Clock, Shelf

Object Name:

Clock, Shelf

Object ID:

1972.089.029

Creator:

Dutton, David (1792-1882)

Place of Origin:

Mont Vernon, NH

Date:

circa 1836

Description:

Shelf Clock. Made by David Dutton (1792-1882), Mont Vernon, NH; c. 1836. Vertically oriented rectangular door extending full width of clock between flat base and cornice. Front gallery arched at center with plinths at ends. Two glazed panels in door - clear glass above and mirror below. Upper panel 10 1/4" in height, lower panel 13 3/4". Stiles of door decorated on face with rectangular pilasters extending between applied corner blocks and tapering in width from bottom to top. Pilasters, corner blocks and gallery painted black and decorated with bird and foliage designs in red, white, green, and gold. Door hinged on left side and fastened at right with brass hook. Rectangular, painted wooden dial, beneath upper glass panel, with Arabic hour numerals and pierced, steel, hour and minute hands matching in design. Painted, gilt decoration, partly in relief including border, having scalloped outer edge, surrounding center of dial, and spandrel decorations composed largely of teardrop-shaped elements and engrailed borders. Two winding holes, with brass grommets, below center of dial. Terry-type, thirty-hour wooden movement with strike. Front gallery, white pine. Wood of pilasters and corner blocks unidentified. Secondary wood of upper door rail probably sycamore. Dial probably tulip poplar. Remainder of visible surface of clocked veneered with mahogany. Four nail holes in lower backboard. Weight sheaves projecting through top of case. Large printed label glued to inner surface of lower backboard, reading in part: "Improved / Clocks . Manufactured and sold / by / David Dutton / Mont Vernon, N.H. / ... / King's Print, New Ipswich, N.H. --March, 1836". Mirror backed with a pine board on which is pencil inscription re. cleaning in 1900, including: "cleaned / June 1900 / 270". Figure "601" written in pencil on inside of upper door rail. Much of interior of case stained red. Separately stored parts: pendulum bob, winding key, two cast iron weights (cylindrical).

Material:

Wood
Mahogany
Poplar
Pine
Brass
Iron
Glass

Dimensions:

H-33.75 W-15.625 D-5.25 inches

Provenance:

Clock has maker's label of David Dutton, Mont Vernon, NH; label printed by King's Print, New Ipswich, NH. It may be that Dutton was the assembler of the clock, using a movement from Connecticut. Acquired by donor -- Charles Parsons (1904-1988) -- from Olson's Antiques, for $8 in 1956. Part of a large clock collection 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:

Dutton, David (1792-1882), Parsons, Charles S. (1904-1988)

Subjects:

Manufacturing