From the collection: Moving Forward!

Browse by Category

We have a number of clocks in the Hammond-Harwood House and they each have their own personality—or at least I have assigned them personalities. We have the beautiful large John Shaw case clock in the dining room that chimes on the hour and half-hour, the ornate French Lantern clock that had originally been an alarm clock and clangs on the hour, the stunning ormolu Washington clock that chimes delicately up in the ballroom and our “Spanish” clock that is quite snazzy but is currently out for supervision. Among those clocks, we also have a lovely small cabinet clock in the Drawing Room that comes from Massachusetts, and “she” gets a bit overlooked due, perhaps because she has no chime, is not large in size, and sits to the side of the fireplace, but I am partial to her.

The Massachusetts clock is very particular. She needs to be perfectly balanced in order to run. She is a bit of a puzzle to us though. Our horologist, Steve Sieracki, writes that the case appears to be original and the movement is of the appropriate age, and the dial is old, but not right for the case or movement. There are some screw holes that appear to be mid-20th century modifications, but the workmanship to modify the movement is very skilled. Since the maker is not identified, we have unsolved questions about her history. That said, winding her up is easy with the appointed key and it is fun to watch the weight crank up into the bonnet and hear the pendulum quietly move. Though our Massachusetts clock has a bit of a worn face, she remains graceful and the sound of the clock makes the room alive.

 

As we approach the end of Daylight Savings Time in a couple of weeks, I am passing on a clock maintenance tip as passed onto me by Mr. Sieracki: Never move the hands backward to set the time. Always move them forward. The hands and gears don’t synchronize properly if you move them backwards and that is one of the largest reasons for repairs.

 

I’ll be changing the times on our clocks this weekend—though some of our clocks are 8-day, while our French Lantern clock is 8 hour, but we will all be moving watches and clocks on November 3. So, think forward, even though you have to move your time an hour back!

 

Massachusetts Style Shelf clock

Maker: (unknown) (The case possibly Samuel Mulliken II, movement Unknown)

Date: 1810 to unknown

Medium: Cherry (primary wood), Tiger maple, Boxwood, Steel, Brass, Lead, Tin, Lead Based Paint

 

Lucinda Dukes Edinberg

Curator

 

Posted on Nov 20, 2024 in , , by Hammond-Harwood House

 

 

Hammond-Harwood House

The mission of the Hammond-Harwood House Association is to preserve and to interpret the architecturally significant Hammond-Harwood House Museum and its collection of fine and decorative arts, and to explore the diverse social history associated with its occupants, both free and enslaved, for the purposes of education and appreciation.
Scroll to Top