Clock, Tall Case

Object Name:

Clock, Tall Case

Object ID:

1972.087

Creator:

Blasdel, Nicholas (1743-1800)Clockmaker

Place of Origin:

Newmarket, NH (movement, possibly)

Date:

1764-1774

Description:

Tall Case Clock. Movement made by Nicholas Blasdel (1743-1800); Newmarket, NH; Materials: mahogany; brass; pewter; lead (?); iron (in movement); secondary wood white pine. Flat hood of dove-tail construction, having cove-molded cornice. Engaged colonnettes at corners--quarter round at rear and three-quarter round at front. Colonnettes extend to cornice, without frieze. Rectangular glazed door, having rectangular glass, behind which the inner framework, with an arch cut into its top, is visible. Arched sidelights. Brass knob on door. Waist with cove molding at top and arched door having steel lock and elaborate, asymmetrical brass escutcheon. Base with scotia molding at top and molded plinth above turned bulbous feet. Wrought brass dial with arched top. Applied cherub's head, ornaments in spandrels, of cast and gilded pewter or lead; applied dolphin ornaments of same material, flanking circular pewter name plate in arched top. "NICHOLAS / BLASDEL" engraved in upper case letters on name plate. Pewter chapter ring with Roman hour numerals and Arabic minute numerals at outer edge; no quarter- or half-hour gradations. Pierced, steel, hour and minute hands, differing in design; latter, serpentine in outline. Date aperture below center of dial. Thirty-hour brass and iron movement with strike and endless chain drive. Pewter calendar ring.
Six drilled holes in circular formation, with seventh at center, in top of hood. No bottoms boards in case. Several nail holes in backboard. "N / 350" incised on inner surface of backboard; no other visible inscriptions. Separately stored parts: pulley, small iron ring-shaped weight, waist door key.

Material:

Wood
Mahogany
Metal
Brass
Pewter
Glass

Dimensions:

H-82.5 W-19.125 D-11.25 inches

Provenance:

Clock with maker's label of Nicholas Blasdel (1743-1800). Clock put up for auction, from the Union, Ohio, estate of Dr. William H. and Evelyn Hanning in 1960 (auction in Pennsylvania), where it was purchased by Mr. Groskin, an attorney, from Philadelphia. Mr. Groskin sold the clock to Herschel Burt of Exeter, NH. Mr. Burt gave the clock to NHHS in exchange for a clock by David Blasdel (1959.55.5), which had been a gift of Eloise Lane Smith.

Credit Line:

Gift of Eloise Lane Smith

People:

Blasdel, Nicholas (1743-1800), Burt, Herschel B. (1927-2000), Smith, Eloise Lane

Subjects:

Clocks and watches, Tall clocks