142-C-0704

CLOCK STYLE	Federal Style Shelf Clock
CLOCK NAME	N/A
MANUFACTURE	Henry Terry, Plymouth, Connecticut Henry Terry (1801-1877)
CASE MODEL #	N/A
MOVEMENT TYPE	Wooden, 30 hour T&S. type 1.117, this movement was most likely made by Henry Terry, although there were other Terry firms producing the same movement (E. Terry & Sons, Eli & Samuel Terry, Eli Terry Jr., etc).
CASE DIMENSIONS & CONSTRUCTION	Base=15 3/4" , Height=27 1/2", Depth=4 1/2" Stenciled half Columns=23 3/4", the columns do not sit on pediments, nor are there any pediments on top of the columns. Mahogany veneer, flat top splat with openings for two glass inserts.
LABEL INFORMATION	Good Label. "Patent Clocks / Invented by / Eli Terry / Made and Sold / At / Plymouth, Connecticut / by / Henry Terry / Warranted if Well Used" / The Public may be assured that this kind of Clock will run as long without repairs and be as durable and accurate for keeping time, as any kind of Clock whatever" Printer was Joseph Hurlbut, Printer, Hartford, Conn.
DIAL INFORMATION	Original hand-painted wooden dial is 9 1/2" X 10 3/4", and has a 8" chapter ring. Black Roman numerals with gold leaf spandrels and chapter rings. The dial glass is 9" X 9" and is original and held in place with the original putty. There are poor repairs done to the letters VI & XII, but I will probably leave it alone as the rest of the dial is in excellent condition.
MISC FEATURES	Federal style case with flat top splat which would have originally held two stenciled glass inserts. Fancy pendulum bob with sunburst design, square time & strike lead weights. Missing the lower glass (had a replacement mirror in it when purchased), tablet size is 9 X 12". The clock has the original tin plate covering the back of the movement.
ACQUIRED FROM	Online auction, seller from Minnesota
CONDITION WHEN ACQUIRED	There are some minor veneer repairs to the case, but most of it is in original condition. The stenciling on the columns appears to be original. The two inserts at the top of the case would have originally been stenciled glass, both panels were replaced with plastic simulated leather inserts. The looking glass is old, but not original to this clock. It will be replaced with an accurate reproduction Henry Terry reverse painted tablet. Missing return on right side of splat, will be replaced with a reproduction made out of period wood. The door latch is not original and is no longer functional, it appears to have been set in place with epoxy and will not turn. There are four minor veneer repairs that will need to be done on the corners of the case. The image to the left is the clock in it's "as purchased" un-restored condition.
RESTORATION	August 2004 - Repaired the 4 areas of the case that had veneer damage. Used a mix of varnish, burnt umber, and ivory black oil paints to match the existing finish on the case, after final sanding with 600 grit sandpaper, applied a coat of orange shellac to the patched areas. The new patches are almost undetectable and finish off the case nicely. Created a new left splat return using period wood, used the same stain mix as above and glued to case. Added one new glue block (also out of period wood) to the inside of the new return. March 2005 - KL created new upper and lower tablets from an original pattern which was appropriate for this clock. The two smaller top glasses were done with hand cut stencils and bronzing powder. The lower tablet has a stenciled boarder done with bronzing powder (all stencils hand cut), and the reverse painting was done with inked line work and artist oils. The inspiration for this tablet came from Lee Davis (PA). He had done a similar tablet for another Henry Terry Empire case that was featured in an NAWCC bulletin article. Lee was kind enough to share his original drawing of the tablet he created, and we used it as a rough guide when creating this one. Images to the left are: Top - Section of replaced veneer on bottom right hand side of case Middle Top - Restored lower tablet Middle Bottom - Restored glass inserts in splat Bottom - Close up of one of the splat glasses. This reverse glass painting won 1st Prize at the 2005 NAWCC National Horological Crafts contest in Miami, FL. in the Reverse Glass Painting category.
HISTORICAL DATA	Henry Terry was born in Plymouth, Connecticut in 1801, the second son of Eli and Eunice Terry. Henry was just a lad when his father pioneered shelf clock production in the United States. Prior to the early 1800's, most clock making was of the wooden movement tall case variety. Eli Sr. developed the methods of mass production wooden shelf clock movements that drastically changed the infant industry. He used water powered saws and other machinery to make the beautiful "Pillar & Scroll" shelf clocks. Henry Terry wrote in an article for the local newspaper, that he was "witness to all improvements in clocks and machinery for making same, from the time the shelf clock was first introduced in the year 1814, to this period, or the year 1836". He apprenticed to his father to learn the clock making trade and was a partner in a couple of clock making ventures with his father; "Eli Terry and Sons", and "E. Terry & Son". Henry was making clocks under his own label 1832 to 1833. At the conclusion of his clock making career in 1836, he went into the woolen cloth business. He was very successful at this venture and it carried him through the great depression of 1937-1938, when many Connecticut clock makers failed in bankruptcy. It is reported that he was back in the clock business c. 1850 in the firm "The Terry Clock Co.", after the woolen business he ran failed. He passed away at the age of 76. I have seen other Henry Terry cases in this style, but all of them were standard column and splat size (27 1/2" to the top of the case, not including splat), but this one is smaller coming in at 25" to the top of the case. The size is more on the order of the 30-hour wooden movement clocks that Jonathan Frost and Daniel Pratt Jr. were producing.
REFERENCES	1. NAWCC Bulletin #208, October 1980 "Wood Movement Identifications" 2. "A Treasury of American Clocks" by Brooks Palmer (1967), page 78 shows an image of the same case style, but with an alarm movement. 3. "American Shelf and Wall Clocks" by Robert W.D. Ball (1992), page 63 shows an image of the same case style by Henry Terry. 4. "Eli Terry and the Connecticut Shelf Clock" by Ken Roberts and Snowden Taylor (1994), various references to Henry Terry throughout. 5. NAWCC Bulletin #336, February 2002, "Restoration of a Henry Terry & Co. 30-hour Wooden Works Shelf Clock" by James Gardner (CT)
NOTES	N/A