An eglomisé paneled walnut Model No. 10 “Figure Eight” wall clock,
by E. Howard & Co. Boston, c. 1875
34 in. [86.4 cm] H
11 ½ in.[29.2 cm] W
4 ½ in. [11.4 cm] D
A fine example of post-Civil War American industrial design, the “Figure Eight” clock was the direct descendant of the “Banjo clock” devised by the Willard family of Boston in the first decade of the 19th century. Like its ancestor, the clock contains a simple well made brass movement driven by a single weight that descends through the curved case. Its painted white dial is original and unrestored. A gilt wood and brass pendulum can be seen swinging behind the glass panels. The clock runs for a week on a single winding.
Edward Howard, (1813-1904), an apprentice of Aaron Willard Jr. was one of the leading figures of the American clock and watch industry. Howard’s career spanned the period from the early efforts of Simon and Aaron Willard whose “patent timepiece” or“banjo clock” was the first widely successful American clock design to the industrialization of watch and clock making in mid 19th century America.
Literature:
Foley, Paul J. Willard’s Patent Time Pieces: A History of the Weight Driven Banjo Clock, 1800 - 1900. Norwell MA, 2002 |
