Images(3)

Tall Case Clock

Date1760-1780

Maker John Hall

OriginEngland, London

MediumMahogany, oak, deal, glass, brass; brass, steel, iron

DimensionsCase: OH: 84 1/4 in.; OW: 20 1/2 in.; OD: 9 7/8 in Pendulum: OL: 42 1/2"' diam: 3.5"; depth: 0.9" Weight 1: OH: 8.25"; diam: 2 1/2" Weight 2: OH: 6 1/8"; diam: 2 3/4"

Credit LineGift in honor of Douglas and Karen Van Slyke

Object number2019-55,A-E

DescriptionAppearance: Tall case clock with molded arched hood over arched glazed door flanked by brass stop-fluted columns in front and plain engaged columns at rear all with brass capitals and bases; rectangular glazed windows on sides of hood; complex molding with large cove under hood; trunk with tombstone arched door with integral molding around perimeter of door; original lock and hinges on trunk door; coved (replaced) applied unmolded base around front and sides.

Dial:
12”W x 16 7/16”H x .070” thick, one piece, brass, arched dial. Silvered chapter ring with Roman hour numerals on the inside, Arabic minutes in 5 minute increments on the outside. Brass inside chapter ring is matted. Intermediate minutes marked by tick marks on two concentric rings separating hours and minutes. Solid silvered seconds dial below XII with Arabic seconds in 10 second increments. Second hand has no tail. Silvered, arched, signature plate front centered below winding holes engraved “John Hall London” in cursive. It is fastened to the dial via a single centered screw. Square, chamfered calendar aperture below signature plate. Cast brass floral spandrel ornaments in each corner. Arch has silvered strike/silent dial at its center. Brass at center of strike/silent dial is matted. Strike silent hand has a C-shaped tail. Two cast brass floral spandrel ornaments flank the strike/silent dial.

Movement description:
Eight-day brass time, strike, and calendar weight-driven movement measuring 6 3/4” H x 4 7/8” W. Plate thickness is 0.125” and clearance between front and back plates is 2.35”. Clock has an anchor-recoil escapement regulated by a seconds beat pendulum. A rack-and-snail strike sounds the hours on a 4.15” diameter cast bell. The bell has many dates marked inside it including July 22nd 1785 and March 3 1845.

Four brass pillars are riveted into the back plate and pinned at the front plate. The movement is fastened to the seat board via steel seat board screws threaded into the bottom pillars. The brass time and strike barrels are grooved for the weight cords. All time and strike train wheels have four-arm crossings. The conventional motion work has three arm crossings. The round steel crutch-rod has a closed-end fork with a rounded outer edge. The pendulum bridge base is a butterfly shape. It is fastened to the back plate with two screws and two locator pins. The bell stand is screwed to the outside of the back plate and passes under the right side of the pendulum bridge. The strike hammer head is pyramidal and is off center mounted to the strike hammer arm.

There are standard cast-brass pulleys with riveted brass stirrups. The overall length of the pendulum is 42 1/2”. The pendulum rod is 0.1” diameter steel. The bob is cast iron with a polished brass face. It is 3.5” diameter and 0.9” thick at its center. The weights are cast iron with cast in iron hooks. One is a tapered cylinder with a rounded base. It is 8 ¼” long, 2 ½” diameter at the top, and 2” diameter at the bottom. The other weight is 6 1/8” long, is a 2 ¾” diameter cylinder, and has a flat bottom.

2019-55,A - case
2019-55,B - movement
2019-55,C - pendulum
2019-55,D - weight
2019-55,E - weight
InscribedInk inscriptions inside bell:
"July 22 1785"
"Sept 1...52"
Dec 10 = 33"/ Nov 23=37/ Jany 25 42"
"March 3 1845"
"WB [June or Jany] 88"

Ink inscription on rear of dial "10 2004" and "4/2010"

Pencil inscription inside trunk back "14 March / 1860/ [indecipherable signature that looks like it starts with W]".
ProvenanceDonors' parents purchase the clock in Winchester, England from clock dealer G.E. Marsh in 1975.