Many people overlook the importance of the hand made cases of Long Case / Tall Case / Grandfather Clocks, as they are variously called. I have placed a end date of 1860, (some might say it should be earlier) as by then, the mass production of the mid 1800s had caught up with the clock industry. Regional and National differences in this field are very important, and in some cases (excuse the pun) the cases of these clocks are more important and interesting than the movements. Some serious collectors only collect on the basis of “the case”, because the genre is so interesting.
This thread is solely to discuss the types of regional case styles, and you will see some cases with the faces blanked out. In a well known specialist's collection of clock pictures, there is often the comment “this clock is in it's original case”, and this raises the endemic problem of cases and movements being intentionally or accidentally switched, so in some of my posts, I have removed the dials.
When submitting a clock case, please make sure that the following information is included in the pictures: hood: main door: and feet / plinth.
If possible,if pictures are available, also include such things as ; hood door lock: main door escutcheon, door hinges, and any other interesting features.
TO START; I am showing clocks in the style found in South East England: Kent and Essex.
I show pictures of three clocks that have similar hood decorations. One clock is from Kent (UK) and was described as having a “typical Kent case”, by a well known specialist. It has a nice long door and is made from well chosen mahogany. The feet consist of a plinth which has been cut-out to create the impression of “bracket feet”. These mahogany clocks quite often have “ogee” feet.
The second clock, has a very similar hood and top crown to the Kent clock. The hood door has a “scalloped-cut” cross banded surround. The trunk door is very short, a sign of lateness, post 1820s, and the feet are too shallow, which indicates “replacements”. The later clocks tended to have bracket feet and sometimes “ball or turned feet”. Genuine bracket feet are much taller. In real life this clock has a Scots movement and “moving” figure in the arch. I don't think the case is Scots. I am not happy with the “scalloped” top door, the “short” trunk door, and the hood style. As the thread progresses, I may be proved wrong!
The third picture is of a hood only, as the complete clock will appear in another post, courtesy of its owner. I include it because it has the same style hood and trunk door as the Kent clock. This clock has an Essex (UK) name on the dial. This county is next door to Kent.
The other thing that is interesting about these three clocks, is that they all have animated figures in the arch.
When it comes to English clock bases, very few have completely flat plinths, and when you see such, take a good look at the carpentry: in most instances they are replacements. Flat plinths were not popular, due to the uneven floors of olden times. Coping with “four” points of contact, is far easier than a continuous front plinth edge.
This thread is solely to discuss the types of regional case styles, and you will see some cases with the faces blanked out. In a well known specialist's collection of clock pictures, there is often the comment “this clock is in it's original case”, and this raises the endemic problem of cases and movements being intentionally or accidentally switched, so in some of my posts, I have removed the dials.
When submitting a clock case, please make sure that the following information is included in the pictures: hood: main door: and feet / plinth.
If possible,if pictures are available, also include such things as ; hood door lock: main door escutcheon, door hinges, and any other interesting features.
TO START; I am showing clocks in the style found in South East England: Kent and Essex.
I show pictures of three clocks that have similar hood decorations. One clock is from Kent (UK) and was described as having a “typical Kent case”, by a well known specialist. It has a nice long door and is made from well chosen mahogany. The feet consist of a plinth which has been cut-out to create the impression of “bracket feet”. These mahogany clocks quite often have “ogee” feet.
The second clock, has a very similar hood and top crown to the Kent clock. The hood door has a “scalloped-cut” cross banded surround. The trunk door is very short, a sign of lateness, post 1820s, and the feet are too shallow, which indicates “replacements”. The later clocks tended to have bracket feet and sometimes “ball or turned feet”. Genuine bracket feet are much taller. In real life this clock has a Scots movement and “moving” figure in the arch. I don't think the case is Scots. I am not happy with the “scalloped” top door, the “short” trunk door, and the hood style. As the thread progresses, I may be proved wrong!
The third picture is of a hood only, as the complete clock will appear in another post, courtesy of its owner. I include it because it has the same style hood and trunk door as the Kent clock. This clock has an Essex (UK) name on the dial. This county is next door to Kent.
The other thing that is interesting about these three clocks, is that they all have animated figures in the arch.
When it comes to English clock bases, very few have completely flat plinths, and when you see such, take a good look at the carpentry: in most instances they are replacements. Flat plinths were not popular, due to the uneven floors of olden times. Coping with “four” points of contact, is far easier than a continuous front plinth edge.
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