Colonial Homes and Their FurnishingsNorthend, Mary Harrod
History
Colonial Homes and Their Furnishings
Northend, Mary Harrod
Architecture, Colonial; Furniture -- United States
A particularly fine Bagnall clock is in the Hosmer collection at
Hartford, Connecticut. It is a black walnut veneer on pine. A
peculiarity of the Bagnall make is the small dial, only twelve inches
square. Above the dial is an arched extension, silvered and engraved
with the name of the maker. Samuel Bagnall, son of Benjamin, has left a
few good clocks, thought to be equal to the work of his father.
The clocks of Enos Doolittle, another colonial maker, are not numerous
enough to give him a prominent place among the great manufacturers.
Nevertheless, he deserves much praise for the few good clocks which he
has left behind. One of them is at Hartford, Doolittle's native town.
The case is of beautifully carved cherry, ornamented with pilasters on
the sides of the case and face; the top of the case is richly ornamented
with scrolls and carvings. A circular plate above the dial has the
legend "Enos Doolittle, Hartford."
[Illustration: PLATE XLVI.--Willard Banjo Clock, 1802; Banjo Clock,
1804; Willard Banjo Clock, 1802.]
There were many small clock-makers in colonial days, one, we might say,
in every town, who left a few examples of their work; but none of them
left the number or quality produced by the great clock-makers, the
Willards. Benjamin Willard, who had shops in Boston, Roxbury, and
Grafton, made a specialty of the musical clock, which he advertised as
playing a tune a day and a psalm tune on Sundays. Aaron Willard, a
brother, made tall, striking clocks. One of his productions, owned by
Dr. G. Faulkner of Boston, has run for over one hundred and twenty
years. On the inside of the case is written: "The first short timepiece
made in America, 1784." It is a departure from the ordinary Aaron
Willard clock, because it is so short. The case of mahogany stands only
twenty-six inches high; and there are scroll feet, turning back. A
separate upper part, with ogre feet, which can be lifted off, contains
the movements. Simon Willard, another brother, in 1802 patented the
"Improved timepiece" which later was known as the "banjo" because of its
resemblance in shape to that instrument. The "banjo" which Willard
manufactured had a convex glass door over the face, a slim waist with
brass ornaments running parallel to the curve of the box, and a
rectangular base, which was sometimes built with legs for a shelf,
sometimes with an ornamental bracket on the bottom, in which case the
clock was intended for the wall. The construction of these clocks was
simple; the works were of brass, and capable of running eight or nine
days. There was no strike, but this clock was a favorite, because of its
accuracy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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