on the NextDoor App and many community members, including Coach Donna Marie, came to her aid.
Training Class Testimonials
Students from my training class decided to leave testimonials. Their names are omitted for confidentiality. (They shared these testimonials in the comments area of the attendance sheet.)Learner Feedback: Ensures Steady Progress
I appreciate every learner’s feedback, whether positive or negative. It helps me keep what is working. It also helps me improve what is not working. My style of teaching is collaborative, so every learner is welcomed to interact with me throughout their learning process. I will also ask each learner for anonymous feedback. This is especially important after several sessions together. It helps me understand how I am doing.
How I Can Help You: Customized Tutoring for Your Needs
I want to support my learners with achieving writing excellence by mastering essential writing improvement skills. These skills include learning correct grammar and how to use proofreading and editing tools effectively. Reach out for a free brief chat. We can get to know one another and clarify the learning goals and needs.
If you’re ready to hire me, use my tutor profile link below. It provides details about my rate and schedule. You can also see my verification and background check information there. I look forward to the possibility of helping you or your learner become a competent and confident writer.
Visit tutor profileFrequently Asked Questions About Writing
- What is the best tip for improving writing?
- Read more challenging books or journal articles, and read them often. As you read writings by excellent writers, you will learn how to write better based on their great examples. My favorites are biographies of historical figures and research journal articles. What topics are your favorite to read?
- How can I make sure I am proofreading correctly?
- My favorite tool is the Editor feature in Microsoft Word. If you’re a student (or teacher), you can get this for a free or discounted price.
- Many colleges and universities require students to use Microsoft Word as a standard tool to create higher quality documents. Therefore, many schools provide Microsoft software at no additional charge to enrolled students.
- How much does tutoring cost?
- My rates range from $40 to $70. You can click here to see my profile.
- How do I use who and whom correctly?
- If you think of them according to sentence structure and parts of speech, it can guide you with understanding better. Also, doing daily challenging reading would also help you to see how professional writers have used these words. Challenging reading could be classical literature, a professional research journal article, or even a biography of a historical figure. Less challenging reading would be news articles and online posts found on blog and social media platforms.
- Who
- part of speech = pronoun
- Subject pronoun = acts as the subject of a verb, precedes the action of the verb, the person does the action
- Example = The woman who won the race is from this college.
- Whom
- part of speech = pronoun
- Object pronoun = acts as the object of a verb, receives the action of the verb or preposition, the person is the object of the sentence
- Formal Example = Is this the woman about whom you were talking?
- Informal Example = Is this the woman you were talking about?
#blog #coachDonnaMarie #coaching #collegeApplication #collegeEssay #education #featured #fixYourEssay #highSchool #parentOfHighSchoolStudent #scholarshipApplication #teaching #tutoring #writing
-
Tired of Struggling with Writing (or Speaking)? Unlock Your Potential with Personalized Writing Guidance!
From Coach Donna Marie: Parents and High School Students – Polish your essays for college and scholarship applications. Hire me.
https://www.youtube.com/live/RU4-1Y1LQbM
Are you tired of struggling with writing or speech preparation tasks? Let Coach Donna Marie guide you or your learner to become confident and competent.
Consider hiring Coach Donna Marie as a writing (or speaking) tutor. To ensure you get the right help, I first assess the learner’s needs and clarify their goals. I guide them through a systematic process, transforming their struggles into confidence and competence. Witnessing their progress is incredibly rewarding, and I hope to do the same for you and yours.
Invest In Transformation: Experience the Benefits of Personalized Tutoring
Ready to Transform Your Writing or Speaking Skills? With personalized guidance from Coach Donna Marie, you will:
- Build Confidence: Overcome challenges and gain self-assurance.
- Achieve Competence: Master essential skills and techniques.
- See Results: Enjoy tangible improvements in your projects or assignments.
Take the First Step Today!
If this is what you want, hire me now at this link to my tutor profile.
Still Unsure? Let’s Talk! Schedule a free brief video chat to discuss your needs and goals. Link: Calendar
Have Questions? Scroll down to see the FAQs or send me an email. Email: Click Here
Read on for more information about my education, experience, and testimonials from past learners.
Certified & Verified Tutor: Your Trusted Writing Guide
View my verified tutor profile to see my subject matter certifications.
https://www.wyzant.com/Tutors/coachdonnamariePassionate About Writing Excellence: Transforming Writers
I have been tutoring emerging writers and speakers for over a decade. I have seen them transform into more confident, accomplished leaders. I have become even more passionate to see more learners experience this type of transformation. I would be honored to help you, also. I use a personalized, step-by-step approach tailored to each learner’s needs. My method includes detailed assessments, goal setting, and consistent feedback to ensure steady progress.
Even though I was always a very good student, I still had extra support from tutors, coaches, and mentors. They helped me emerge as a more excellent and confident leader. I understand there is always room for improvement for anyone. Because of this, I can empathize with and better support other emerging leaders.
Education and Experience: Building Strong Foundations
Despite my degrees and awards, I always have more room to keep growing and improving. Teaching others helps me keep learning, too, especially because the writing standards change over time. So, I provide the most up-to-date information to my learners, based on current standards.
In high school, I was a National Honor Society inductee and earned four-year college scholarships. I received my B.S. degree and then became employed in a teaching role as a certified therapist. All my academic and professional experience has included training, tutoring, and mentoring others, as well as writing, editing, speaking, and presenting.
Successes with Child Learners: Creating Academic Achievers
I tutored and taught children for ten years, because I home-schooled my children. I covered elementary school subjects including reading, writing, math, science, history, and some special interest topics. All of my children were very successful. They remained honor roll students for their entire academic careers after they transitioned from homeschool to public school.
College and Scholarship Essays: Securing Future Success
I also specialized in tutoring them for their college and scholarship application essay writings. My guidance helped all my children to earn full four-year college scholarships. I wrote about them on our Butterfly Homeschool blog, if you would like to learn more about them.
Graduate Level Education: Advanced Skills for Leadership
After my children entered public schools, I earned my M.A. degree and certification in leadership development and coaching. My GPA in business school was 3.8 on a 4.0 scale. I was inducted into Omega Nu Lambda and Delta Mu Delta.
See More on My Linkedin Profile
Use my LinkedIn Profile to see more about my verified skills, education, experience, and recommendations from my colleagues.
Successes with Adult Learners: Empowering Professional Growth
After homeschooling for a decade and completing graduate school with honors, I have become a more competent and confident teacher. I have seen great results with my learners, both children and adults. Recently, I was one of six trainers in a work-based learning program for six months. I was assigned thirty of our new team members and provided them with:
- an online discussion board via Slack
- answered daily questions and answers
- posted weekly learning objectives based on the client’s curricula
- spoke and taught during weekly video chat presentations via MS Teams
- provided downloadable learning resources
- posted urgent and important updates
- gave one-on-one coaching as needed via MS Teams
Many of my learners won performance awards and bonuses. They shared testimonials stating that I taught them well and helped them build confidence. I have shared some of these testimonials below.
Testimonials: Proven Results from Happy Clients
Client testimonials reflect my dedication to teaching and the confidence my learners gain. To see more detailed feedback, let’s schedule a free chat.
Free Brief chat Video Chat Screenshot of Angie R.Testimonial From Coaching Client
Angie came to me for financial coaching*, and this is what she shared about her experience. (Her image is used with her permission. Her answers are paraphrased for conciseness.)
- What did you get out of your session with Coach Donna Marie?
- You showed me that I already have some of this knowledge and understanding inside of me to help me manage my finances better. For the things I need more help with, I realize that I need to tap into my local community for what is already here and that is accessible and affordable for me, instead of assuming that I cannot afford more help. Your suggestions for local and online resources were helpful, and I will look into those now that I am aware of them.
- How would you rate your 90-minute session?
- 10 out of 10
- Any other feedback?
- I felt that 90 minutes was not enough time, but I understand that I need to tap into the resources around me in my community for additional help over time.
*Disclaimer: This was a complimentary financial coaching session for this client to support her after she posted a cry for help on the NextDoor App and many community members, including Coach Donna Marie, came to her aid.
Training Class Testimonials
Students from my training class decided to leave testimonials. Their names are omitted for confidentiality. (They shared these testimonials in the comments area of the attendance sheet.)Learner Feedback: Ensures Steady Progress
I appreciate every learner’s feedback, whether positive or negative. It helps me keep what is working. It also helps me improve what is not working. My style of teaching is collaborative, so every learner is welcomed to interact with me throughout their learning process. I will also ask each learner for anonymous feedback. This is especially important after several sessions together. It helps me understand how I am doing.
How I Can Help You: Customized Tutoring for Your Needs
I want to support my learners with achieving writing excellence by mastering essential writing improvement skills. These skills include learning correct grammar and how to use proofreading and editing tools effectively. Reach out for a free brief chat. We can get to know one another and clarify the learning goals and needs.
If you’re ready to hire me, use my tutor profile link below. It provides details about my rate and schedule. You can also see my verification and background check information there. I look forward to the possibility of helping you or your learner become a competent and confident writer.
Visit tutor profileFrequently Asked Questions About Writing
- What is the best tip for improving writing?
- Read more challenging books or journal articles, and read them often. As you read writings by excellent writers, you will learn how to write better based on their great examples. My favorites are biographies of historical figures and research journal articles. What topics are your favorite to read?
- How can I make sure I am proofreading correctly?
- My favorite tool is the Editor feature in Microsoft Word. If you’re a student (or teacher), you can get this for a free or discounted price.
- Many colleges and universities require students to use Microsoft Word as a standard tool to create higher quality documents. Therefore, many schools provide Microsoft software at no additional charge to enrolled students.
- How much does tutoring cost?
- My rates range from $40 to $70. You can click here to see my profile.
- How do I use who and whom correctly?
- If you think of them according to sentence structure and parts of speech, it can guide you with understanding better. Also, doing daily challenging reading would also help you to see how professional writers have used these words. Challenging reading could be classical literature, a professional research journal article, or even a biography of a historical figure. Less challenging reading would be news articles and online posts found on blog and social media platforms.
- Who
- part of speech = pronoun
- Subject pronoun = acts as the subject of a verb, precedes the action of the verb, the person does the action
- Example = The woman who won the race is from this college.
- Whom
- part of speech = pronoun
- Object pronoun = acts as the object of a verb, receives the action of the verb or preposition, the person is the object of the sentence
- Formal Example = Is this the woman about whom you were talking?
- Informal Example = Is this the woman you were talking about?
#blog #coachDonnaMarie #coaching #collegeApplication #collegeEssay #education #featured #fixYourEssay #highSchool #parentOfHighSchoolStudent #scholarshipApplication #teaching #tutoring #writing
-
Geneva, Switzerland (1 December 2023) – The Geneva Learning Foundation has published a new report titled “On the frontline of climate change and health: A health worker eyewitness report.” The report shares first-hand experiences from over 1,200 health workers in 68 countries who are first responders already battling climate consequences on health.
As climate change intensifies health threats, local health professionals may offer one of the most high-impact solutions.
Charlotte Mbuh of The Geneva Learning Foundation, said: “Local health workers are trusted advisers to communities. They are first to observe health consequences of climate change, before the global community is able to respond. They can also be first to respond to limit damage to health.”
“Health workers are already taking action with communities to mitigate and respond to the health effects of climate change, often with little or no recognition,” said Reda Sadki, President of The Geneva Learning Foundation (TGLF). “If we want to build and maintain trust in climate science, policy, and action, we need to invest in the workforce, as they are the ones that communities rely on to make sense of what is changing.”
The report vividly illustrates the profound impacts climate change is already having on health, as shared by health workers themselves.
The wide-ranging health consequences directly observed by health workers include malnutrition due to crop failures, increasing incidence of infectious diseases, widespread mental health impacts, and reduced access to health services. Here are three examples.
- Bie Lilian Mbando, a health worker in Cameroon: “Where I live in Buea, the flood from Mount Cameroon took away all belongings of people in my neighbourhood and killed a secondary school student who was playing football with his friends.”
- Cecilia Nabwirwa, a nurse in Nairobi, Kenya: “I remember my grand-child getting sick after eating vegetables grown along sewage areas. Since then I resolved to growing my own vegetables to ensure healthy eating.”
- Alhassan Kenneth Mohammed, health facility worker in Ghana: “During the rainy season, it is very difficult for people to seek care for their health needs. They wait for the condition to get worse before coming to the facility.”
Surprising insights from these experiences include:
- Climate change worsens menstrual hygiene: Scarce water access brought by droughts can severely affect women’s ability to maintain proper menstrual hygiene. “Women and girls have challenges during menstruation as there is limited water,” noted one community health worker.
- Respiratory disease spikes with prolonged dust storms: Multiple health workers traced a rise in chronic coughs and other respiratory illness directly back to longer dry seasons and dust storms in areas turned to desert by climate shifts.
- Crop failure drives up alcohol abuse among men: In farming regions struggling with drought, women health practitioners connected livelihood loss to a stark rise in substance abuse, specifically alcoholism among men. “There has been job loss, low income, and depression. Also, men became alcoholics, which is now a national menace,” described one district-level worker.
Reda Sadki explains: “The experiences shared provide vivid illustrations of the human impacts of climate change. By giving a voice to health workers on the front lines, the report highlights the urgent need to support local action with communities to build resilience. This report is only a first step that needs to lead to action.”
Beyond the report, an opportunity to scale locally-led action using innovative approaches
As John Wabwire Shikuku, a community health worker from Port Victoria Sun County Hospital in Kenya, explains: “What gives me hope and keeps me going in my work is witnessing the growing awareness and mobilization of young people to address climate change, the development of sustainable solutions, and the potential for global collaboration to safeguard their future.”
We need new approaches to supporting climate and health action. We need to go directly to those on climate change’s frontlines – connecting local health workers globally not just to share struggles but lead action.
- Rather than siloed programs, we need radically participatory solutions that distill and share hyperlocal innovations across massive peer groups in real-time.
- Through new approaches, we can rapidly distill hyperlocal insights and multiplier solutions no top-down program matches.
The Geneva Learning Foundation’s proven peer learning model provides one such solution to connect and amplify local action across boundaries, offering those on the frontline tailored support and capabilities to lead context-specific solutions.
How to access the report
The report “On the frontline of climate change and health: A health worker eyewitness report” is available here: https://www.learning.foundation/cop28. An abridged Summary report and an At a glance executive summary are also available, together with a compendium of 50 health worker experiences.
What happens next?
- Register here to receive email updates from The Geneva Learning Foundation about climate and health.
- During COP28, health workers are answering this question: “If you could ask the leaders at COP28 to do one thing right now to keep your community healthy, what would it be?”. You can find their responses on LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Facebook, and Instagram.
Media contacts
Reda Sadki (Switzerland)
[email protected]: +41 22 575 4110Charlotte Mbuh (Cameroon)
[email protected]
Phone: +237 97355945About The Geneva Learning Foundation
Learn more about The Geneva Learning Foundation: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7316466
Created by a group of learning innovators and scientists with the mission to discover new ways to lead change, TGLF’s team combines over 70 years of experience with both country-based (field) work and country, region, and global partners.
- Our small, fully remote agile team already supports over 60,000 health practitioners leading change in 137 countries.
- We reach the front lines: 21% face armed conflict; 25% work with refugees or internally-displaced populations; 62% work in remote rural areas; 47% with the urban poor; 36% support the needs of nomadic/migrant populations.
TGLF’s unique package:
- Helps local actors take action with communities to tackle local challenges, and
- provides the tools to build a global network, platform, and community of health workers that can scale up local impact for global health.
In 2019, research showed that TGLF’s approach can accelerate locally-led implementation of innovative strategies by 7X, and works especially well in fragile contexts.
-
Baume Before Mercier
The recently-announced sale of Baume & Mercier by Richemont to Italian distributor Damiani Group spurred me to research the history of that famous brand. Just as there was a LeCoultre before Jaeger, an Audemars before Piguet, and a Vacheron before Constantin, there was a Baume before Mercier. These unions often tell a story of greater transitions in the industry rather than simply consolidation of corporate control. And the story of the Baume family of Les Bois and London is particularly illuminating.
Long before Baume & Mercier was founded the Baume brothers of Les Bois built a watchmaking enterprise reaching London and beyond!Note: Baume & Mercier is an independent company founded in 1918 by William Baume. This Geneva-based retail and manufacturing company has no real connection to the historic company founded by his great grandfather, Louis-Joseph Baume, with whom we shall begin. His company, known as Frères Baume, was primarily focused on British market through a related company, Baume & Co of London. Even though William Baume worked for these family firms, Baume & Mercier was entirely independent and was locked out of the British market by Baume & Co for most of the 20th century.
The Baume Family of Les Bois
Louis-Joseph Baume (1783-1867) and his wife Agnès née Froidevaux (1786-1850) lived in the remote village of Les Bois, a French-speaking area along the current national border which was annexed into the German-dominated Canton of Berne in 1815. Baume was a farmer like most of his neighbors, but starting in 1834 he also produced watches at a home-based workshop. He would deliver these to La Chaux-de-Fonds, a rising center of watchmaking located an easy 2-hour walk southeast on the Jura plateau. He appears to have been found bankrupt in 1835. The Baume family lost their first five children, four of whom died as young children in 1816. But three daughters and four sons born later survived.
Victor Baume (1817-1887) and his brother Célestin Baume (1819-1880) organized a watchmaking company as “Baume frères” as soon as they reached the age of maturity in 18401. In 1848, when the Indicateur Davoine directory first includes Les Bois, it shows “Baume frères, fabricans d’horlogerie.” This listing also includes their brother, watchmaker Auguste Baume (1820-1859), and a gilding operation also called Baume frères perhaps run with their youngest brother, Eugène Baume (1822-1875).
Their father’s bankruptcy likely kept him from being officially involved, but he certainly continued to contribute to the efforts of his young sons. He died in 1867, having seen his sons build a flourishing watchmaking business, marry, and have children of their own.
Although the original establishment of the company is murky2, it is clear that the Baume family was at the center of watchmaking in Les Bois by the 1840s. Production of components was distributed across the region, with small workshops contributing individual components that were brought together as semi-finished watches to be disassembled, finished, adjusted, and reassembled for sale. The Baume brothers acted as wholesalers, gathering these watches for sale in La Chaux-de-Fonds and Neuchâtel. But the ambitious young men saw greater opportunity in the trade, leaving the village and even the country to make that happen.
An Early and Unusual Vertical Strategy
The hallmark of industrialized watchmaking is vertical integration: Starting in the late 19th century, manufactures like Longines, Omega, and Zénith attempted to consolidate production of as many components as possible under their control, either under the same roof or by purchasing supplier factories. This was a repudiation of the etablisseur tradition, which collected components produced by thousands of tiny workshops to produce a finished watch. Vertical integration was incredibly controversial, pitting traditional watchmaking fathers against their industrialist sons and even whole cities like Geneva and La Chaux-de-Fonds against upstarts like Bienne and Grenchen. This was a wholesale mindset shift that enabled 20th century industrial watchmaking.
This is why the Baume brothers are so interesting: They built a different kind of integrated company that embraced the workshop tradition while ensuring control and quality. And it connected rural Les Bois to La Chaux-de-Fonds, Geneva, and London! There are very few examples of such a far-reaching watchmaking enterprise, and certainly none this early.
Victor Baume (1817-1887) was the oldest surviving son and lead a sprawling network of businesses lead by his three younger brothersThe idea was straightforward but it was incredibly challenging. Each of the four Baume brothers established his own business focused on a key aspect of watchmaking:
- Since he was the oldest son, Victor Baume remained in Les Bois to run the company and source raw components from the workshops of the Jura
- Célestin Baume moved to England, focused on watch finishing and sales, leveraging the skilled watchmakers in Clerkenwell north of London
- Auguste Baume specialized in gilding movements and producing dials, first in Les Bois but soon moving to La Chaux-de-Fonds
- Eugène Baume ran a finishing and sales operation in Geneva, securing the finest watchmaking skills and commercial opportunities there
This dispersed watchmaking enterprise was active by the 1850s, when the Baume brothers were still under 40. Their presence in London and Geneva gave them an incredible understanding of the market, which was widely misunderstood by parochial competitors in the Vallée de Joux, Le Locle, and La Chaux-de-Fonds. And their effective use of the finest watchmakers in these cities allowed them to exploit the inexpensive and rough components produced in the Swiss Jura.
Focus on the English Market
The young Baume brothers faced a significant decision in the 1840s: Would they produce watches in the thinner French style or the robust English genre? Given that their home in the Swiss Jura was firmly in the French sphere of influence (harboring both Huguenots and French Catholics alongside revolutionaries opposed to German Berne) one would think it a simple choice. And since Les Bois was among the first Swiss firms to adopt the cylinder escapement and Lépine ebauche, their watches were better suited for the French market. But Victor Baume opted instead to build a bridge between Les Bois and London, and 25 year old Célestin Baume departed for London in 1844.
Clerkenwell was filled with watchmaking workshops in the 18th centuryBaume settled in Clerkenwell, which was a center for watchmakers in the 1850s. As was the case everywhere before the industrial revolution, British watchmakers worked in small workshops, performing specialized tasks to produce finished watches. But the watchmakers of Clerkenwell were far more skilled than their Swiss counterparts at this time, and they knew exactly what British buyers wanted. Célestin Baume quickly built a network of specialists that could turn the rough components of the Jura into high-quality English style watches.
The Baume brothers innovated beyond the classic English watch design, but always kept close enough to keep from alienating customers. The firm created the first watch to use the 3/4 plate design typical in Germany with their modern cylinder escapement. And as early as 1851 they created the first so-called “flat glass” cases, with a tall polished bezel housing a flat glass crystal. These soon became popular with English gentlemen and were widely copied.
The watches produced by the Baume brothers were in strong demand in London and the British Empire. It was said that wholesalers would descend on the Clerkenwell office as soon as a new batch was ready, carrying them throughout England, Scotland, and Ireland. Baume even had distributors carrying their watches to Australia and New Zealand as well as British ports in Asia.
A photograph of Hatton Garden in 1895As early as 1852 Célestin Baume had partnered in a retail operation located along the fashionable street of Hatton Garden. Baume & Lezard remained in operation until 1872, exposing the company’s products to buyers from around the British Empire. The company chose the block of buildings behind the Union Bank at Holborn Circle, situated alongside many other jewelers and watch retailers. This block remains the home of upscale jewelers today and was the home of the De Beers diamond company for a century.
In 1876, control of the London operation passed from Célestin Baume to his nephew, Arthur (about 1852-1936). Over nearly a half-century in Hatton Garden, Arthur Baume would become a fixture in London society, contributing to the so-called “Swiss Colony” as well as more conventional organizations like the Royal Geographical Society. Arthur’s connections allowed him to challenge the status quo of British watches, tempting fashionable gentlemen away from the old fashioned designs that had earned Baume & Company a place in the market.
In addition to selling watches produced by their own workshops in London and Switzerland, the Baume & Company showroom represented the Longines factory of Saint-Imier. The English considered the anchor or “Swiss lever” escapement to be unreliable, but the Longines watch was eventually able to overcome this reputation. Thus, the Baume Brothers not only met the needs of the British market but cracked it open for French and Swiss imports! The Baume Frères “Ironclad” pocket watch also caught on with the British sportsman thanks to its unusual oxidized steel case.
Another major new product to reach Switzerland through the Baume showroom was the so-called “Four-in-Hand” watch. This used a large 38-ligne movement and could be mounted on the dashboard of a “brougham, dog-cart, Raleigh cart, or similar vehicle.” Longines produced these clocks with 30-hour or 8-day movements as large as 60 lignes and they became a must-have accessory that lasted even into the time of the automobile.
Consolidation of Swiss Suppliers
While Célestin focused on his English customers, his brothers continued to organize and centralize their supplier relationships.
The third brother, Auguste Baume focused on gilding (“dorage”) in the first half of the 1850s but was listed alongside Baume frères in Les Bois as a “negociant et fabricant” in the second half of the decade. About 1856, Auguste moved to La Chaux-de-Fonds to tap into the network of suppliers there, but this effort was cut short: He died on May 29 1859 at just 38 years of age. Still, the Baume family maintained its ties to suppliers in La Chaux-de-Fonds, and would move the operation to the city in the 20th century.
The Baume workshop in Geneva was located in the long block of buildings across the yard from the railroad station shown in this 1860s illustrationYoungest brother Eugène Baume was a skilled assembler of watches in Les Bois before moving to Geneva in 1859. He spent his life connecting the Baume family to the skilled makers of complicated watches and suppliers of gold cases there. His watch finishing operation was located on the right bank in Geneva, moving one block from Rue du Pradier 3 to rue du Mont-Blanc 20 by 1866. Eugène’s life was cut short on February 24, 1875, ending the official presence of the Frères Baume in Geneva.
The marriages of the Baume siblings created deeper connections: Their spouses included a Chapuis, two Jobins, two Girardins, and a Piquerez, all familiar names in watchmaking. There are many records showing contributions by the Jobin family in particular3 to the growing Baume enterprise, jointly opening a steam-powered watch case factory in Le Noirmont and Les Bois.
The 1857 Industrie-Ausstellung in Berne is remembered as the first true national expositionIn 1857 the Frères Baume exhibited at the Swiss Trade and Industrial Exhibition in Berne. This was a predecessor to the familiar Swiss Industries Fair in Basel (later called BaselWorld) as well as the famous series of national expositions, which continue to this day. The company sent 59 watches (21 in silver and 38 in gold), “all exquisitely crafted and valued at over 7,000 francs; they were produced by Messrs. Baume in the style of the watches they manufacture for the English market, where the firm successfully sells its products to great advantage.” The company was criticized for the crudeness of its display (it was the first-ever such expo after all), as well as the fact that none of its successful English-style watches were included. But this is no surprise, since the company was already producing different watches in Les Bois, Geneva, and London, and this exhibit only reflected local products from the Jura region. Considering how young the company was, this global scope was truly revolutionary.
Fragmentation of the Baume Family
Perhaps it is unsurprising that this far-reaching and interconnected network of companies did not last. Control of the Baume family business fell solely to Victor’s sons, since Auguste and Eugène lacked heirs, and Célestin’s son Alexandre died tragically in Alsace in 1894.
Alcide and Virgile Baume replaced Victor and his brothers as the namesake “frères Baume” in the 1883 FOSC survey of Swiss businesses, though Victor Baume retained his power of attorney until his death in September of 1887. Alcide, Virgile, and Mélina Baume inherited the Swiss properties of their father Victor three years earlier; middle brother Arthur Baume is left out, as he had become a British citizen and taken over the London firm of Baume & Co in 1876.
The Les Bois factory was offered for sale in August of 1889 as the firm became more reliant on suppliers in La Chaux-de-Fonds and Geneva24 year old Virgile Baume aligned himself with the London branch in 1885, moving to Geneva to re-establish Baume & Co there after the death of his uncle Eugène a decade earlier. He was removed from the Les Bois operation in 1892, with his older brother Alcide Baume becoming the sole “successeur de Baume frères.” Alcide also took over the Le Noirmont watch case factory formerly called Baume & Jobin. But Alcide was increasingly focused on supplier companies outside Les Bois. In August 1889 he offered the company’s brand new factory, including its 8 horsepower steam power plant, for sale. He simply no longer needed manufacturing in the village of his birth.
Everything seemed to be going well for Alcide Baume, who married Alexine Chapuis and welcomed twin sons Jämes and Alexandre in 1882, followed by Rachel in 1884, William in 1885, Jeanne in 1887, and Marguerite in 1892. But Alcide’s family would never be as close as their predecessors. Alexine died on September 8, 1893, leaving business-focused Alcide with six young children. They were raised at boarding schools4, as their father and uncles had been, but with no home in Les Bois to welcome them.
Jeanneret and Mosimann
With Jämes Baume intent on becoming a dentist, Alcide Baume sent his twin Alexandre to London in 1904 to learn about the family’s British business. It is likely that Alexandre worked at Baume & Co in Hatton Garden alongside another Swiss apprentice three years older, Paul-César Jeanneret. Alexandre must have impressed his uncle Arthur, as he remained in London and took over the British operation in 1923.
Paul-C. Jeanneret was sent back to La Chaux-de-Fonds a few months after Alexandre arrived to establish a better supply network for Baume & Co. This operation was acquired in 1909, becoming an official subsidiary of the British firm.
With the historic Baume family workshop in Les Bois now closed, the remaining corporate structure was merged into an established firm in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1911. Ulrich Mosimann established a watch workshop in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1876, the same year Arthur took over Baume & Co in London. He was likely a supplier of the British branch, either directly or through Victor and Alcide Baume in Les Bois. His sons, Paul and Albert Mosimann, took over the company as Mosimann frères following his death in 1889 and incorporated it as Mosimann & Cie six years later. Paul Mosimann became increasingly important in politics and in the Swiss watch industry, becoming mayor of La Chaux-de-Fonds and a National Councilor and president of the Chambre Suisse de l’Horlogerie, leaving him little time for his family firm.
Following their 1911 acquisition of the Baume family watchmaking business, Mosimann & Cie became their true successor. Their Mildia brand was acquired by Schwarz-Etienne in 1976 and closed in 2004.When Paul Mosimann left Mosimann & Cie in 1911, the former firm of Alcide Baume in Les Bois was absorbed into it, with Alcide’s son William Baume joining Albert Mosimann as owner.
The three successor companies (Baume & Co of London and La Chaux-de-Fonds and Mosimann & Cie) must have been very close indeed: They used the same trademarks, with confusing overlapping registrations for “Baume Watch”, “Baume”, and the “B & Co” hallmark found on British and Swiss movements alike. Following the death of Alcide Baume on May 20, 1916 the La Chaux-de-Fonds businesses even shared the same office at Rue du Nord 1165. Jeanneret left the company in 1913 to focus on greater ambitions, becoming the head of the Syndicat des Fabricants Suisses de Montres Or and founding the Information Horlogère Suisse, a clearinghouse of industry statistics. He was replaced by young William Baume, son of Alcide and brother of Alexandre.
Baume & Mercier, Baume & Company, and Baume
Following the death of his father, with his brother ensconced in London and the historic Baume family companies now under the ownership of the Mosimann family, William Baume looked elsewhere. He had met a dashing salesman at the Geneva showroom of Haas Neveux while on a business trip in 1912. Baume decided to take his inheritance and invest it in a new partnership with Paul Tcherednitchenko-dit-Mercier in 1918. Thus, the Geneva firm of Baume et Mercier was born.
Baume & Mercier was located on the Grand Quai next to the famous Hotel Metropole in GenevaIn 1923, after nearly 50 years in control, Arthur Baume passed control of Baume & Company in London to his nephew, William brother, Alexandre Baume. He continued to grow the business there, soon coming into competition with his brother’s Baume & Mercier. Baume & Company was able to prevent the Geneva upstart from using the family name in the British market, especially after William was forced out during the Great Depression. Alexandre was succeeded in 1946 by his own son, Louis-C. Baume, who continued the firm until the 1960s.
Following his 1934 departure from his namesake firm of Baume & Mercier, William Baume opened a retail jewelry store in Geneva. The Baume showroom, located directly across the street from the famous department store Grand Passage, represented the great Swiss watch brands: Zénith, Tissot, Omega, Longines, and even Baume & Mercier! The business was continued by Baume’s own sons well into the 1970s.
William Baume became a retail jeweler after being forced out of Baume & Mercier during the Great DepressionThe Grail Watch Perspective
The most impressive accomplishment of the Baume family was how quickly they built a global watchmaking business, and how early they were to the idea of vertical integration. Even before industrialization and factories, Victor Baume and his brothers understood the importance of controlling the supply chain and the value of reaching all the way to the customer. Despite being constrained by the nature of watchmaking in the 19th century, both in Switzerland and in England, which was limited to small workshops and suppliers, the Baume brothers built a remarkable enterprise.
The wide reach of the Baume family watchmaking business made it incredibly difficult to research. There is very little primary source information, and I am far more adept when it comes to Swiss history than British archives. Thankfully, David Boettcher beat me to it with a thorough look at Baume & Company in England, and I suggest looking at his excellent article! I have far more to say on this subject, and hope to write a follow-on article about “Baume After Mercier” in the future.
Notes
- It is often said that Victor and Célestin Baume organized a watchmaking company in 1834, but this must have been their father, since Victor (the oldest) was just 17 years of age and could not legally or practically form a company at this point. For decades, Baume & Mercier advertising has shown a date of 1830, but this does not correspond with anything in historic records. Incredibly, even William Baume included “Horloger depuis 1830” in his advertisements in the 1940s!
- In 2010, Baume & Mercier posted a series of 16 diary entries alleged to be written by Victor Baume and his grandson, William. Although it is filled with anachronisms and inaccuracies, it contains some interesting details on the family and makes for an enjoyable read. But the connection between the Baume family and Baume & Mercier is vastly over-stated in modern times.
- The Jobin and Baume families did not always get along: Aurèle Jobin clashed with his cousin Arthur Baume shortly after he moved to London to take over Baume & Co in 1876. This lead to a public confrontation when Alcide Baume sent Aurèle’s private apology to Le Jura for publication!
- Even 18 moth old Marguerite was sent to boarding school: The 2010 diary, which appears better-sourced when it comes to William’s entries, claims that Marguerite was raised at a boarding school in Vienna. It also claims she sat on the lap of Habsburg Emperor Franz Joseph, an odd and specific recollection.
- Despite housing two companies, and being on the block below the famous Montbrillant factory, the building at Rue du Nord 116 was not very large or notable. I was unable to find a good photo, let alone any indication of the occupants.
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Baume Before Mercier
The recently-announced sale of Baume & Mercier by Richemont to Italian distributor Damiani Group spurred me to research the history of that famous brand. Just as there was a LeCoultre before Jaeger, an Audemars before Piguet, and a Vacheron before Constantin, there was a Baume before Mercier. These unions often tell a story of greater transitions in the industry rather than simply consolidation of corporate control. And the story of the Baume family of Les Bois and London is particularly illuminating.
Long before Baume & Mercier was founded the Baume brothers of Les Bois built a watchmaking enterprise reaching London and beyond!Note: Baume & Mercier is an independent company founded in 1918 by William Baume. This Geneva-based retail and manufacturing company has no real connection to the historic company founded by his great grandfather, Louis-Joseph Baume, with whom we shall begin. His company, known as Frères Baume, was primarily focused on British market through a related company, Baume & Co of London. Even though William Baume worked for these family firms, Baume & Mercier was entirely independent and was locked out of the British market by Baume & Co for most of the 20th century.
The Baume Family of Les Bois
Louis-Joseph Baume (1783-1867) and his wife Agnès née Froidevaux (1786-1850) lived in the remote village of Les Bois, a French-speaking area along the current national border which was annexed into the German-dominated Canton of Berne in 1815. Baume was a farmer like most of his neighbors, but starting in 1834 he also produced watches at a home-based workshop. He would deliver these to La Chaux-de-Fonds, a rising center of watchmaking located an easy 2-hour walk southeast on the Jura plateau. He appears to have been found bankrupt in 1835. The Baume family lost their first five children, four of whom died as young children in 1816. But three daughters and four sons born later survived.
Victor Baume (1817-1887) and his brother Célestin Baume (1819-1880) organized a watchmaking company as “Baume frères” as soon as they reached the age of maturity in 18401. In 1848, when the Indicateur Davoine directory first includes Les Bois, it shows “Baume frères, fabricans d’horlogerie.” This listing also includes their brother, watchmaker Auguste Baume (1820-1859), and a gilding operation also called Baume frères perhaps run with their youngest brother, Eugène Baume (1822-1875).
Their father’s bankruptcy likely kept him from being officially involved, but he certainly continued to contribute to the efforts of his young sons. He died in 1867, having seen his sons build a flourishing watchmaking business, marry, and have children of their own.
Although the original establishment of the company is murky2, it is clear that the Baume family was at the center of watchmaking in Les Bois by the 1840s. Production of components was distributed across the region, with small workshops contributing individual components that were brought together as semi-finished watches to be disassembled, finished, adjusted, and reassembled for sale. The Baume brothers acted as wholesalers, gathering these watches for sale in La Chaux-de-Fonds and Neuchâtel. But the ambitious young men saw greater opportunity in the trade, leaving the village and even the country to make that happen.
An Early and Unusual Vertical Strategy
The hallmark of industrialized watchmaking is vertical integration: Starting in the late 19th century, manufactures like Longines, Omega, and Zénith attempted to consolidate production of as many components as possible under their control, either under the same roof or by purchasing supplier factories. This was a repudiation of the etablisseur tradition, which collected components produced by thousands of tiny workshops to produce a finished watch. Vertical integration was incredibly controversial, pitting traditional watchmaking fathers against their industrialist sons and even whole cities like Geneva and La Chaux-de-Fonds against upstarts like Bienne and Grenchen. This was a wholesale mindset shift that enabled 20th century industrial watchmaking.
This is why the Baume brothers are so interesting: They built a different kind of integrated company that embraced the workshop tradition while ensuring control and quality. And it connected rural Les Bois to La Chaux-de-Fonds, Geneva, and London! There are very few examples of such a far-reaching watchmaking enterprise, and certainly none this early.
Victor Baume (1817-1887) was the oldest surviving son and lead a sprawling network of businesses lead by his three younger brothersThe idea was straightforward but it was incredibly challenging. Each of the four Baume brothers established his own business focused on a key aspect of watchmaking:
- Since he was the oldest son, Victor Baume remained in Les Bois to run the company and source raw components from the workshops of the Jura
- Célestin Baume moved to England, focused on watch finishing and sales, leveraging the skilled watchmakers in Clerkenwell north of London
- Auguste Baume specialized in gilding movements and producing dials, first in Les Bois but soon moving to La Chaux-de-Fonds
- Eugène Baume ran a finishing and sales operation in Geneva, securing the finest watchmaking skills and commercial opportunities there
This dispersed watchmaking enterprise was active by the 1850s, when the Baume brothers were still under 40. Their presence in London and Geneva gave them an incredible understanding of the market, which was widely misunderstood by parochial competitors in the Vallée de Joux, Le Locle, and La Chaux-de-Fonds. And their effective use of the finest watchmakers in these cities allowed them to exploit the inexpensive and rough components produced in the Swiss Jura.
Focus on the English Market
The young Baume brothers faced a significant decision in the 1840s: Would they produce watches in the thinner French style or the robust English genre? Given that their home in the Swiss Jura was firmly in the French sphere of influence (harboring both Huguenots and French Catholics alongside revolutionaries opposed to German Berne) one would think it a simple choice. And since Les Bois was among the first Swiss firms to adopt the cylinder escapement and Lépine ebauche, their watches were better suited for the French market. But Victor Baume opted instead to build a bridge between Les Bois and London, and 25 year old Célestin Baume departed for London in 1844.
Clerkenwell was filled with watchmaking workshops in the 18th centuryBaume settled in Clerkenwell, which was a center for watchmakers in the 1850s. As was the case everywhere before the industrial revolution, British watchmakers worked in small workshops, performing specialized tasks to produce finished watches. But the watchmakers of Clerkenwell were far more skilled than their Swiss counterparts at this time, and they knew exactly what British buyers wanted. Célestin Baume quickly built a network of specialists that could turn the rough components of the Jura into high-quality English style watches.
The Baume brothers innovated beyond the classic English watch design, but always kept close enough to keep from alienating customers. The firm created the first watch to use the 3/4 plate design typical in Germany with their modern cylinder escapement. And as early as 1851 they created the first so-called “flat glass” cases, with a tall polished bezel housing a flat glass crystal. These soon became popular with English gentlemen and were widely copied.
The watches produced by the Baume brothers were in strong demand in London and the British Empire. It was said that wholesalers would descend on the Clerkenwell office as soon as a new batch was ready, carrying them throughout England, Scotland, and Ireland. Baume even had distributors carrying their watches to Australia and New Zealand as well as British ports in Asia.
A photograph of Hatton Garden in 1895As early as 1852 Célestin Baume had partnered in a retail operation located along the fashionable street of Hatton Garden. Baume & Lezard remained in operation until 1872, exposing the company’s products to buyers from around the British Empire. The company chose the block of buildings behind the Union Bank at Holborn Circle, situated alongside many other jewelers and watch retailers. This block remains the home of upscale jewelers today and was the home of the De Beers diamond company for a century.
In 1876, control of the London operation passed from Célestin Baume to his nephew, Arthur (about 1852-1936). Over nearly a half-century in Hatton Garden, Arthur Baume would become a fixture in London society, contributing to the so-called “Swiss Colony” as well as more conventional organizations like the Royal Geographical Society. Arthur’s connections allowed him to challenge the status quo of British watches, tempting fashionable gentlemen away from the old fashioned designs that had earned Baume & Company a place in the market.
In addition to selling watches produced by their own workshops in London and Switzerland, the Baume & Company showroom represented the Longines factory of Saint-Imier. The English considered the anchor or “Swiss lever” escapement to be unreliable, but the Longines watch was eventually able to overcome this reputation. Thus, the Baume Brothers not only met the needs of the British market but cracked it open for French and Swiss imports! The Baume Frères “Ironclad” pocket watch also caught on with the British sportsman thanks to its unusual oxidized steel case.
Another major new product to reach Switzerland through the Baume showroom was the so-called “Four-in-Hand” watch. This used a large 38-ligne movement and could be mounted on the dashboard of a “brougham, dog-cart, Raleigh cart, or similar vehicle.” Longines produced these clocks with 30-hour or 8-day movements as large as 60 lignes and they became a must-have accessory that lasted even into the time of the automobile.
Consolidation of Swiss Suppliers
While Célestin focused on his English customers, his brothers continued to organize and centralize their supplier relationships.
The third brother, Auguste Baume focused on gilding (“dorage”) in the first half of the 1850s but was listed alongside Baume frères in Les Bois as a “negociant et fabricant” in the second half of the decade. About 1856, Auguste moved to La Chaux-de-Fonds to tap into the network of suppliers there, but this effort was cut short: He died on May 29 1859 at just 38 years of age. Still, the Baume family maintained its ties to suppliers in La Chaux-de-Fonds, and would move the operation to the city in the 20th century.
The Baume workshop in Geneva was located in the long block of buildings across the yard from the railroad station shown in this 1860s illustrationYoungest brother Eugène Baume was a skilled assembler of watches in Les Bois before moving to Geneva in 1859. He spent his life connecting the Baume family to the skilled makers of complicated watches and suppliers of gold cases there. His watch finishing operation was located on the right bank in Geneva, moving one block from Rue du Pradier 3 to rue du Mont-Blanc 20 by 1866. Eugène’s life was cut short on February 24, 1875, ending the official presence of the Frères Baume in Geneva.
The marriages of the Baume siblings created deeper connections: Their spouses included a Chapuis, two Jobins, two Girardins, and a Piquerez, all familiar names in watchmaking. There are many records showing contributions by the Jobin family in particular3 to the growing Baume enterprise, jointly opening a steam-powered watch case factory in Le Noirmont and Les Bois.
The 1857 Industrie-Ausstellung in Berne is remembered as the first true national expositionIn 1857 the Frères Baume exhibited at the Swiss Trade and Industrial Exhibition in Berne. This was a predecessor to the familiar Swiss Industries Fair in Basel (later called BaselWorld) as well as the famous series of national expositions, which continue to this day. The company sent 59 watches (21 in silver and 38 in gold), “all exquisitely crafted and valued at over 7,000 francs; they were produced by Messrs. Baume in the style of the watches they manufacture for the English market, where the firm successfully sells its products to great advantage.” The company was criticized for the crudeness of its display (it was the first-ever such expo after all), as well as the fact that none of its successful English-style watches were included. But this is no surprise, since the company was already producing different watches in Les Bois, Geneva, and London, and this exhibit only reflected local products from the Jura region. Considering how young the company was, this global scope was truly revolutionary.
Fragmentation of the Baume Family
Perhaps it is unsurprising that this far-reaching and interconnected network of companies did not last. Control of the Baume family business fell solely to Victor’s sons, since Auguste and Eugène lacked heirs, and Célestin’s son Alexandre died tragically in Alsace in 1894.
Alcide and Virgile Baume replaced Victor and his brothers as the namesake “frères Baume” in the 1883 FOSC survey of Swiss businesses, though Victor Baume retained his power of attorney until his death in September of 1887. Alcide, Virgile, and Mélina Baume inherited the Swiss properties of their father Victor three years earlier; middle brother Arthur Baume is left out, as he had become a British citizen and taken over the London firm of Baume & Co in 1876.
The Les Bois factory was offered for sale in August of 1889 as the firm became more reliant on suppliers in La Chaux-de-Fonds and Geneva24 year old Virgile Baume aligned himself with the London branch in 1885, moving to Geneva to re-establish Baume & Co there after the death of his uncle Eugène a decade earlier. He was removed from the Les Bois operation in 1892, with his older brother Alcide Baume becoming the sole “successeur de Baume frères.” Alcide also took over the Le Noirmont watch case factory formerly called Baume & Jobin. But Alcide was increasingly focused on supplier companies outside Les Bois. In August 1889 he offered the company’s brand new factory, including its 8 horsepower steam power plant, for sale. He simply no longer needed manufacturing in the village of his birth.
Everything seemed to be going well for Alcide Baume, who married Alexine Chapuis and welcomed twin sons Jämes and Alexandre in 1882, followed by Rachel in 1884, William in 1885, Jeanne in 1887, and Marguerite in 1892. But Alcide’s family would never be as close as their predecessors. Alexine died on September 8, 1893, leaving business-focused Alcide with six young children. They were raised at boarding schools4, as their father and uncles had been, but with no home in Les Bois to welcome them.
Jeanneret and Mosimann
With Jämes Baume intent on becoming a dentist, Alcide Baume sent his twin Alexandre to London in 1904 to learn about the family’s British business. It is likely that Alexandre worked at Baume & Co in Hatton Garden alongside another Swiss apprentice three years older, Paul-César Jeanneret. Alexandre must have impressed his uncle Arthur, as he remained in London and took over the British operation in 1923.
Paul-C. Jeanneret was sent back to La Chaux-de-Fonds a few months after Alexandre arrived to establish a better supply network for Baume & Co. This operation was acquired in 1909, becoming an official subsidiary of the British firm.
With the historic Baume family workshop in Les Bois now closed, the remaining corporate structure was merged into an established firm in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1911. Ulrich Mosimann established a watch workshop in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1876, the same year Arthur took over Baume & Co in London. He was likely a supplier of the British branch, either directly or through Victor and Alcide Baume in Les Bois. His sons, Paul and Albert Mosimann, took over the company as Mosimann frères following his death in 1889 and incorporated it as Mosimann & Cie six years later. Paul Mosimann became increasingly important in politics and in the Swiss watch industry, becoming mayor of La Chaux-de-Fonds and a National Councilor and president of the Chambre Suisse de l’Horlogerie, leaving him little time for his family firm.
Following their 1911 acquisition of the Baume family watchmaking business, Mosimann & Cie became their true successor. Their Mildia brand was acquired by Schwarz-Etienne in 1976 and closed in 2004.When Paul Mosimann left Mosimann & Cie in 1911, the former firm of Alcide Baume in Les Bois was absorbed into it, with Alcide’s son William Baume joining Albert Mosimann as owner.
The three successor companies (Baume & Co of London and La Chaux-de-Fonds and Mosimann & Cie) must have been very close indeed: They used the same trademarks, with confusing overlapping registrations for “Baume Watch”, “Baume”, and the “B & Co” hallmark found on British and Swiss movements alike. Following the death of Alcide Baume on May 20, 1916 the La Chaux-de-Fonds businesses even shared the same office at Rue du Nord 1165. Jeanneret left the company in 1913 to focus on greater ambitions, becoming the head of the Syndicat des Fabricants Suisses de Montres Or and founding the Information Horlogère Suisse, a clearinghouse of industry statistics. He was replaced by young William Baume, son of Alcide and brother of Alexandre.
Baume & Mercier, Baume & Company, and Baume
Following the death of his father, with his brother ensconced in London and the historic Baume family companies now under the ownership of the Mosimann family, William Baume looked elsewhere. He had met a dashing salesman at the Geneva showroom of Haas Neveux while on a business trip in 1912. Baume decided to take his inheritance and invest it in a new partnership with Paul Tcherednitchenko-dit-Mercier in 1918. Thus, the Geneva firm of Baume et Mercier was born.
Baume & Mercier was located on the Grand Quai next to the famous Hotel Metropole in GenevaIn 1923, after nearly 50 years in control, Arthur Baume passed control of Baume & Company in London to his nephew, William brother, Alexandre Baume. He continued to grow the business there, soon coming into competition with his brother’s Baume & Mercier. Baume & Company was able to prevent the Geneva upstart from using the family name in the British market, especially after William was forced out during the Great Depression. Alexandre was succeeded in 1946 by his own son, Louis-C. Baume, who continued the firm until the 1960s.
Following his 1934 departure from his namesake firm of Baume & Mercier, William Baume opened a retail jewelry store in Geneva. The Baume showroom, located directly across the street from the famous department store Grand Passage, represented the great Swiss watch brands: Zénith, Tissot, Omega, Longines, and even Baume & Mercier! The business was continued by Baume’s own sons well into the 1970s.
William Baume became a retail jeweler after being forced out of Baume & Mercier during the Great DepressionThe Grail Watch Perspective
The most impressive accomplishment of the Baume family was how quickly they built a global watchmaking business, and how early they were to the idea of vertical integration. Even before industrialization and factories, Victor Baume and his brothers understood the importance of controlling the supply chain and the value of reaching all the way to the customer. Despite being constrained by the nature of watchmaking in the 19th century, both in Switzerland and in England, which was limited to small workshops and suppliers, the Baume brothers built a remarkable enterprise.
The wide reach of the Baume family watchmaking business made it incredibly difficult to research. There is very little primary source information, and I am far more adept when it comes to Swiss history than British archives. Thankfully, David Boettcher beat me to it with a thorough look at Baume & Company in England, and I suggest looking at his excellent article! I have far more to say on this subject, and hope to write a follow-on article about “Baume After Mercier” in the future.
Notes
1) It is often said that Victor and Célestin Baume organized a watchmaking company in 1834, but this must have been their father, since Victor (the oldest) was just 17 years of age and could not legally or practically form a company at this point. For decades, Baume & Mercier advertising has shown a date of 1830, but this does not correspond with anything in historic records. Incredibly, even William Baume included “Horloger depuis 1830” in his advertisements in the 1940s!
2) In 2010, Baume & Mercier posted a series of 16 diary entries alleged to be written by Victor Baume and his grandson, William. Although it is filled with anachronisms and inaccuracies, it contains some interesting details on the family and makes for an enjoyable read. But the connection between the Baume family and Baume & Mercier is vastly over-stated in modern times.
3) The Jobin and Baume families did not always get along: Aurèle Jobin clashed with his cousin Arthur Baume shortly after he moved to London to take over Baume & Co in 1876. This lead to a public confrontation when Alcide Baume sent Aurèle’s private apology to Le Jura for publication!
4) Even 18 moth old Marguerite was sent to boarding school: The 2010 diary, which appears better-sourced when it comes to William’s entries, claims that Marguerite was raised at a boarding school in Vienna. It also claims she sat on the lap of Habsburg Emperor Franz Joseph, an odd and specific recollection.
5) Despite housing two companies, and being on the block below the famous Montbrillant factory, the building at Rue du Nord 116 was not very large or notable. I was unable to find a good photo, let alone any indication of the occupants.
#BaumeCo #BaumeMercier #Geneva #LaChauxDeFonds #LesBois #London #Longines #Mildia -
Baume Before Mercier
The recently-announced sale of Baume & Mercier by Richemont to Italian distributor Damiani Group spurred me to research the history of that famous brand. Just as there was a LeCoultre before Jaeger, an Audemars before Piguet, and a Vacheron before Constantin, there was a Baume before Mercier. These unions often tell a story of greater transitions in the industry rather than simply consolidation of corporate control. And the story of the Baume family of Les Bois and London is particularly illuminating.
Long before Baume & Mercier was founded the Baume brothers of Les Bois built a watchmaking enterprise reaching London and beyond!Note: Baume & Mercier is an independent company founded in 1918 by William Baume. This Geneva-based retail and manufacturing company has no real connection to the historic company founded by his great grandfather, Louis-Joseph Baume, with whom we shall begin. His company, known as Frères Baume, was primarily focused on British market through a related company, Baume & Co of London. Even though William Baume worked for these family firms, Baume & Mercier was entirely independent and was locked out of the British market by Baume & Co for most of the 20th century.
The Baume Family of Les Bois
Louis-Joseph Baume (1783-1867) and his wife Agnès née Froidevaux (1786-1850) lived in the remote village of Les Bois, a French-speaking area along the current national border which was annexed into the German-dominated Canton of Berne in 1815. Baume was a farmer like most of his neighbors, but starting in 1834 he also produced watches at a home-based workshop. He would deliver these to La Chaux-de-Fonds, a rising center of watchmaking located an easy 2-hour walk southeast on the Jura plateau. He appears to have been found bankrupt in 1835. The Baume family lost their first five children, four of whom died as young children in 1816. But three daughters and four sons born later survived.
Victor Baume (1817-1887) and his brother Célestin Baume (1819-1880) organized a watchmaking company as “Baume frères” as soon as they reached the age of maturity in 18401. In 1848, when the Indicateur Davoine directory first includes Les Bois, it shows “Baume frères, fabricans d’horlogerie.” This listing also includes their brother, watchmaker Auguste Baume (1820-1859), and a gilding operation also called Baume frères perhaps run with their youngest brother, Eugène Baume (1822-1875).
Their father’s bankruptcy likely kept him from being officially involved, but he certainly continued to contribute to the efforts of his young sons. He died in 1867, having seen his sons build a flourishing watchmaking business, marry, and have children of their own.
Although the original establishment of the company is murky2, it is clear that the Baume family was at the center of watchmaking in Les Bois by the 1840s. Production of components was distributed across the region, with small workshops contributing individual components that were brought together as semi-finished watches to be disassembled, finished, adjusted, and reassembled for sale. The Baume brothers acted as wholesalers, gathering these watches for sale in La Chaux-de-Fonds and Neuchâtel. But the ambitious young men saw greater opportunity in the trade, leaving the village and even the country to make that happen.
An Early and Unusual Vertical Strategy
The hallmark of industrialized watchmaking is vertical integration: Starting in the late 19th century, manufactures like Longines, Omega, and Zénith attempted to consolidate production of as many components as possible under their control, either under the same roof or by purchasing supplier factories. This was a repudiation of the etablisseur tradition, which collected components produced by thousands of tiny workshops to produce a finished watch. Vertical integration was incredibly controversial, pitting traditional watchmaking fathers against their industrialist sons and even whole cities like Geneva and La Chaux-de-Fonds against upstarts like Bienne and Grenchen. This was a wholesale mindset shift that enabled 20th century industrial watchmaking.
This is why the Baume brothers are so interesting: They built a different kind of integrated company that embraced the workshop tradition while ensuring control and quality. And it connected rural Les Bois to La Chaux-de-Fonds, Geneva, and London! There are very few examples of such a far-reaching watchmaking enterprise, and certainly none this early.
Victor Baume (1817-1887) was the oldest surviving son and lead a sprawling network of businesses lead by his three younger brothersThe idea was straightforward but it was incredibly challenging. Each of the four Baume brothers established his own business focused on a key aspect of watchmaking:
- Since he was the oldest son, Victor Baume remained in Les Bois to run the company and source raw components from the workshops of the Jura
- Célestin Baume moved to England, focused on watch finishing and sales, leveraging the skilled watchmakers in Clerkenwell north of London
- Auguste Baume specialized in gilding movements and producing dials, first in Les Bois but soon moving to La Chaux-de-Fonds
- Eugène Baume ran a finishing and sales operation in Geneva, securing the finest watchmaking skills and commercial opportunities there
This dispersed watchmaking enterprise was active by the 1850s, when the Baume brothers were still under 40. Their presence in London and Geneva gave them an incredible understanding of the market, which was widely misunderstood by parochial competitors in the Vallée de Joux, Le Locle, and La Chaux-de-Fonds. And their effective use of the finest watchmakers in these cities allowed them to exploit the inexpensive and rough components produced in the Swiss Jura.
Focus on the English Market
The young Baume brothers faced a significant decision in the 1840s: Would they produce watches in the thinner French style or the robust English genre? Given that their home in the Swiss Jura was firmly in the French sphere of influence (harboring both Huguenots and French Catholics alongside revolutionaries opposed to German Berne) one would think it a simple choice. And since Les Bois was among the first Swiss firms to adopt the cylinder escapement and Lépine ebauche, their watches were better suited for the French market. But Victor Baume opted instead to build a bridge between Les Bois and London, and 25 year old Célestin Baume departed for London in 1844.
Clerkenwell was filled with watchmaking workshops in the 18th centuryBaume settled in Clerkenwell, which was a center for watchmakers in the 1850s. As was the case everywhere before the industrial revolution, British watchmakers worked in small workshops, performing specialized tasks to produce finished watches. But the watchmakers of Clerkenwell were far more skilled than their Swiss counterparts at this time, and they knew exactly what British buyers wanted. Célestin Baume quickly built a network of specialists that could turn the rough components of the Jura into high-quality English style watches.
The Baume brothers innovated beyond the classic English watch design, but always kept close enough to keep from alienating customers. The firm created the first watch to use the 3/4 plate design typical in Germany with their modern cylinder escapement. And as early as 1851 they created the first so-called “flat glass” cases, with a tall polished bezel housing a flat glass crystal. These soon became popular with English gentlemen and were widely copied.
The watches produced by the Baume brothers were in strong demand in London and the British Empire. It was said that wholesalers would descend on the Clerkenwell office as soon as a new batch was ready, carrying them throughout England, Scotland, and Ireland. Baume even had distributors carrying their watches to Australia and New Zealand as well as British ports in Asia.
A photograph of Hatton Garden in 1895As early as 1852 Célestin Baume had partnered in a retail operation located along the fashionable street of Hatton Garden. Baume & Lezard remained in operation until 1872, exposing the company’s products to buyers from around the British Empire. The company chose the block of buildings behind the Union Bank at Holborn Circle, situated alongside many other jewelers and watch retailers. This block remains the home of upscale jewelers today and was the home of the De Beers diamond company for a century.
In 1876, control of the London operation passed from Célestin Baume to his nephew, Arthur (about 1852-1936). Over nearly a half-century in Hatton Garden, Arthur Baume would become a fixture in London society, contributing to the so-called “Swiss Colony” as well as more conventional organizations like the Royal Geographical Society. Arthur’s connections allowed him to challenge the status quo of British watches, tempting fashionable gentlemen away from the old fashioned designs that had earned Baume & Company a place in the market.
In addition to selling watches produced by their own workshops in London and Switzerland, the Baume & Company showroom represented the Longines factory of Saint-Imier. The English considered the anchor or “Swiss lever” escapement to be unreliable, but the Longines watch was eventually able to overcome this reputation. Thus, the Baume Brothers not only met the needs of the British market but cracked it open for French and Swiss imports! The Baume Frères “Ironclad” pocket watch also caught on with the British sportsman thanks to its unusual oxidized steel case.
Another major new product to reach Switzerland through the Baume showroom was the so-called “Four-in-Hand” watch. This used a large 38-ligne movement and could be mounted on the dashboard of a “brougham, dog-cart, Raleigh cart, or similar vehicle.” Longines produced these clocks with 30-hour or 8-day movements as large as 60 lignes and they became a must-have accessory that lasted even into the time of the automobile.
Consolidation of Swiss Suppliers
While Célestin focused on his English customers, his brothers continued to organize and centralize their supplier relationships.
The third brother, Auguste Baume focused on gilding (“dorage”) in the first half of the 1850s but was listed alongside Baume frères in Les Bois as a “negociant et fabricant” in the second half of the decade. About 1856, Auguste moved to La Chaux-de-Fonds to tap into the network of suppliers there, but this effort was cut short: He died on May 29 1859 at just 38 years of age. Still, the Baume family maintained its ties to suppliers in La Chaux-de-Fonds, and would move the operation to the city in the 20th century.
The Baume workshop in Geneva was located in the long block of buildings across the yard from the railroad station shown in this 1860s illustrationYoungest brother Eugène Baume was a skilled assembler of watches in Les Bois before moving to Geneva in 1859. He spent his life connecting the Baume family to the skilled makers of complicated watches and suppliers of gold cases there. His watch finishing operation was located on the right bank in Geneva, moving one block from Rue du Pradier 3 to rue du Mont-Blanc 20 by 1866. Eugène’s life was cut short on February 24, 1875, ending the official presence of the Frères Baume in Geneva.
The marriages of the Baume siblings created deeper connections: Their spouses included a Chapuis, two Jobins, two Girardins, and a Piquerez, all familiar names in watchmaking. There are many records showing contributions by the Jobin family in particular3 to the growing Baume enterprise, jointly opening a steam-powered watch case factory in Le Noirmont and Les Bois.
The 1857 Industrie-Ausstellung in Berne is remembered as the first true national expositionIn 1857 the Frères Baume exhibited at the Swiss Trade and Industrial Exhibition in Berne. This was a predecessor to the familiar Swiss Industries Fair in Basel (later called BaselWorld) as well as the famous series of national expositions, which continue to this day. The company sent 59 watches (21 in silver and 38 in gold), “all exquisitely crafted and valued at over 7,000 francs; they were produced by Messrs. Baume in the style of the watches they manufacture for the English market, where the firm successfully sells its products to great advantage.” The company was criticized for the crudeness of its display (it was the first-ever such expo after all), as well as the fact that none of its successful English-style watches were included. But this is no surprise, since the company was already producing different watches in Les Bois, Geneva, and London, and this exhibit only reflected local products from the Jura region. Considering how young the company was, this global scope was truly revolutionary.
Fragmentation of the Baume Family
Perhaps it is unsurprising that this far-reaching and interconnected network of companies did not last. Control of the Baume family business fell solely to Victor’s sons, since Auguste and Eugène lacked heirs, and Célestin’s son Alexandre died tragically in Alsace in 1894.
Alcide and Virgile Baume replaced Victor and his brothers as the namesake “frères Baume” in the 1883 FOSC survey of Swiss businesses, though Victor Baume retained his power of attorney until his death in September of 1887. Alcide, Virgile, and Mélina Baume inherited the Swiss properties of their father Victor three years earlier; middle brother Arthur Baume is left out, as he had become a British citizen and taken over the London firm of Baume & Co in 1876.
The Les Bois factory was offered for sale in August of 1889 as the firm became more reliant on suppliers in La Chaux-de-Fonds and Geneva24 year old Virgile Baume aligned himself with the London branch in 1885, moving to Geneva to re-establish Baume & Co there after the death of his uncle Eugène a decade earlier. He was removed from the Les Bois operation in 1892, with his older brother Alcide Baume becoming the sole “successeur de Baume frères.” Alcide also took over the Le Noirmont watch case factory formerly called Baume & Jobin. But Alcide was increasingly focused on supplier companies outside Les Bois. In August 1889 he offered the company’s brand new factory, including its 8 horsepower steam power plant, for sale. He simply no longer needed manufacturing in the village of his birth.
Everything seemed to be going well for Alcide Baume, who married Alexine Chapuis and welcomed twin sons Jämes and Alexandre in 1882, followed by Rachel in 1884, William in 1885, Jeanne in 1887, and Marguerite in 1892. But Alcide’s family would never be as close as their predecessors. Alexine died on September 8, 1893, leaving business-focused Alcide with six young children. They were raised at boarding schools4, as their father and uncles had been, but with no home in Les Bois to welcome them.
Jeanneret and Mosimann
With Jämes Baume intent on becoming a dentist, Alcide Baume sent his twin Alexandre to London in 1904 to learn about the family’s British business. It is likely that Alexandre worked at Baume & Co in Hatton Garden alongside another Swiss apprentice three years older, Paul-César Jeanneret. Alexandre must have impressed his uncle Arthur, as he remained in London and took over the British operation in 1923.
Paul-C. Jeanneret was sent back to La Chaux-de-Fonds a few months after Alexandre arrived to establish a better supply network for Baume & Co. This operation was acquired in 1909, becoming an official subsidiary of the British firm.
With the historic Baume family workshop in Les Bois now closed, the remaining corporate structure was merged into an established firm in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1911. Ulrich Mosimann established a watch workshop in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1876, the same year Arthur took over Baume & Co in London. He was likely a supplier of the British branch, either directly or through Victor and Alcide Baume in Les Bois. His sons, Paul and Albert Mosimann, took over the company as Mosimann frères following his death in 1889 and incorporated it as Mosimann & Cie six years later. Paul Mosimann became increasingly important in politics and in the Swiss watch industry, becoming mayor of La Chaux-de-Fonds and a National Councilor and president of the Chambre Suisse de l’Horlogerie, leaving him little time for his family firm.
Following their 1911 acquisition of the Baume family watchmaking business, Mosimann & Cie became their true successor. Their Mildia brand was acquired by Schwarz-Etienne in 1976 and closed in 2004.When Paul Mosimann left Mosimann & Cie in 1911, the former firm of Alcide Baume in Les Bois was absorbed into it, with Alcide’s son William Baume joining Albert Mosimann as owner.
The three successor companies (Baume & Co of London and La Chaux-de-Fonds and Mosimann & Cie) must have been very close indeed: They used the same trademarks, with confusing overlapping registrations for “Baume Watch”, “Baume”, and the “B & Co” hallmark found on British and Swiss movements alike. Following the death of Alcide Baume on May 20, 1916 the La Chaux-de-Fonds businesses even shared the same office at Rue du Nord 1165. Jeanneret left the company in 1913 to focus on greater ambitions, becoming the head of the Syndicat des Fabricants Suisses de Montres Or and founding the Information Horlogère Suisse, a clearinghouse of industry statistics. He was replaced by young William Baume, son of Alcide and brother of Alexandre.
Baume & Mercier, Baume & Company, and Baume
Following the death of his father, with his brother ensconced in London and the historic Baume family companies now under the ownership of the Mosimann family, William Baume looked elsewhere. He had met a dashing salesman at the Geneva showroom of Haas Neveux while on a business trip in 1912. Baume decided to take his inheritance and invest it in a new partnership with Paul Tcherednitchenko-dit-Mercier in 1918. Thus, the Geneva firm of Baume et Mercier was born.
Baume & Mercier was located on the Grand Quai next to the famous Hotel Metropole in GenevaIn 1923, after nearly 50 years in control, Arthur Baume passed control of Baume & Company in London to his nephew, William brother, Alexandre Baume. He continued to grow the business there, soon coming into competition with his brother’s Baume & Mercier. Baume & Company was able to prevent the Geneva upstart from using the family name in the British market, especially after William was forced out during the Great Depression. Alexandre was succeeded in 1946 by his own son, Louis-C. Baume, who continued the firm until the 1960s.
Following his 1934 departure from his namesake firm of Baume & Mercier, William Baume opened a retail jewelry store in Geneva. The Baume showroom, located directly across the street from the famous department store Grand Passage, represented the great Swiss watch brands: Zénith, Tissot, Omega, Longines, and even Baume & Mercier! The business was continued by Baume’s own sons well into the 1970s.
William Baume became a retail jeweler after being forced out of Baume & Mercier during the Great DepressionThe Grail Watch Perspective
The most impressive accomplishment of the Baume family was how quickly they built a global watchmaking business, and how early they were to the idea of vertical integration. Even before industrialization and factories, Victor Baume and his brothers understood the importance of controlling the supply chain and the value of reaching all the way to the customer. Despite being constrained by the nature of watchmaking in the 19th century, both in Switzerland and in England, which was limited to small workshops and suppliers, the Baume brothers built a remarkable enterprise.
The wide reach of the Baume family watchmaking business made it incredibly difficult to research. There is very little primary source information, and I am far more adept when it comes to Swiss history than British archives. Thankfully, David Boettcher beat me to it with a thorough look at Baume & Company in England, and I suggest looking at his excellent article! I have far more to say on this subject, and hope to write a follow-on article about “Baume After Mercier” in the future.
Notes
- It is often said that Victor and Célestin Baume organized a watchmaking company in 1834, but this must have been their father, since Victor (the oldest) was just 17 years of age and could not legally or practically form a company at this point. For decades, Baume & Mercier advertising has shown a date of 1830, but this does not correspond with anything in historic records. Incredibly, even William Baume included “Horloger depuis 1830” in his advertisements in the 1940s!
- In 2010, Baume & Mercier posted a series of 16 diary entries alleged to be written by Victor Baume and his grandson, William. Although it is filled with anachronisms and inaccuracies, it contains some interesting details on the family and makes for an enjoyable read. But the connection between the Baume family and Baume & Mercier is vastly over-stated in modern times.
- The Jobin and Baume families did not always get along: Aurèle Jobin clashed with his cousin Arthur Baume shortly after he moved to London to take over Baume & Co in 1876. This lead to a public confrontation when Alcide Baume sent Aurèle’s private apology to Le Jura for publication!
- Even 18 moth old Marguerite was sent to boarding school: The 2010 diary, which appears better-sourced when it comes to William’s entries, claims that Marguerite was raised at a boarding school in Vienna. It also claims she sat on the lap of Habsburg Emperor Franz Joseph, an odd and specific recollection.
- Despite housing two companies, and being on the block below the famous Montbrillant factory, the building at Rue du Nord 116 was not very large or notable. I was unable to find a good photo, let alone any indication of the occupants.
-
Baume Before Mercier
The recently-announced sale of Baume & Mercier by Richemont to Italian distributor Damiani Group spurred me to research the history of that famous brand. Just as there was a LeCoultre before Jaeger, an Audemars before Piguet, and a Vacheron before Constantin, there was a Baume before Mercier. These unions often tell a story of greater transitions in the industry rather than simply consolidation of corporate control. And the story of the Baume family of Les Bois and London is particularly illuminating.
Long before Baume & Mercier was founded the Baume brothers of Les Bois built a watchmaking enterprise reaching London and beyond!Note: Baume & Mercier is an independent company founded in 1918 by William Baume. This Geneva-based retail and manufacturing company has no real connection to the historic company founded by his great grandfather, Louis-Joseph Baume, with whom we shall begin. His company, known as Frères Baume, was primarily focused on British market through a related company, Baume & Co of London. Even though William Baume worked for these family firms, Baume & Mercier was entirely independent and was locked out of the British market by Baume & Co for most of the 20th century.
The Baume Family of Les Bois
Louis-Joseph Baume (1783-1867) and his wife Agnès née Froidevaux (1786-1850) lived in the remote village of Les Bois, a French-speaking area along the current national border which was annexed into the German-dominated Canton of Berne in 1815. Baume was a farmer like most of his neighbors, but starting in 1834 he also produced watches at a home-based workshop. He would deliver these to La Chaux-de-Fonds, a rising center of watchmaking located an easy 2-hour walk southeast on the Jura plateau. He appears to have been found bankrupt in 1835. The Baume family lost their first five children, four of whom died as young children in 1816. But three daughters and four sons born later survived.
Victor Baume (1817-1887) and his brother Célestin Baume (1819-1880) organized a watchmaking company as “Baume frères” as soon as they reached the age of maturity in 18401. In 1848, when the Indicateur Davoine directory first includes Les Bois, it shows “Baume frères, fabricans d’horlogerie.” This listing also includes their brother, watchmaker Auguste Baume (1820-1859), and a gilding operation also called Baume frères perhaps run with their youngest brother, Eugène Baume (1822-1875).
Their father’s bankruptcy likely kept him from being officially involved, but he certainly continued to contribute to the efforts of his young sons. He died in 1867, having seen his sons build a flourishing watchmaking business, marry, and have children of their own.
Although the original establishment of the company is murky2, it is clear that the Baume family was at the center of watchmaking in Les Bois by the 1840s. Production of components was distributed across the region, with small workshops contributing individual components that were brought together as semi-finished watches to be disassembled, finished, adjusted, and reassembled for sale. The Baume brothers acted as wholesalers, gathering these watches for sale in La Chaux-de-Fonds and Neuchâtel. But the ambitious young men saw greater opportunity in the trade, leaving the village and even the country to make that happen.
An Early and Unusual Vertical Strategy
The hallmark of industrialized watchmaking is vertical integration: Starting in the late 19th century, manufactures like Longines, Omega, and Zénith attempted to consolidate production of as many components as possible under their control, either under the same roof or by purchasing supplier factories. This was a repudiation of the etablisseur tradition, which collected components produced by thousands of tiny workshops to produce a finished watch. Vertical integration was incredibly controversial, pitting traditional watchmaking fathers against their industrialist sons and even whole cities like Geneva and La Chaux-de-Fonds against upstarts like Bienne and Grenchen. This was a wholesale mindset shift that enabled 20th century industrial watchmaking.
This is why the Baume brothers are so interesting: They built a different kind of integrated company that embraced the workshop tradition while ensuring control and quality. And it connected rural Les Bois to La Chaux-de-Fonds, Geneva, and London! There are very few examples of such a far-reaching watchmaking enterprise, and certainly none this early.
Victor Baume (1817-1887) was the oldest surviving son and lead a sprawling network of businesses lead by his three younger brothersThe idea was straightforward but it was incredibly challenging. Each of the four Baume brothers established his own business focused on a key aspect of watchmaking:
- Since he was the oldest son, Victor Baume remained in Les Bois to run the company and source raw components from the workshops of the Jura
- Célestin Baume moved to England, focused on watch finishing and sales, leveraging the skilled watchmakers in Clerkenwell north of London
- Auguste Baume specialized in gilding movements and producing dials, first in Les Bois but soon moving to La Chaux-de-Fonds
- Eugène Baume ran a finishing and sales operation in Geneva, securing the finest watchmaking skills and commercial opportunities there
This dispersed watchmaking enterprise was active by the 1850s, when the Baume brothers were still under 40. Their presence in London and Geneva gave them an incredible understanding of the market, which was widely misunderstood by parochial competitors in the Vallée de Joux, Le Locle, and La Chaux-de-Fonds. And their effective use of the finest watchmakers in these cities allowed them to exploit the inexpensive and rough components produced in the Swiss Jura.
Focus on the English Market
The young Baume brothers faced a significant decision in the 1840s: Would they produce watches in the thinner French style or the robust English genre? Given that their home in the Swiss Jura was firmly in the French sphere of influence (harboring both Huguenots and French Catholics alongside revolutionaries opposed to German Berne) one would think it a simple choice. And since Les Bois was among the first Swiss firms to adopt the cylinder escapement and Lépine ebauche, their watches were better suited for the French market. But Victor Baume opted instead to build a bridge between Les Bois and London, and 25 year old Célestin Baume departed for London in 1844.
Clerkenwell was filled with watchmaking workshops in the 18th centuryBaume settled in Clerkenwell, which was a center for watchmakers in the 1850s. As was the case everywhere before the industrial revolution, British watchmakers worked in small workshops, performing specialized tasks to produce finished watches. But the watchmakers of Clerkenwell were far more skilled than their Swiss counterparts at this time, and they knew exactly what British buyers wanted. Célestin Baume quickly built a network of specialists that could turn the rough components of the Jura into high-quality English style watches.
The Baume brothers innovated beyond the classic English watch design, but always kept close enough to keep from alienating customers. The firm created the first watch to use the 3/4 plate design typical in Germany with their modern cylinder escapement. And as early as 1851 they created the first so-called “flat glass” cases, with a tall polished bezel housing a flat glass crystal. These soon became popular with English gentlemen and were widely copied.
The watches produced by the Baume brothers were in strong demand in London and the British Empire. It was said that wholesalers would descend on the Clerkenwell office as soon as a new batch was ready, carrying them throughout England, Scotland, and Ireland. Baume even had distributors carrying their watches to Australia and New Zealand as well as British ports in Asia.
A photograph of Hatton Garden in 1895As early as 1852 Célestin Baume had partnered in a retail operation located along the fashionable street of Hatton Garden. Baume & Lezard remained in operation until 1872, exposing the company’s products to buyers from around the British Empire. The company chose the block of buildings behind the Union Bank at Holborn Circle, situated alongside many other jewelers and watch retailers. This block remains the home of upscale jewelers today and was the home of the De Beers diamond company for a century.
In 1876, control of the London operation passed from Célestin Baume to his nephew, Arthur (about 1852-1936). Over nearly a half-century in Hatton Garden, Arthur Baume would become a fixture in London society, contributing to the so-called “Swiss Colony” as well as more conventional organizations like the Royal Geographical Society. Arthur’s connections allowed him to challenge the status quo of British watches, tempting fashionable gentlemen away from the old fashioned designs that had earned Baume & Company a place in the market.
In addition to selling watches produced by their own workshops in London and Switzerland, the Baume & Company showroom represented the Longines factory of Saint-Imier. The English considered the anchor or “Swiss lever” escapement to be unreliable, but the Longines watch was eventually able to overcome this reputation. Thus, the Baume Brothers not only met the needs of the British market but cracked it open for French and Swiss imports! The Baume Frères “Ironclad” pocket watch also caught on with the British sportsman thanks to its unusual oxidized steel case.
Another major new product to reach Switzerland through the Baume showroom was the so-called “Four-in-Hand” watch. This used a large 38-ligne movement and could be mounted on the dashboard of a “brougham, dog-cart, Raleigh cart, or similar vehicle.” Longines produced these clocks with 30-hour or 8-day movements as large as 60 lignes and they became a must-have accessory that lasted even into the time of the automobile.
Consolidation of Swiss Suppliers
While Célestin focused on his English customers, his brothers continued to organize and centralize their supplier relationships.
The third brother, Auguste Baume focused on gilding (“dorage”) in the first half of the 1850s but was listed alongside Baume frères in Les Bois as a “negociant et fabricant” in the second half of the decade. About 1856, Auguste moved to La Chaux-de-Fonds to tap into the network of suppliers there, but this effort was cut short: He died on May 29 1859 at just 38 years of age. Still, the Baume family maintained its ties to suppliers in La Chaux-de-Fonds, and would move the operation to the city in the 20th century.
The Baume workshop in Geneva was located in the long block of buildings across the yard from the railroad station shown in this 1860s illustrationYoungest brother Eugène Baume was a skilled assembler of watches in Les Bois before moving to Geneva in 1859. He spent his life connecting the Baume family to the skilled makers of complicated watches and suppliers of gold cases there. His watch finishing operation was located on the right bank in Geneva, moving one block from Rue du Pradier 3 to rue du Mont-Blanc 20 by 1866. Eugène’s life was cut short on February 24, 1875, ending the official presence of the Frères Baume in Geneva.
The marriages of the Baume siblings created deeper connections: Their spouses included a Chapuis, two Jobins, two Girardins, and a Piquerez, all familiar names in watchmaking. There are many records showing contributions by the Jobin family in particular3 to the growing Baume enterprise, jointly opening a steam-powered watch case factory in Le Noirmont and Les Bois.
The 1857 Industrie-Ausstellung in Berne is remembered as the first true national expositionIn 1857 the Frères Baume exhibited at the Swiss Trade and Industrial Exhibition in Berne. This was a predecessor to the familiar Swiss Industries Fair in Basel (later called BaselWorld) as well as the famous series of national expositions, which continue to this day. The company sent 59 watches (21 in silver and 38 in gold), “all exquisitely crafted and valued at over 7,000 francs; they were produced by Messrs. Baume in the style of the watches they manufacture for the English market, where the firm successfully sells its products to great advantage.” The company was criticized for the crudeness of its display (it was the first-ever such expo after all), as well as the fact that none of its successful English-style watches were included. But this is no surprise, since the company was already producing different watches in Les Bois, Geneva, and London, and this exhibit only reflected local products from the Jura region. Considering how young the company was, this global scope was truly revolutionary.
Fragmentation of the Baume Family
Perhaps it is unsurprising that this far-reaching and interconnected network of companies did not last. Control of the Baume family business fell solely to Victor’s sons, since Auguste and Eugène lacked heirs, and Célestin’s son Alexandre died tragically in Alsace in 1894.
Alcide and Virgile Baume replaced Victor and his brothers as the namesake “frères Baume” in the 1883 FOSC survey of Swiss businesses, though Victor Baume retained his power of attorney until his death in September of 1887. Alcide, Virgile, and Mélina Baume inherited the Swiss properties of their father Victor three years earlier; middle brother Arthur Baume is left out, as he had become a British citizen and taken over the London firm of Baume & Co in 1876.
The Les Bois factory was offered for sale in August of 1889 as the firm became more reliant on suppliers in La Chaux-de-Fonds and Geneva24 year old Virgile Baume aligned himself with the London branch in 1885, moving to Geneva to re-establish Baume & Co there after the death of his uncle Eugène a decade earlier. He was removed from the Les Bois operation in 1892, with his older brother Alcide Baume becoming the sole “successeur de Baume frères.” Alcide also took over the Le Noirmont watch case factory formerly called Baume & Jobin. But Alcide was increasingly focused on supplier companies outside Les Bois. In August 1889 he offered the company’s brand new factory, including its 8 horsepower steam power plant, for sale. He simply no longer needed manufacturing in the village of his birth.
Everything seemed to be going well for Alcide Baume, who married Alexine Chapuis and welcomed twin sons Jämes and Alexandre in 1882, followed by Rachel in 1884, William in 1885, Jeanne in 1887, and Marguerite in 1892. But Alcide’s family would never be as close as their predecessors. Alexine died on September 8, 1893, leaving business-focused Alcide with six young children. They were raised at boarding schools4, as their father and uncles had been, but with no home in Les Bois to welcome them.
Jeanneret and Mosimann
With Jämes Baume intent on becoming a dentist, Alcide Baume sent his twin Alexandre to London in 1904 to learn about the family’s British business. It is likely that Alexandre worked at Baume & Co in Hatton Garden alongside another Swiss apprentice three years older, Paul-César Jeanneret. Alexandre must have impressed his uncle Arthur, as he remained in London and took over the British operation in 1923.
Paul-C. Jeanneret was sent back to La Chaux-de-Fonds a few months after Alexandre arrived to establish a better supply network for Baume & Co. This operation was acquired in 1909, becoming an official subsidiary of the British firm.
With the historic Baume family workshop in Les Bois now closed, the remaining corporate structure was merged into an established firm in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1911. Ulrich Mosimann established a watch workshop in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1876, the same year Arthur took over Baume & Co in London. He was likely a supplier of the British branch, either directly or through Victor and Alcide Baume in Les Bois. His sons, Paul and Albert Mosimann, took over the company as Mosimann frères following his death in 1889 and incorporated it as Mosimann & Cie six years later. Paul Mosimann became increasingly important in politics and in the Swiss watch industry, becoming mayor of La Chaux-de-Fonds and a National Councilor and president of the Chambre Suisse de l’Horlogerie, leaving him little time for his family firm.
Following their 1911 acquisition of the Baume family watchmaking business, Mosimann & Cie became their true successor. Their Mildia brand was acquired by Schwarz-Etienne in 1976 and closed in 2004.When Paul Mosimann left Mosimann & Cie in 1911, the former firm of Alcide Baume in Les Bois was absorbed into it, with Alcide’s son William Baume joining Albert Mosimann as owner.
The three successor companies (Baume & Co of London and La Chaux-de-Fonds and Mosimann & Cie) must have been very close indeed: They used the same trademarks, with confusing overlapping registrations for “Baume Watch”, “Baume”, and the “B & Co” hallmark found on British and Swiss movements alike. Following the death of Alcide Baume on May 20, 1916 the La Chaux-de-Fonds businesses even shared the same office at Rue du Nord 1165. Jeanneret left the company in 1913 to focus on greater ambitions, becoming the head of the Syndicat des Fabricants Suisses de Montres Or and founding the Information Horlogère Suisse, a clearinghouse of industry statistics. He was replaced by young William Baume, son of Alcide and brother of Alexandre.
Baume & Mercier, Baume & Company, and Baume
Following the death of his father, with his brother ensconced in London and the historic Baume family companies now under the ownership of the Mosimann family, William Baume looked elsewhere. He had met a dashing salesman at the Geneva showroom of Haas Neveux while on a business trip in 1912. Baume decided to take his inheritance and invest it in a new partnership with Paul Tcherednitchenko-dit-Mercier in 1918. Thus, the Geneva firm of Baume et Mercier was born.
Baume & Mercier was located on the Grand Quai next to the famous Hotel Metropole in GenevaIn 1923, after nearly 50 years in control, Arthur Baume passed control of Baume & Company in London to his nephew, William brother, Alexandre Baume. He continued to grow the business there, soon coming into competition with his brother’s Baume & Mercier. Baume & Company was able to prevent the Geneva upstart from using the family name in the British market, especially after William was forced out during the Great Depression. Alexandre was succeeded in 1946 by his own son, Louis-C. Baume, who continued the firm until the 1960s.
Following his 1934 departure from his namesake firm of Baume & Mercier, William Baume opened a retail jewelry store in Geneva. The Baume showroom, located directly across the street from the famous department store Grand Passage, represented the great Swiss watch brands: Zénith, Tissot, Omega, Longines, and even Baume & Mercier! The business was continued by Baume’s own sons well into the 1970s.
William Baume became a retail jeweler after being forced out of Baume & Mercier during the Great DepressionThe Grail Watch Perspective
The most impressive accomplishment of the Baume family was how quickly they built a global watchmaking business, and how early they were to the idea of vertical integration. Even before industrialization and factories, Victor Baume and his brothers understood the importance of controlling the supply chain and the value of reaching all the way to the customer. Despite being constrained by the nature of watchmaking in the 19th century, both in Switzerland and in England, which was limited to small workshops and suppliers, the Baume brothers built a remarkable enterprise.
The wide reach of the Baume family watchmaking business made it incredibly difficult to research. There is very little primary source information, and I am far more adept when it comes to Swiss history than British archives. Thankfully, David Boettcher beat me to it with a thorough look at Baume & Company in England, and I suggest looking at his excellent article! I have far more to say on this subject, and hope to write a follow-on article about “Baume After Mercier” in the future.
Notes
- It is often said that Victor and Célestin Baume organized a watchmaking company in 1834, but this must have been their father, since Victor (the oldest) was just 17 years of age and could not legally or practically form a company at this point. For decades, Baume & Mercier advertising has shown a date of 1830, but this does not correspond with anything in historic records. Incredibly, even William Baume included “Horloger depuis 1830” in his advertisements in the 1940s!
- In 2010, Baume & Mercier posted a series of 16 diary entries alleged to be written by Victor Baume and his grandson, William. Although it is filled with anachronisms and inaccuracies, it contains some interesting details on the family and makes for an enjoyable read. But the connection between the Baume family and Baume & Mercier is vastly over-stated in modern times.
- The Jobin and Baume families did not always get along: Aurèle Jobin clashed with his cousin Arthur Baume shortly after he moved to London to take over Baume & Co in 1876. This lead to a public confrontation when Alcide Baume sent Aurèle’s private apology to Le Jura for publication!
- Even 18 moth old Marguerite was sent to boarding school: The 2010 diary, which appears better-sourced when it comes to William’s entries, claims that Marguerite was raised at a boarding school in Vienna. It also claims she sat on the lap of Habsburg Emperor Franz Joseph, an odd and specific recollection.
- Despite housing two companies, and being on the block below the famous Montbrillant factory, the building at Rue du Nord 116 was not very large or notable. I was unable to find a good photo, let alone any indication of the occupants.
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Baume Before Mercier
The recently-announced sale of Baume & Mercier by Richemont to Italian distributor Damiani Group spurred me to research the history of that famous brand. Just as there was a LeCoultre before Jaeger, an Audemars before Piguet, and a Vacheron before Constantin, there was a Baume before Mercier. These unions often tell a story of greater transitions in the industry rather than simply consolidation of corporate control. And the story of the Baume family of Les Bois and London is particularly illuminating.
Long before Baume & Mercier was founded the Baume brothers of Les Bois built a watchmaking enterprise reaching London and beyond!Note: Baume & Mercier is an independent company founded in 1918 by William Baume. This Geneva-based retail and manufacturing company has no real connection to the historic company founded by his great grandfather, Louis-Joseph Baume, with whom we shall begin. His company, known as Frères Baume, was primarily focused on British market through a related company, Baume & Co of London. Even though William Baume worked for these family firms, Baume & Mercier was entirely independent and was locked out of the British market by Baume & Co for most of the 20th century.
The Baume Family of Les Bois
Louis-Joseph Baume (1783-1867) and his wife Agnès née Froidevaux (1786-1850) lived in the remote village of Les Bois, a French-speaking area along the current national border which was annexed into the German-dominated Canton of Berne in 1815. Baume was a farmer like most of his neighbors, but starting in 1834 he also produced watches at a home-based workshop. He would deliver these to La Chaux-de-Fonds, a rising center of watchmaking located an easy 2-hour walk southeast on the Jura plateau. He appears to have been found bankrupt in 1835. The Baume family lost their first five children, four of whom died as young children in 1816. But three daughters and four sons born later survived.
Victor Baume (1817-1887) and his brother Célestin Baume (1819-1880) organized a watchmaking company as “Baume frères” as soon as they reached the age of maturity in 18401. In 1848, when the Indicateur Davoine directory first includes Les Bois, it shows “Baume frères, fabricans d’horlogerie.” This listing also includes their brother, watchmaker Auguste Baume (1820-1859), and a gilding operation also called Baume frères perhaps run with their youngest brother, Eugène Baume (1822-1875).
Their father’s bankruptcy likely kept him from being officially involved, but he certainly continued to contribute to the efforts of his young sons. He died in 1867, having seen his sons build a flourishing watchmaking business, marry, and have children of their own.
Although the original establishment of the company is murky2, it is clear that the Baume family was at the center of watchmaking in Les Bois by the 1840s. Production of components was distributed across the region, with small workshops contributing individual components that were brought together as semi-finished watches to be disassembled, finished, adjusted, and reassembled for sale. The Baume brothers acted as wholesalers, gathering these watches for sale in La Chaux-de-Fonds and Neuchâtel. But the ambitious young men saw greater opportunity in the trade, leaving the village and even the country to make that happen.
An Early and Unusual Vertical Strategy
The hallmark of industrialized watchmaking is vertical integration: Starting in the late 19th century, manufactures like Longines, Omega, and Zénith attempted to consolidate production of as many components as possible under their control, either under the same roof or by purchasing supplier factories. This was a repudiation of the etablisseur tradition, which collected components produced by thousands of tiny workshops to produce a finished watch. Vertical integration was incredibly controversial, pitting traditional watchmaking fathers against their industrialist sons and even whole cities like Geneva and La Chaux-de-Fonds against upstarts like Bienne and Grenchen. This was a wholesale mindset shift that enabled 20th century industrial watchmaking.
This is why the Baume brothers are so interesting: They built a different kind of integrated company that embraced the workshop tradition while ensuring control and quality. And it connected rural Les Bois to La Chaux-de-Fonds, Geneva, and London! There are very few examples of such a far-reaching watchmaking enterprise, and certainly none this early.
Victor Baume (1817-1887) was the oldest surviving son and lead a sprawling network of businesses lead by his three younger brothersThe idea was straightforward but it was incredibly challenging. Each of the four Baume brothers established his own business focused on a key aspect of watchmaking:
- Since he was the oldest son, Victor Baume remained in Les Bois to run the company and source raw components from the workshops of the Jura
- Célestin Baume moved to England, focused on watch finishing and sales, leveraging the skilled watchmakers in Clerkenwell north of London
- Auguste Baume specialized in gilding movements and producing dials, first in Les Bois but soon moving to La Chaux-de-Fonds
- Eugène Baume ran a finishing and sales operation in Geneva, securing the finest watchmaking skills and commercial opportunities there
This dispersed watchmaking enterprise was active by the 1850s, when the Baume brothers were still under 40. Their presence in London and Geneva gave them an incredible understanding of the market, which was widely misunderstood by parochial competitors in the Vallée de Joux, Le Locle, and La Chaux-de-Fonds. And their effective use of the finest watchmakers in these cities allowed them to exploit the inexpensive and rough components produced in the Swiss Jura.
Focus on the English Market
The young Baume brothers faced a significant decision in the 1840s: Would they produce watches in the thinner French style or the robust English genre? Given that their home in the Swiss Jura was firmly in the French sphere of influence (harboring both Huguenots and French Catholics alongside revolutionaries opposed to German Berne) one would think it a simple choice. And since Les Bois was among the first Swiss firms to adopt the cylinder escapement and Lépine ebauche, their watches were better suited for the French market. But Victor Baume opted instead to build a bridge between Les Bois and London, and 25 year old Célestin Baume departed for London in 1844.
Clerkenwell was filled with watchmaking workshops in the 18th centuryBaume settled in Clerkenwell, which was a center for watchmakers in the 1850s. As was the case everywhere before the industrial revolution, British watchmakers worked in small workshops, performing specialized tasks to produce finished watches. But the watchmakers of Clerkenwell were far more skilled than their Swiss counterparts at this time, and they knew exactly what British buyers wanted. Célestin Baume quickly built a network of specialists that could turn the rough components of the Jura into high-quality English style watches.
The Baume brothers innovated beyond the classic English watch design, but always kept close enough to keep from alienating customers. The firm created the first watch to use the 3/4 plate design typical in Germany with their modern cylinder escapement. And as early as 1851 they created the first so-called “flat glass” cases, with a tall polished bezel housing a flat glass crystal. These soon became popular with English gentlemen and were widely copied.
The watches produced by the Baume brothers were in strong demand in London and the British Empire. It was said that wholesalers would descend on the Clerkenwell office as soon as a new batch was ready, carrying them throughout England, Scotland, and Ireland. Baume even had distributors carrying their watches to Australia and New Zealand as well as British ports in Asia.
A photograph of Hatton Garden in 1895As early as 1852 Célestin Baume had partnered in a retail operation located along the fashionable street of Hatton Garden. Baume & Lezard remained in operation until 1872, exposing the company’s products to buyers from around the British Empire. The company chose the block of buildings behind the Union Bank at Holborn Circle, situated alongside many other jewelers and watch retailers. This block remains the home of upscale jewelers today and was the home of the De Beers diamond company for a century.
In 1876, control of the London operation passed from Célestin Baume to his nephew, Arthur (about 1852-1936). Over nearly a half-century in Hatton Garden, Arthur Baume would become a fixture in London society, contributing to the so-called “Swiss Colony” as well as more conventional organizations like the Royal Geographical Society. Arthur’s connections allowed him to challenge the status quo of British watches, tempting fashionable gentlemen away from the old fashioned designs that had earned Baume & Company a place in the market.
In addition to selling watches produced by their own workshops in London and Switzerland, the Baume & Company showroom represented the Longines factory of Saint-Imier. The English considered the anchor or “Swiss lever” escapement to be unreliable, but the Longines watch was eventually able to overcome this reputation. Thus, the Baume Brothers not only met the needs of the British market but cracked it open for French and Swiss imports! The Baume Frères “Ironclad” pocket watch also caught on with the British sportsman thanks to its unusual oxidized steel case.
Another major new product to reach Switzerland through the Baume showroom was the so-called “Four-in-Hand” watch. This used a large 38-ligne movement and could be mounted on the dashboard of a “brougham, dog-cart, Raleigh cart, or similar vehicle.” Longines produced these clocks with 30-hour or 8-day movements as large as 60 lignes and they became a must-have accessory that lasted even into the time of the automobile.
Consolidation of Swiss Suppliers
While Célestin focused on his English customers, his brothers continued to organize and centralize their supplier relationships.
The third brother, Auguste Baume focused on gilding (“dorage”) in the first half of the 1850s but was listed alongside Baume frères in Les Bois as a “negociant et fabricant” in the second half of the decade. About 1856, Auguste moved to La Chaux-de-Fonds to tap into the network of suppliers there, but this effort was cut short: He died on May 29 1859 at just 38 years of age. Still, the Baume family maintained its ties to suppliers in La Chaux-de-Fonds, and would move the operation to the city in the 20th century.
The Baume workshop in Geneva was located in the long block of buildings across the yard from the railroad station shown in this 1860s illustrationYoungest brother Eugène Baume was a skilled assembler of watches in Les Bois before moving to Geneva in 1859. He spent his life connecting the Baume family to the skilled makers of complicated watches and suppliers of gold cases there. His watch finishing operation was located on the right bank in Geneva, moving one block from Rue du Pradier 3 to rue du Mont-Blanc 20 by 1866. Eugène’s life was cut short on February 24, 1875, ending the official presence of the Frères Baume in Geneva.
The marriages of the Baume siblings created deeper connections: Their spouses included a Chapuis, two Jobins, two Girardins, and a Piquerez, all familiar names in watchmaking. There are many records showing contributions by the Jobin family in particular3 to the growing Baume enterprise, jointly opening a steam-powered watch case factory in Le Noirmont and Les Bois.
The 1857 Industrie-Ausstellung in Berne is remembered as the first true national expositionIn 1857 the Frères Baume exhibited at the Swiss Trade and Industrial Exhibition in Berne. This was a predecessor to the familiar Swiss Industries Fair in Basel (later called BaselWorld) as well as the famous series of national expositions, which continue to this day. The company sent 59 watches (21 in silver and 38 in gold), “all exquisitely crafted and valued at over 7,000 francs; they were produced by Messrs. Baume in the style of the watches they manufacture for the English market, where the firm successfully sells its products to great advantage.” The company was criticized for the crudeness of its display (it was the first-ever such expo after all), as well as the fact that none of its successful English-style watches were included. But this is no surprise, since the company was already producing different watches in Les Bois, Geneva, and London, and this exhibit only reflected local products from the Jura region. Considering how young the company was, this global scope was truly revolutionary.
Fragmentation of the Baume Family
Perhaps it is unsurprising that this far-reaching and interconnected network of companies did not last. Control of the Baume family business fell solely to Victor’s sons, since Auguste and Eugène lacked heirs, and Célestin’s son Alexandre died tragically in Alsace in 1894.
Alcide and Virgile Baume replaced Victor and his brothers as the namesake “frères Baume” in the 1883 FOSC survey of Swiss businesses, though Victor Baume retained his power of attorney until his death in September of 1887. Alcide, Virgile, and Mélina Baume inherited the Swiss properties of their father Victor three years earlier; middle brother Arthur Baume is left out, as he had become a British citizen and taken over the London firm of Baume & Co in 1876.
The Les Bois factory was offered for sale in August of 1889 as the firm became more reliant on suppliers in La Chaux-de-Fonds and Geneva24 year old Virgile Baume aligned himself with the London branch in 1885, moving to Geneva to re-establish Baume & Co there after the death of his uncle Eugène a decade earlier. He was removed from the Les Bois operation in 1892, with his older brother Alcide Baume becoming the sole “successeur de Baume frères.” Alcide also took over the Le Noirmont watch case factory formerly called Baume & Jobin. But Alcide was increasingly focused on supplier companies outside Les Bois. In August 1889 he offered the company’s brand new factory, including its 8 horsepower steam power plant, for sale. He simply no longer needed manufacturing in the village of his birth.
Everything seemed to be going well for Alcide Baume, who married Alexine Chapuis and welcomed twin sons Jämes and Alexandre in 1882, followed by Rachel in 1884, William in 1885, Jeanne in 1887, and Marguerite in 1892. But Alcide’s family would never be as close as their predecessors. Alexine died on September 8, 1893, leaving business-focused Alcide with six young children. They were raised at boarding schools4, as their father and uncles had been, but with no home in Les Bois to welcome them.
Jeanneret and Mosimann
With Jämes Baume intent on becoming a dentist, Alcide Baume sent his twin Alexandre to London in 1904 to learn about the family’s British business. It is likely that Alexandre worked at Baume & Co in Hatton Garden alongside another Swiss apprentice three years older, Paul-César Jeanneret. Alexandre must have impressed his uncle Arthur, as he remained in London and took over the British operation in 1923.
Paul-C. Jeanneret was sent back to La Chaux-de-Fonds a few months after Alexandre arrived to establish a better supply network for Baume & Co. This operation was acquired in 1909, becoming an official subsidiary of the British firm.
With the historic Baume family workshop in Les Bois now closed, the remaining corporate structure was merged into an established firm in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1911. Ulrich Mosimann established a watch workshop in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1876, the same year Arthur took over Baume & Co in London. He was likely a supplier of the British branch, either directly or through Victor and Alcide Baume in Les Bois. His sons, Paul and Albert Mosimann, took over the company as Mosimann frères following his death in 1889 and incorporated it as Mosimann & Cie six years later. Paul Mosimann became increasingly important in politics and in the Swiss watch industry, becoming mayor of La Chaux-de-Fonds and a National Councilor and president of the Chambre Suisse de l’Horlogerie, leaving him little time for his family firm.
Following their 1911 acquisition of the Baume family watchmaking business, Mosimann & Cie became their true successor. Their Mildia brand was acquired by Schwarz-Etienne in 1976 and closed in 2004.When Paul Mosimann left Mosimann & Cie in 1911, the former firm of Alcide Baume in Les Bois was absorbed into it, with Alcide’s son William Baume joining Albert Mosimann as owner.
The three successor companies (Baume & Co of London and La Chaux-de-Fonds and Mosimann & Cie) must have been very close indeed: They used the same trademarks, with confusing overlapping registrations for “Baume Watch”, “Baume”, and the “B & Co” hallmark found on British and Swiss movements alike. Following the death of Alcide Baume on May 20, 1916 the La Chaux-de-Fonds businesses even shared the same office at Rue du Nord 1165. Jeanneret left the company in 1913 to focus on greater ambitions, becoming the head of the Syndicat des Fabricants Suisses de Montres Or and founding the Information Horlogère Suisse, a clearinghouse of industry statistics. He was replaced by young William Baume, son of Alcide and brother of Alexandre.
Baume & Mercier, Baume & Company, and Baume
Following the death of his father, with his brother ensconced in London and the historic Baume family companies now under the ownership of the Mosimann family, William Baume looked elsewhere. He had met a dashing salesman at the Geneva showroom of Haas Neveux while on a business trip in 1912. Baume decided to take his inheritance and invest it in a new partnership with Paul Tcherednitchenko-dit-Mercier in 1918. Thus, the Geneva firm of Baume et Mercier was born.
Baume & Mercier was located on the Grand Quai next to the famous Hotel Metropole in GenevaIn 1923, after nearly 50 years in control, Arthur Baume passed control of Baume & Company in London to his nephew, William brother, Alexandre Baume. He continued to grow the business there, soon coming into competition with his brother’s Baume & Mercier. Baume & Company was able to prevent the Geneva upstart from using the family name in the British market, especially after William was forced out during the Great Depression. Alexandre was succeeded in 1946 by his own son, Louis-C. Baume, who continued the firm until the 1960s.
Following his 1934 departure from his namesake firm of Baume & Mercier, William Baume opened a retail jewelry store in Geneva. The Baume showroom, located directly across the street from the famous department store Grand Passage, represented the great Swiss watch brands: Zénith, Tissot, Omega, Longines, and even Baume & Mercier! The business was continued by Baume’s own sons well into the 1970s.
William Baume became a retail jeweler after being forced out of Baume & Mercier during the Great DepressionThe Grail Watch Perspective
The most impressive accomplishment of the Baume family was how quickly they built a global watchmaking business, and how early they were to the idea of vertical integration. Even before industrialization and factories, Victor Baume and his brothers understood the importance of controlling the supply chain and the value of reaching all the way to the customer. Despite being constrained by the nature of watchmaking in the 19th century, both in Switzerland and in England, which was limited to small workshops and suppliers, the Baume brothers built a remarkable enterprise.
The wide reach of the Baume family watchmaking business made it incredibly difficult to research. There is very little primary source information, and I am far more adept when it comes to Swiss history than British archives. Thankfully, David Boettcher beat me to it with a thorough look at Baume & Company in England, and I suggest looking at his excellent article! I have far more to say on this subject, and hope to write a follow-on article about “Baume After Mercier” in the future.
Notes
- It is often said that Victor and Célestin Baume organized a watchmaking company in 1834, but this must have been their father, since Victor (the oldest) was just 17 years of age and could not legally or practically form a company at this point. For decades, Baume & Mercier advertising has shown a date of 1830, but this does not correspond with anything in historic records. Incredibly, even William Baume included “Horloger depuis 1830” in his advertisements in the 1940s!
- In 2010, Baume & Mercier posted a series of 16 diary entries alleged to be written by Victor Baume and his grandson, William. Although it is filled with anachronisms and inaccuracies, it contains some interesting details on the family and makes for an enjoyable read. But the connection between the Baume family and Baume & Mercier is vastly over-stated in modern times.
- The Jobin and Baume families did not always get along: Aurèle Jobin clashed with his cousin Arthur Baume shortly after he moved to London to take over Baume & Co in 1876. This lead to a public confrontation when Alcide Baume sent Aurèle’s private apology to Le Jura for publication!
- Even 18 moth old Marguerite was sent to boarding school: The 2010 diary, which appears better-sourced when it comes to William’s entries, claims that Marguerite was raised at a boarding school in Vienna. It also claims she sat on the lap of Habsburg Emperor Franz Joseph, an odd and specific recollection.
- Despite housing two companies, and being on the block below the famous Montbrillant factory, the building at Rue du Nord 116 was not very large or notable. I was unable to find a good photo, let alone any indication of the occupants.
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PROTECT: The Sea Level Rise Question
There is currently some discussion in the Danish media about sea level rise hazards and the risk of rapid changes that may or may not be on the horizon. Some of the discussion is about IPCC estimates. That’s a little unfortunate and in fact a bit unfair as the IPCC report has not been updated since 2021, nor was it intended to have been. In the mean time there has been a lot of additional science to clear up some of the ambiguities and questions left from the last report.
I’ve been working quite a bit on the cryosphere part of the sea level question of late, so thought I’d share some insights from the latest research into the debate at this point. And I have a pretty specific viewpoint here, because I’ve been working with the datasets, models, climate outputs etc that will likely go into the next IPCC report as part of a couple of EU funded projects. As part of that, we have prepared a policy briefing that will be presented to the European Parliament in June this year, but it’s already online now and will no doubt cross your socials later this week. I’m going to put in some highlights into this post too.
Now, I want to be really clear that everything I say in this post can be backed up with peer reviewed science, most of which have been published in the last 2 to 3 years. Let’s start with the summary:.:
- The sea is rising. And the rate of rise is currently accelerating.
- The sea will continue to rise long into the future.
- The rate of that sea level rise is largely in our society’s hands, given that it is strongly related to greenhouse gas emissions.
- We have already committed to at least 2m of sea level rise by 2300.
- By the end of 2100 most small glaciers and ice caps will be gone, mountain glaciers will contribute 20-24% of total sea-level rise under varying emission scenarios.
- Antarctic and Greenland ice sheet mass loss will contribute significantly to sea-level rise for centuries, even under low emissions scenarios
- Abrupt sea level rise on the order of metres in a few decades is not credible given new understanding of key ice processes.
- By the end of this century we expect on the order of a half to one metre of sea level rise around Denmark, depending on emissions pathway.
- Your local sea level rise is not the same as the global average and some areas, primarily those at lower latitudes will experience higher total sea level rise and earlier than in regions at higher latitudes.
- We have created a local sea level rise tool. You should still check your local coastal services provider, they will certainly have something tailor made for your local coastline (or they *should*!), but for something more updated than the IPCC, with latest SLR data, this is the one to check.
Sea level rise now is ~5mm per year averaged over the last 5 years, 10 years ago it was about 3 mm per year). Much of that sea level rise comes from melting ice, particularly the small glaciers and ice caps that are melting very fast indeed right now. Even under lower levels of emissions, those losses will increase. There won’t be many left by the end of this century.
Greenland is the largest single contributor and adds just less than a millimetre of sea level rise per year, with Antarctica contributing around a third of Greenland, primarily from the Amundsen Sea sector. The remaining sea level rise comes from thermal expansion of the oceans. Our work shows very clearly that the emissions pathway we follow as a human society will determine the ultimate sea level rise, but also how fast that will be achieved. The less we burn, the lower and slower the rise. But even under a low-end Paris scenario, we expect around 1 metre of sea level by 2300.
The long tail of sea level rise will come from Antarctica, where the ocean is accelerating melt of, in particular, West Antarctica. However, our recent work and that of other ice sheet groups shows that the risk of multi-metre sea level rise within a few decades is unrealistic. Again, to be very clear: We can’t rule out multiple metres of sea level rise, but it will happen on a timescale of centuries rather than years. High emissions pathways make multiple metres of sea level rise more likely. In fact, our results show that even under low emissions pathways, we may still be committed to losing some parts of especially West Antarctica, but it will still take a long-time for the Antarctic ice sheet to disintegrate. We have time to prepare our coastlines.
Greenland is losing ice much faster than Antarctica, and here atmospheric processes and firn and snow are more important than the ocean and these are also where the læarge uncertainties are. As I’ve written about before, that protective layer of compressed snow and ice will determine how quickly Greenland melts, as it is lost, the ice sheet will accelerate it’s contribution to sea level. This is a process that is included in our estimates.
There’s so much more I could write, but that’s supposed to be the high level summary. Feel free to shoot me questions in the comment feeds. I’ll do my best to answer them.
Five years ago, a small group of European scientists got together to do something really ambitious: work out how quickly and how far the sea will rise, both locally and on average worldwide, from the melting of glaciers and ice sheets. The PROTECT project was the first EU funded project in 10 years to really grapple with the state-of-the-art in ice sheet and glacier melt and the implications for sea level rise and to really seek to understand what is the problem, what are the uncertainties, what can we do about it.
We were and are a group of climate scientists, glaciologists, remote sensors, ice sheet modellers, atmospheric and ocean physicists, professors, statisticians, students, coastal adaptation specialists, social scientists and geodesists, stakeholders and policymakers. We’ve produced more than 155 scientific papers in the last 5 years (with more on the way) and now our findings are summarised in our new policy briefing for the European Parliament.
It’s been a formative, exhilarating and occasionally tough experience doing big science in the Horizon 2020 framework, but we’ve genuinely made some big steps forward, including new estimates of rates of ice sheet and glacier loss, a better understanding of some key processes, particularly calving and the influence of the ocean on the loss of ice shelves. More importantly for human societies, by integrating the social scientists into the project, we have had a very clear focus on how to consider sea level rise, not just as a scientific ice sheet process problem, but also how to integrate the findings into usable and workable information. In Denmark, we will start to use these inputs already in updating the Danish Climate Atlas. If you are elsewhere in the world, you may want to check out our sea level rise tool, that shows how the emissions pathway we follow, will affect your local sea level rise.
Our final recommendations?
- Accelerate emission reductions to follow the lower emission scenario to limit
cryosphere loss and associated sea-level rise - Enhance monitoring of glaciers and ice sheets to refine models and predictions
- Support the long-term development of ice sheet models, their integration into
climate models, and the coupling of glacier models with hydrological models, while
promoting education and training to build expertise in these areas - Invest in flexible and localized coastal management that incorporates
uncertainty and long-term projections - Foster international collaboration to share knowledge, resources, and strategies
for mitigating and adapting to global impacts
#Antarctica #climate #climateChange #DMI #environment #glaciers #globalWarming #GreenlandIceSheet #Science #seaLevelRise
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An inspiring story about working with #Oakum!
My #Carpentry101 crash course, and the wonders of oakum
by Kathleen McQuillan, September 26, 2024
"With the season about to shift to autumn, my mind has been focused on the final steps to restore the exterior of my log house. A project I thought would take one summer is now rounding out the end of its third. And this summer, which I thought would surely be the last, will likely leave some important steps left for next year. My inner voice repeatedly chants, 'Perseverance, dear girl. Perseverance!'
"When I began this journey into the unknown, I decided to leave work on the east wall of the house for last because, in my preliminary assessment, it looked like it would require the most time and attention. Our bitter Minnesota winters and scorching summer heat had definitely taken a toll. Dense forest surrounds my place and is closest on the east side, creating persistent shade and humidity, and poor air circulation, that together contribute to more rotting and insects. Saving the worst until last was a big, big mistake. I learned too late. Never save the hardest stuff for the end. I know that now because, in my current state of project fatigue, facing that east wall is a bit like facing El Capitan.
"I thought I was so smart back in May when I jumped on that string of nice days we had and scraped, scrubbed, and sanded five decades of detritus from that east wall just to ready it for the first coat of penetrating stain that would protect the logs from rot and bugs for many years to come. No one could have predicted that June would produce some of the heaviest rains in centuries, followed by weeks of what meteorologists called 'pop-up showers' that showed up on a nearly daily basis until mid-July.
"It would take many weeks before the now saturated logs would dry thoroughly enough to stain. My frustration with the weather spawned waves of anxiety. Our summers are short, and time was a-wastin’! I knew I’d have to review the priorities on my to-do list and recalibrate the timetable. What I needed to identify was an indoor project until the weather decided to cooperate.
"I found myself completely shifting gears from exterior log work to something indoors. The lightbulb went on. I could start upgrading my 1980s experiment with #solar power. The equipment I’d installed way back then still functioned, but I knew it was losing its zip and was shockingly obsolete. This could be my opportunity. I resumed researching where I’d left off last winter. I determined how much power I would need and how much I could invest in new equipment. I also realized that I would need to construct an area suitable to assure my system could be kept warm in the winter. I decided to design an insulated 'closet' in my three-season addition.
"For that month of sequestration, I created a personalized Intro to Carpentry 101 crash course. Thanks to the generous array of battery-powered saws, drills, bits and blades that my sons had gifted to me at Christmas two years ago and some great YouTube videos I found, I was able to complete my first solo construction project. And now I have power! That rainy weather I’d so lamented had in fact allowed me the experience of learning to read a tape measure right down to the '16ths', and everything else involved. My next #DIY challenge will be wiring my own house.
"Finally, the weather began to cooperate. The logs were drying. But before I could start staining, I would need to insulate and seal the spaces between the logs. In times past, log builders would often turn to whatever materials were on hand whether #moss and #straw, shredded newspaper, or scraps of cotton and #woolen clothing. Today, the 'make-do' materials of our ancestors have been replaced by manufactured products such as fiberglass batts, spray foam, and 'elastometric' caulks, all of which I considered, until I discovered oakum.
"Oakum is made from multiple twisted strands of #jute and #hemp soaked in #PineTar and #bentonite, a compound derived from #VolcanicAsh. It is easily manipulated to fit the varied spaces between the logs and accommodate variations from their knots and other unique features. It acts as a natural deterrent to insects and can swell or shrink with changes in humidity, enhancing its sealing capabilities. It’s been around for centuries with one of its first uses in shipbuilding when skilled maritime craftsmen would salvage worn ropes from ships’ rigging to repurpose as filler for cracks and leaks in their 16th- and 17th-century wooden sailing ships. Later it was used to build the massive networks of pipes that transport drinking and wastewater underneath our major cities. It’s still used for many modern-day plumbing repairs.
"Working with oakum has taken some getting used to. Like so many aspects of my restoration project, it’s been another trial-and-error process, learning what it can and cannot do, requiring my patience and concentration in an almost meditative way. There is an art in how tightly to twist it, so it conforms and fills the nooks and crannies endemic to log buildings. I was able to purchase a vintage shipwright’s cast iron caulking tool that has proven to be perfect for the job. I sometimes muse the by-gone era when Maritimers masterfully employed the skills I’m just learning, ones that allowed for vast ocean crossings. I appreciate attempting a traditional practice that I hope will not be lost.
"I must confess. At times, I’ve questioned my sanity, as may have some of my friends. This endeavor to restore my cabin began in sheer ignorance, and has tested every part of my being — body, mind, and spirit. My biggest fear this year has been that I might 'age out' before it’s complete, something that would be a huge disappointment to me, and a burden left for somebody else.
"I owe my family, friends and community thanks for their patience and support. I’ve turned down many invitations to commit with my truth, 'If it’s a sunny day, I’ll need to work.' Next summer, I’d like things to be different. But this year has shown me, when it comes to time, or the weather, there are no guarantees. Our priorities will sometimes need discernment and adjustment. And everything we choose to do has the power to message something meaningful.
"In many a stressful moment, working with oakum has messaged me this. Take more time when you can. And appreciate the twists and turns."
Source:
https://www.timberjay.com/stories/my-carpentry-101-crash-course-and-the-wonders-of-oakum,22030#SolarPunkSunday #DIY #BuildYourOwn #NaturalMaterials #LogCabins #Shelter #Building