Antique Eli Terry Clock

Price Type: auction
Sold Date: January, 2002
Pre-Sale Estimate: (subscribers only)
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Catalog Description:

Very Rare pillar and scroll clock with the "Inside-Outside", visible escapement, and the off center swing of the pendulum. This clock was made about 1814-1818 by Eli Terry. None of this model had labels. When Seth Thomas made a similar model, using the Eli Terry movement, he did use a round Seth Thomas label. The very early models had no door dividers and consequently had a one piece glass in the door. This glass is an excellent professional replacement. Most of these cases, including those with the Seth Thomas label,had paper covering the backboard. This clock preceded the "off center" pillar and scroll and is many times more rare. This is the first time I have seen one offered for sale to the public. There are a few in museums and a few in private collections, but I doubt there were more than a dozen made. The case is 27 1/4 inches high, plus the height of the replaced brass finials. The scrolls and feet are original and have never been broken. The "strap frame" wood movement is mounted to an oak back plate which is the full width of this clock. The movement is known as the "count wheel "movement and followed the "rack and snail movement" that had a very limited production of 2 or 3 clocks. There is what appears to be a production mark on the door edge. The hands are original, as are the weights, pendulum, and key. Working door lock with ivory escutcheon. The stretch marks and extra holes in the wood dial have been professionally covered, many years ago. It is a general consensus that this dial was first used on the experimental "rack and snail" version and then changed to use on this "strap frame" model,as it is correct and original for the "inside-outside" escapement models. The bell is questionable. It has been running in our display room without missing a beat. During this period movement and case designs were changed frequently as new models were being developed. Some movements were put in box cases,and only a handful in the "one glass door" cases. There has been considerable research done on these early clocks and much of it can be found in, "Eli Terry and the Connecticut Shelf Clock,"Second Edition, Revised, Kenneth D. Roberts, Snowden Taylor, pages 60-97.

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