TV lamp converted for Seagram's advertising

Q. I have been told the item pictured on the enclosed photograph is valuable. The wagon has a light, and the United Clock Company of Brooklyn, N.Y., manufactured the piece. Any information would be appreciated. A. There seems to be a little confusion about the particulars of the United Clock Company of Brooklyn, N.Y. One source says the founder was Abraham Levy, who remained president of the company until his death in 1961. The firm was reportedly in business at 379 DeKalb Ave. around 1905, but it was not incorporated until 1931.Another source links this company to the more famous Sessions Clock Company, but exactly how they were connected is left rather vague. This source also maintains that the United Clock Company was known for its "carnival clocks" - or cheap novelty clocks offered at carnivals as the "grand prize" in games.Indeed, the company was known for its figural and novelty clocks, and collectors can now find United Clock Company examples shaped like the Statue of Liberty holding a torch that lights up, a three-dimensional horse reminiscent of Roy Rogers' Trigger or a carriage that looks to be waiting for Cinderella.The covered wagon in today's question was initially intended to be a television lamp, with the round "VO" advertising sign located where the clock should be. Most television lamps were made from ceramic and designed to provide a low light, because it was thought at the time that watching television without ambient light would damage the viewer's eyes.These television lamps came in a variety of shapes that ranged from running deer to flamingos, ships, panthers, dogs and ducks, among others. This covered-wagon example is rather large for the genre and made from metal and wood, not ceramics. At auction, this lamp in good condition has sold for as much as $225.However, this piece was not designed as a household TV light. Instead, it was modified by removing the clock and adding logos as an advertisement for the Seagram Company, and probably graced a shelf in a barroom somewhere.The history of the Seagram Company is rather long and convoluted, but today, 32 percent of the company is still owned by the Bronfman family, which fled the pogroms in czarist Russia in 1889 and settled in Canada. They had been tobacco farmers in Russia, but this crop did not grow well in the Canadian climate, so the Bronfmans had to find other ways to earn a living.Eventually, they went into the hotel and bar business and subsequently entered the whiskey trade around 1916. In 1924, they opened their first distillery. Today, their brands include Chivas Regal, Crown Royal, Captain Morgan, Absolut and Mumm, and are sold in more than 150 countries.This covered-wagon advertising piece hails from the late 1950s or early 1960s. If in perfect condition (with the driver's hand moving to crack a whip over the horses), its insurance-replacement value rests in the $400 range. If in less-than-perfect condition, the value falls dramatically.bull; Contact Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson at Treasures in Your Attic, P.O. Box 18350, Knoxville, TN 37928 or via e-mail at treasures@knology.net.