Description:
Thirty-hour wall timepiece or clock with "AARON WILLARD" in block letter engraved on the cast-brass round dial. If a clock was desired to keep accurate time and sent the message of status, the reputation of the Willard family for their timepieces drew patrons from throughout northeastern United States. The eldest brother, Benjamin Willard (1743-1803), was the first of three generations of Willard clock and watch makers who started working in Grafton, Mass., in 1766; when the clockmaker Nathaniel Mulliken Sr. of Lexington, Mass., died in 1767, Benjamin moved there and took over his business, while his younger brothers, Aaron and Simon (1753-1848), stayed behind in Grafton continuing to make clocks and watch repairs. Simon also experimented with new forms that reduced the size of clock movements, such as this example, and in 1801, introduced a wall clock with a patented design (patented 1802) with its Patent Timepiece movement, later known as a "banjo" clock. Benjamin Willard set up shop in Roxbury in 1771, followed by Simon and Aaron whose names first appear on the tax roles in 1783, each working in a separate location. Their sons and a grandson continued the profession: Simon's sons, Simon Jr. (1795-1881) opened his own business in Boston in 1828 specializing in manufacturing chronometers and Benjamin (1803-1847) worked with his brother, and Simon Jr.'s son, Zabdiel Adams (1826-after 1911) continued making pocket chronometers; Aaron's sons, Aaron Jr. took over the business in 1823, which Aaron Sr. had moved to Boston about 1792, and Henry (1802-1887) specialized in making clock cases. Economical to produce, Simon Willard developed this type of 30-hour, weight-powered timepiece that features a fall-off or passing strike sounding one bell on the hour, deadbeat escapement, and small pendulum rod attached directly to the pallet arbor without a suspension spring. The case appears to be a two-part bracket clock, but in fact is constructed as a whole. It is topped by pierced, flame-shaped fretwork in the center of the flat top with its molded edge, flanked by two brass urn-shaped finials; over a glass-fronted door with a kidney-shaped molded surround with a narrow pierced band, which swings to the right and is held in place with a small brass pin on the left side; over a molded and scrolled base. The lower half is one piece of mahogany covering the pendulum, which has a molded top that slightly tapers to the chamfered side edges, and a tapered, molded base. Located over the dial, the white metal bell has a clapper with a steel arm and is struck with a brass hammer. The dial has Roman numerals for the hours; Arabic numbers for the minutes, which are in 5 minute intervals around the outer rim with its rope molding; a small dial for a minute hand above the center dial; steel hands; and winds at the 5:30 position.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+78.145 |
