No Bells in My Belfry

The biggest thing I remember about starting university was that there was no bell! In modern schools today there are automatically timed, sophisticated bell systems. However, in bygone days some schools had a belfry where the teacher could ring a bell to signal the start of school.  Many of the old one room school houses - small buildings with no belfry - had a handheld bell that the teacher rang to let their students know it was time to come in for the start of lessons, or come back in after lunch.

This particular bell is made of polished brass with a wooden handle.  It stands about 12" high and is quite heavy.  

It is also very loud!  You can see the clanger in this bell is a good size and is made from the same polished brass as the bell.

This bell is not only functional but is also very beautiful.  You can see from the top that it has a polished brass top above the wooden handle.  

My mother started her teaching career in one room school houses and I remember her talking about using these bells.  Maybe they could be used in classrooms today to get the attention of talkative students!