grand old times
Staff Writer
Chicago Tribune Magazine
Chicago IL
October 4, 1981
Donald Leman's Frame Gallery is not your usual clock-repair shop. His rare specialty is restoring authentic antique clocks to their original splendor. Walk into his North Side shop on the hour, and you will be greeted by the simultaneous chiming, banging, and gonging of the many clocks on display. Here Leman makes broken timepieces run again and restores the beauty of fine woods buried beneath layers of old varnish. A perfectionist, he meticulously puts more time and effort into his work than he charges for. Aside from restoring clocks brought in by customers, Leman also works on those he buys himself at auctions, estate sales, and wherever else he can find Victorian clocks made by European and American clockmakers.
Prices of his restored clocks range from $200 to more than $1,000, depending on age, size, and condition. One of the finest pieces he has restored was an 1870s Victorian wall clock that sold for $1,600. He also restores antique picture frames and frames paintings, portraits, needlepoint, and just about everything else brought in by his customers. Always ready to take on challenging projects, he says, "You're limited only by your imagination, and I have plenty of that."
