Clock, Mirror

Object Name:

Clock, Mirror

Object ID:

1981.034 a-e

Creator:

Morrill, Benjamin (1794-1857)Clockmaker

Place of Origin:

Boscawen, NH

Date:

circa 1830

Description:

Mirror Clock. Made by Benjamin Morrill (1794-1857), Boscawen, NH; c. 1830. Case constructed of pine; vertical rectangle with dovetailed corner joints. Movement is brass, with strike; dial is painted iron. Front consisting of vertically oriented rectangular door having outer framework decorated on face with applied split balusters and applied projecting corner blocks. Baluster turnings of plain straights painted black, and gilded ring turnings. Front surface of door frame gilded. Corner blocks and stamped brass medallions applied to the front of each corner block, also gilded. 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 gilt border and surrounding reverse stenciled design of stylized floral motifs in green, red, purple, and yellow; stencilled design backed with paperboard. Slab of white pine backs the mirror, with corrugated material in between; appears that the backboard had been covered with paper, which has since been removed. Brass catch closure. Pencil inscription on door interior, "F__alt".
Painted dial beneath clear glass reserve in upper door panel. Roman hour numerals and steel hour and minute hands of same pierced design. Two winding holes above center with grommets. "Benjn Morrill / Boscawen" in black script below center of dial. Eight-day brass movement. Inside of case has printed paper label, "EIGHT DAY / Clocks and Time Pieces, / MANUFACTURED BY / BENJAMIN MORRILL, / BOSCAWEN, N.H. / [One door south of the Academy.]", followed by instructions for clock operation. There is a pencilled cursive inscription on the backboard, " L___". There is a hanging hole in the backboard surrounded by several wrought-iron nails.

Material:

Wood
Hardwood
Pine
Brass
Iron
Glass

Dimensions:

H-29.25 W-13.75 D-4.25 inches

Provenance:

Clock made by Benjamin Morrill (1794-1857), of Boscawen, NH. Bequest of Gaylord G. Cummings (1894-1981), of Bradford and Bristol, NH, descendant of the Cummings and Eaton families of New Hampshire.

Credit Line:

Bequest of Gaylord G. Cummings

People:

Morrill, Benjamin (1794-1857), Cummings, Gaylord G. (1894-1981)

Subjects:

Manufacturing, Clocks and watches