Clock, Tall Case

Object Name:

Clock, Tall Case

Object ID:

1972.089.062

Creator:

Johnson, Josiah

Place of Origin:

Kensington, NH (movement)

Date:

circa 1790

Description:

Tall Case Clock. Movement made by Josiah Johnson, Kensington, NH; c. 1790. Materials: white pine; brass; iron (in movement); secondary wood white pine. Flat hood having cove molded cornice. An arch cut into center front of frieze. Freestanding columnar turned colonnettes, with estasis, at front corners, supporting frieze. Half-round colonnettes of same design at rear corners (engaged). Glazed door having arched top and steel lock. Arched sidelights. Waist with cove molding at top, quarter-round chamfers at front corners, and an arched door with large-scale applied molding at edges and brass escutcheon with fan-shaped terminals. Base with molded upper and lower edges, including large scotia molding at top.
Wrought brass dial with arched top. Arched section is a separate piece screwed to square lower section. "josiah johnson [sic] / Kensington" engraved on arched top in script within downcurving scribed guide lines. Roman hour numerals; arabic minute numerals, and seconds dial, without numerals, above center. No quarter or half hour gradations. Pierced steel hour and minute hands matching in design. Winding hole to right of center. Eight-day brass and iron movement. Traces of former coats of red, brown, and green paint. Case refinished by donor. Inner surface of doors painted red-brown. Inner surface of case painted black. No bottom boards in case. Some nail holes in backboard. A gouged area, in interior of waist, on each side to allow for swing of pendulum. Sides of brass dial folded back in construction as reinforcements. An 1867 Concord, N.H. tax bill made out to Stillman Humphrey pasted on inner surface of arched top of hood. Red plastic-tape label on door inner surface, "359" (Parson's number). No pencil inscriptions visible on inner surfaces. Separately stored parts: winding key, lead weight (cylindrical), pendulum.

Material:

Wood
Pine
Metal
Brass
Glass
Iron

Dimensions:

H-76.625 W-21 D-13.25 inches

Provenance:

Both movement and case acquired by donor -- Charles S. Parsons (1904-1988) -- at different times, both from Herschel Burt of Exeter, NH. Burt bought movement at auction in Kingston, N.H. Case was apparently owned in 1867 by Stillman Humphrey of Concord, N.H., later mayor of Concord. Part of a large clock collection (and related materials) including not only clocks made in N.H., but also several made elsewhere, acquired in N.H. by the donor and probably used here.

Credit Line:

Gift of Charles S. Parsons

People:

Johnson, Josiah (1755-c. 1805), Humphrey, Stillman (1833-1895), Parsons, Charles S. (1904-1988)