Clock, Tall Case

Object Name:

Clock, Tall Case

Object ID:

1972.089.001

Creator:

Blasdel, Richard (1762-1790)

Place of Origin:

Chester, NH

Date:

circa 1785

Description:

Tall Case Clock. Movement made by Richard Blasdel (1762-1790), Chester, NH; c. 1785. Flat hood having cove-molded cornice. Pine. Glazed, rectangular door, glass having arched top. Rectangular sidelights. Brass knob on door. Double ogee molding at base of hood. Waist with cove molding at top and arched door with elaborate, brass "blind" escutcheon and circular, glazed pendulum viewhole. Waist door has brass knob and is secured with external, wooden catch. Slight chamfer at front corners of both hood and waist. Base with a series of moldings at both top and bottom. Wrought brass dial with arched top. Applied cherub's head ornaments, in spandrels, of cast pewter name plate in arched top "RICHARD / BLASDEL / CHESTER" 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. Date aperture below center of dial. Thirty-hour brass and iron movement with strike and endless rope drive. Pewter calendar ring. Case refinished (see Accession File). Former grained decoration removed except on interior of hood door. Slight traces also of green paint. Exterior of backboard and interior of case at waist painted brown. No bottom boards in case. Several nail holes in backboard. Rope is a replacement (see Acc. File). External wooden catch, formerly on hood and visible in photographs, missing. Two drilled holes in top of hood at left, covered with gauze. Photograph of maker's gravestone stapled to inside of waist door. Two louvered panels (B-C), formerly attached to inner surface of hood at sides, removed by donor and preserved. Separately stored parts: sheet iron canister weight filled with lead and scrap iron, pendulum.

Material:

Wood
Pine
Metal
Brass
Pewter
Glass

Dimensions:

H-83.5 W-19.5 D-10.5 inches

Provenance:

Clock made by Richard Blasdel (1762-1790), Chester, NH, and believed to be the first clock signed by him. Originally made for Col. Stephen Dearborn (1738-1827) of Chester, NH. After Dearborn's death in 1827, the clock was purchased from his estate by Amos J. Chase (1809-1880) originally of Chester, NH; then in 1865 given to his son Orlando D. Chase (1833-) then of Canada (it remained in Canada until 1957); then in 1914 purchased by Dr. Ernest M. Taylor, historian and antiques collector; from there to his son Harold E. J. Taylor; then in April 1957 purchased by donor for $150-Canadian from H.E.J. Taylor of Montreal, Quebec. Donor had it shipped back to New Hampshire. Part of a large clock (and related materials) collection including not only clocks made in New Hampshire, but also several made elsewhere, acquired in New Hampshire by the donor, Charles S. Parsons (1904-1988).

Credit Line:

Gift of Charles S. Parsons

People:

Blasdel, Richard (1762-1790), Dearborn, Stephen (1738-1827), Chase, Amos J. (1809-1880), Chase, Orlando D. (1833- ), Parsons, Charles S. (1904-1988)