Illustration 356 shows a clock called a presentation or marriage clock.
It is owned by Dwight M. Prouty, Esq., of Boston, and it was made for
an ancestor of Mr. Prouty, when he was married, as a wedding gift. The
decorations are in light colors, pink and blue with gold, very delicate
and suitable for a bride. Upon the square glass door, painted above
the centre is “S. Willard” and below it “Patent.” The bracket is gilt.
Illustration 357 shows another Willard time-piece, with a mahogany case
and gilt mouldings and bracket. Upon the door is painted the battle
between the _Constitution_ and _Guerrière_. The name A. Willard is
painted upon the long glass. This clock belongs to Francis H. Bigelow,
Esq.
[Illustration: Illus. 358.—Willard Timepiece, 1802-1810.]
The clock in Illustration 358 has the name Willard upon the face. The
case is mahogany, and the mouldings which frame the glass and the
bracket beneath the clock are japanned in colors. It belongs to Charles
A. Moffett, Esq., of Worcester.
[Illustration: Illus. 359.—Lyre Clock, 1810-1820.]
The clock in Illustration 359 is of an entirely different style, and
the case, the lower part of which is lyre shaped, is very beautifully
carved with scrolls, which are finished in gilt. There is no maker’s
name upon this clock, which belongs to Frank C. Turner, Esq., of
Norwich.
The clock in Illustration 360 is in the lyre shape usually seen, which
was made as a variation from the banjo. Such clocks are found of wood
finished in gilt, or like this clock, in the natural wood, which is
mahogany in most cases. The carving is generally in the same design,
but some have the lyre strings, made of wood or brass.
[Illustration: Illus. 360.—Lyre-shaped Clock, 1810-1820.]
Eli Terry was the first of another famous family of American
clock-makers. He started in business in 1793, in Plymouth, near
Waterbury, Connecticut, a town well known ever since for its clocks
and watches. His first clock was made a year earlier, a wooden clock
in a long case with a brass dial, silver washed. He manufactured the
works for tall clocks, selling them to pedlers, who took them into the
country to dispose of. In 1810 Seth Thomas with Silas Hoadly bought
the Terry factory, and continued the manufacture of clocks for long
cases. Eli Terry in 1814 invented a wooden shelf-clock, called “The
Pillar Scroll Top Case, with pillars 21 inches long resting on a square
base, dial 11 inches square, table below dial 7 inches by 11.” This
clock sold for fifteen dollars, and was made in enormous quantities.
Illustration 361 shows two clocks, one an Eli Terry “Pillar Scroll
Top” clock, with carved pillars similar to the ones upon pieces of
furniture of that period. The other clock was made by Terry at about
the same time. Inside each of these clocks is pasted a paper upon
which is printed the following: “Patent Clocks, invented by Eli Terry,
Plymouth, Connecticut.”
[Illustration: Illus. 361.—Eli Terry Shelf Clocks, 1824.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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