Clock, Mirror

Object Name:

Clock, Mirror

Object ID:

1972.089.075

Creator:

Collins, James (1801-1882)Watchmaker

Place of Origin:

Goffstown, NH

Date:

circa 1830

Description:

Mirror Clock. Made by James Collins (1801-1882), Goffstown, NH; c. 1830. Materials: white pine and unidentified wood; glass; iron (dial); brass (movement); secondary wood white pine. Vertically oriented rectangular door extending full width of clock between round-edged cornice and matching base. Scrolled pediment with flanking plinths. Stiles of door decorated on face with applied split balusters and applied corner blocks. Balusters cover relatively narrow portion of stiles and are composed of flattened ball and cylindrical turnings. Ball turnings gilded; cylindrical turnings, corner blocks and pediment painted black. Remainder of visible surface of case stained brown. Two panels in glazed door--decorated glass above and mirror below. Mirror twice as high as upper panel. Circular reserve of clear glass at center of upper panel with scalloped gilt border and surrounding reverse stenciled design of stylized motifs (some foliate) in gold on a red ground. Door fastened with angular brass hook. Round, painted iron dial beneath clear glass reserve in upper door panel. Roman hour numerals and steel hour and minute hands differing in design. A winding hole at each side of center. "James Collins / Goffstown." in black script below center of dial. Eight-day brass movement with strike. Wood/turnings unidentified. Iron hanger. Several nail holes in backboard. Pencil inscription on interior of door frame reading: "F.M. Town (?) Aug 16 1883.". "T. Chandler" printed in pencil on inner surface of backboard. Back of looking glass painted red. Glass of upper panel cracked at upper left corner; reinforced on back with glued paper. Gilding on balusters almost entirely worn off revealing yellow paint beneath. A scratched inscriptions on weights: "Striking" and "L" on one; "time" and "R" on other. Separately stored parts: winding key, pendulum bob, two sheet iron canister weights (rectangular).

Material:

Wood
Hardwood
Pine
Brass
Iron
Glass

Dimensions:

H-33.75 W-16 D-4.625 inches

Provenance:

Clock with maker's mark of James Collins (1801-1882), Goffstown, NH. Acquired by donor in 1953 from Edwin B. Burt of Auburndale, MA.
Part of a large clock collection (and related materials) including not only clocks made in NH, but also several made elsewhere, acquired in NH by the donor, Charles S. Parsons (1904-1988), and probably used here.

Credit Line:

Gift of Charles S. Parsons

People:

Collins, James (1801-1882), Parsons, Charles S. (1904-1988), Burt, Edwin B. (1894-1971)

Subjects:

Manufacturing