Tall Clock Case Maker?

[macaw]

It took me 20yrs to get, I paid too much (worth it to me) and I'm pretty sure it's a marriage. The movement was sold to Bellerose of Three Rivers CA I believe about 1800, and re-cased sometime later. The big question is when was the case made, where, and by who. It would be great news if Bellerose did make the case, but because of the dial fit, I kind of doubt it. Any wood experts know what the wood the door is?
Thanks,
Mark

 

[harold bain]

The door looks like it could be tiger maple to me. Nice case.

 

[new2clocks]

View attachment 463474 View attachment 463475 View attachment 463476 It took me 20yrs to get, I paid too much (worth it to me) and I'm pretty sure it's a marriage. The movement was sold to Bellerose of Three Rivers CA I believe about 1800, and re-cased sometime later. The big question is when was the case made, where, and by who. It would be great news if Bellerose did make the case, but because of the dial fit, I kind of doubt it. Any wood experts know what the wood the door is?
Thanks,
Mark

As the late scottie-TX used to say, "Marriage Schmarriage".

Beautiful clock, even if it may be a marriage.

Regards.

 

[Vernon]

Or curly Maple but I'm no expert. Nice clock!

 

[brian fisher]

I see what you are talking about when you imply the dial doesn't seem to very well fit the cabinet. the case style is quite typical of what could have come from Massachusetts or perhaps Maine in the 1800 era. it looks to be well made and in very good condition. maybe you believe it is newer because it is in too good of condition? perhaps it would be best to see more pics of the inside construction and the hood. when you say "three rivers, ca", I assume you mean California? I've never heard of cabinets being manufactured there but I guess you never know. I would think that in 1800, this part of the country would have been too busy surviving in the wild to have a large enough market to support the manufacture of such finery.

can you please post a better picture of the door? back side too? try to get your camera within a few inches of the grain but still in focus. could be tiger, but I can't enlarge the photos enough on my iPad to see it very well. does the door seem to have the proper fit and finish to be original to the case? the wood around the edges of the door seems to be different than the rest of the clock? maybe its just the lighting. I would think this would have been a keyed door instead of the knob presently installed?

 

[upstateny]

I go with Harold and Vernon spaulted maple, sometimes called curly, tiger or laced.

 

[Stickler]

I think it is actually a variety known as quilted maple. See google images.

 

[macaw]

I had no idea there were so many varieties of maple!
The clocks history-
Three Rivers is Trois-Rivières in Quebec Canada. At the time Canadians were required to buy movements and dials from England, Bellerose only made the cases. This clock ended up in Providence Rhode Island, and the case appears to be a US East Coast case. If anyone has examples of similar Canadian cases, I'd love to see them! Especially Bellerose. The only Bellerose case I found was in the archives, and was nothing like this. The case and movement have been together for at least 100yrs. It was owned by good friends of mine, and in their family for 100yrs (approximate), and sold at an estate sale 20yrs ago and I couldn't afford it then, but have always watch for it, and finally found it, owned by the estate sales dealer that did the sale. It took me another year working with him to get to a price I would pay. (I also bought two of his brass dial clocks).

 

[Sooth]

The wood on the door is not quilted or curly maple. It is bird's eye maple.

 

[Jeremy Woodoff]

I think typically the name on a longcase dial at best reflects the maker of the mechanism, but often by the time this clock was made, it would be the retailer or someone who bought in the various parts--dial, movement, case--and put them together for sale. If I am not mistaken, this person would not at any period have been likely to have made the case, which would have been made by a cabinetmaker. So I think the question is not whether the case was made by Bellerose, but whether this is the original case for the clock (movement and dial) or a later replacement. The dial, which is clearly too big for the opening, points to a case that was not originally made for the clock, though it could be contemporary in time period. I suppose it's possible the clock was not cased originally. It could have been run as a wag-on-the-wall or just not used, and was cased later, thus making this the "original" case. It is a beautiful case, and those finials are spectacular!

 

[novicetimekeeper]

I think typically the name on a longcase dial at best reflects the maker of the mechanism, but often by the time this clock was made, it would be the retailer or someone who bought in the various parts--dial, movement, case--and put them together for sale. If I am not mistaken, this person would not at any period have been likely to have made the case, which would have been made by a cabinetmaker. So I think the question is not whether the case was made by Bellerose, but whether this is the original case for the clock (movement and dial) or a later replacement. The dial, which is clearly too big for the opening, points to a case that was not originally made for the clock, though it could be contemporary in time period. I suppose it's possible the clock was not cased originally. It could have been run as a wag-on-the-wall or just not used, and was cased later, thus making this the "original" case. It is a beautiful case, and those finials are spectacular!

That's certainly the route it went over here, although cabinet maker may be a bit of a posh description for some of the case makers. They weren't called coffin cases for nothing!

Some provincial makers did their own engraving, but buying in parts was a feature right from the earliest days of domestic clocks, particularly in the big centres like London and Bristol.

 

[macaw]

I hope it's ok to copy and paste from the archives​