I swore off ogees around 1971, when I decided that I would become a "serious" clock collector. During the intervening decades, I have somewhat succeeded in avoiding them, but once in a while one comes along that has something about it that appeals to me- they are not all just run-of-the-mill ogees. The one at hand, which recently came my way, is in that category. I didn't think much of it at first, since it is an ogee, first of all, and also because I assumed it to have a radiator paint gold finish on the decorative ogee molding. A friend recently pointed out that he thought these were "rare", for ogees, anyway, and he had only seen two in his 40 year collecting career. I agreed that I hadn't seen many either- just this one and one on our favorite auction website. So, I looked at it again, and liked what I saw. The case is in remarkably good shape, and the gold, on close inspection, appears to be original. By 1841 or 2, when this was probably made, cheap alternatives to gold leaf had been developed, and the clock industry, ever eager to produce cheaper clocks at a greater margin, responded enthusiastically. When moldings on clocks are re-painted, there is always some evidence of it in the form of over-runs, splotches, drips, etc., and this clock displays none of that. I think it is some sort of original gold or bronze powder paint.
I've also long had a soft spot for Hiram and Heman Welton and their companies. Hiram was an employee of Eli Terry Junior; this story has been told elsewhere, and doesn't need to be repeated here. Suffice it to say theirs were interesting firms, with ogee movements a bit different that the rest. The "H" in H. Welton & Co. was Heman, not Hiram, who remained a partner and movement maker. Heman had some capitol, apparently, so was the more "important" partner.
The mirror on this clock is clearly original- the putty is all original, as is the cardboard backer in the door, which is decorated with several notations of repairers, the first dated December 15th, 1852- the latest notation is from October, 1934. Just great provenance!
There is at least one other gesso front ogee posted here on the message board- I would be interested in knowing if many others are lurking out there- post them if you can.
An interesting note- I've looked at 4 of these on the interweb, and one in Horology Americana, by Dworetsky & Dickstein. All the examples seem to have identical decoration, likely made with the same molds. If this is true, it points out once again the cross-pollination and cooperation that was going on in the early 1840s among manufacturers.
I've also long had a soft spot for Hiram and Heman Welton and their companies. Hiram was an employee of Eli Terry Junior; this story has been told elsewhere, and doesn't need to be repeated here. Suffice it to say theirs were interesting firms, with ogee movements a bit different that the rest. The "H" in H. Welton & Co. was Heman, not Hiram, who remained a partner and movement maker. Heman had some capitol, apparently, so was the more "important" partner.
The mirror on this clock is clearly original- the putty is all original, as is the cardboard backer in the door, which is decorated with several notations of repairers, the first dated December 15th, 1852- the latest notation is from October, 1934. Just great provenance!
There is at least one other gesso front ogee posted here on the message board- I would be interested in knowing if many others are lurking out there- post them if you can.
An interesting note- I've looked at 4 of these on the interweb, and one in Horology Americana, by Dworetsky & Dickstein. All the examples seem to have identical decoration, likely made with the same molds. If this is true, it points out once again the cross-pollination and cooperation that was going on in the early 1840s among manufacturers.




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