Antique Way

Antique Clocks History

In the same decade the United States was celebrating their initial fourth-of-July, painted dials for clocks were first introduced in Britain. These painted dials were replacing a centuries old tradition of using brass dials. Clock dial painting began making statements -- they were designed to celebrate events from religion to the Industrial Revolution, to sports and famous war victories.

The English also began making customized antique replicas of tall case clocks. This created antique like high quality affordable product for the masses. What's interesting is that these antique clocks replicas are now themselves antiques! Had it not been for this English movement to create these replicas, it is likely vintage and antique clocks would enjoy the interest they do today.

Who the first person was in the NEW World that became fed up with the inaccuracy of sand timers and started to make clocks is entirely unknown. Cocks were imported from both England and Holland. These were operational spring mechanisms. These were so expensive that only major settlements could afford them.

Few people had a clock in their own house. The first clock-makers were through and through craftsmen. They had to make every part themselves to the precise size. The tools available were often extremely rudimentary. The same person often had to make the clock case too.

This combination was particularly popular during the American War of Independence. After this war there were still far too few people who could afford a grandfather clock and so the makers experimented with smaller clocks. Because a large number of original American clocks were introduced many homes soon had their own clock.

LONGCASE CLOCKS

The grandfather clock was the first clock for the home to be made in America These stately clocks originally known a either tall case or long case clocks can thank their name to the children's song My Grandfather's Clock. The first long case clocks were made in England around 1600 and the earliest known America known American example originated in 1680. The long case was necessary to house the long pendulum. This case was often designed and made by a cabinet maker. The mechanism of the longcase clock was made of bronze and wood.

The clocks were mainly driven by weights but wind-up clocks came onto the market later. The dial was often made of bronze with engraved or etched Roman numerals and decoration. The hands themselves often had fine tracery in order to catch the light. Grandmother clocks are a smaller version of the longcase clock and they were extremely popular in the early nineteenth century. They were mainly made by a group of Boston clock-makers including the Willards, Samuel Mulliken, and Levi Hutchins. The grandmother clock was no taller than 1,200mm (48in).

SHELF CLOCKS

Shelf clocks came into fashion in the New World following the America War of Independence (1775-1783). This was because their mechanism was driven by a spring. Such mechanism~: were more complex and hence less accurate and these clocks were often more expensive. Because metal was in short supply during the war mechanism were generally made of wood. The first American shelf clocks are so similar to comparable English clocks of the time that many collector has been confused.

The Massachusetts shelf clock (also known as box on box or half clocks) is no taller than 600mm (24in). The clock is set on a shelf instead of on the ground as is the case with longcase clocks.

The lighthouse clock (originally known 1 as the 'Eddystone' clock) is one of the many innovations of Simon Willard who lodged a patent application for the design in 1822. The glass dome known throughout the British Empire was mounted on a rounded or octagonal base to give the overall appearance of a lighthouse. Because they were intended to be portable, lighthouse clocks had handles attached.

WALL CLOCKS

The 'wag-on-the-wall' clock is also derived from the longcase clock. This ( type of clock was mainly based on the ideas of Isaac Blaisdell for a clock for people for whom the longcase clock was too big. The pendulum is allowed to swing freely outside the case rather like a dog's tail wagging to and fro. The banjo clock was originally named by its designer Simon Willard as an 'Improved Patent Timepiece'.

Despite the patent he was granted on this type of clock it was widely copied. There are some 4,000 genuine Willard banjo clocks. Willard introduced a number of improvements that enable his clock to run for eight days in spite of their weights. The banjo clock was also more accurate than other clocks because the pendulum was suspended in front of the weights. The case was largely made of glass which was decorated with paintings of landscapes, flowers, and noteworthy buildings. This typical American clock is still very popular with the general public The 'girandole' was designed in 1816 by Lemuel Curtis of Concord, Massachusetts.