162-C-1005

EPHRAIM DOWNS 8-DAY EMPIRE SHELF CLOCK
INDEX # : 162-C-1005

circa: 1831-1835

CLOCK STYLE Large Empire Shelf

CLOCK NAME N/A

MANUFACTURE

Ephraim Downs, Bristol, Conn.

Ephraim Downs (1787-1860)

CASE MODEL # N/A

MOVEMENT TYPE

8 Day, wooden, type 3.21 T&S movement, strike on a massive 5" cast bell.
Note the strike side train is on the right hand side of the movement, this design is attributed to Samuel Terry and used by Ephraim Downs, Atkins & Downs, and Samuel Terry. The reversal of the time & strike trains in the movement allow for both sides to be wound in the opposite direction of the Terry 30 hour movement. This was believed to have been done to give customers the feel of winding in the right direction!

An old repair was done the the suspension spring bridge, the original slotted post was covered by a small piece of metal to hold the suspension spring , it is screwed to the front plate.

CASE SIZE & CONSTRUCTION Base=21 1/2", Height=42 1/4", Depth=6 1/2"
Upper half columns are done with a faux finish (maple?) and are 13" long, including the original gold leafed capitols and bases. Lower full columns are mahogany veneered and are 16 1/2" long including the original gold leafed capitols and bases.

The case is covered with Mahogany veneer.

LABEL INFORMATION

Good condition, stating:
"Patent / Eight Day / Clocks, / Made and Sold / by / Ephraim Downs / Bristol, Conn. / Warranted if well used"

Printer was P. Canfield, Hartford

Philemon Canfield (1786-1864) moved to Hartford, Ct. in 1814. He was already an established printer at this point in his career, and his services were used by many of the early wooden movement clock making firms in Connecticut. He sold his printing/publishing business in 1839 to Case, Tiffany & Burnham. (image to left)

DIAL INFORMATION

Original hand painted wooden dial in good condition. The dial is finished with gold leafed spandrels, decorative flowers, and chapter rings. Dial has black Roman letters and the chapter ring is 10 1/2". The dial appears to be original to the clock. The dial glass is believed to be an early replacement and is 11" x 11", held in place with putty.
There is a repairman's mark on the front right hand side of the dial, it reads:

"Restored by Salmnson <sp?> Barnes, 1931, mfg. 1810" Not sure where the repairman got the mfg date, but it was probably made c. 1831-1835.

MISC. FEATURES

The reverse glass tablet in the lower door was a poor restoration attempt by a previous owner. It does appear to have been the original glass, as it had the original stencil border, but the original painting was removed and a new scene painted. The glass was broken when the clock was acquired. This glass was 11" x 14 13/16". A new historically correct tablet will be created by KL to insert in the lower door.

The middle glass is partly original (bottom image to the left), but it was broken at some point and a previous owner inserted 2 additional pieces of glass to either side of the original. These were also poorly painted and will be removed. KL will create a new glass using the pattern off of the piece of the original painting. This glass is 11 1/2" x 3".

The top glass is also a poorly done replacement. It will be removed and either a stenciled glass, reverse painted glass, or an old mirror will be inserted into this section. The glass is 13 5/16" x 2 3/4".

The clock retains it's original ivory escutcheons in both the upper and lower doors. Also believed to be original to the clock are the pendulum bob, winding key, hour and minute hands.

The top pediments (middle image to the left) under the cornice are of the style created by Elias Ingraham, and since Ephraim Downs is not known to have made cases, this may be a case that was purchased / traded from Ingraham or one of the firms that also dealt with Elias.. The pediments located between the upper and lower columns (center image to left) are hand carved.

ACQUIRED FROM Auction of clocks from the estate of Marx Richardson, Lonestar Chapter 124 One-Day.

CONDITION WHEN ACQUIRED

The clock is missing the time & strike weights. The backboard is loose from the bottom of the case and will be restored with period nails. All three glasses in the clock have had poor attempts done at restoration and will be replaced with historically correct tablets. The mahogany veneer is in good shape, but will need to be cleaned and polished with paste wax to restore it's original sheen. It is unknown if this clock would have originally had paw & ball feet, initial inspection of the case shows evidence that it may have had them. The only other case that I have seen of this style was manufactured by Atkins & Downs and did have the paw & ball feet.
Initial inspection did not reveal any broken or repaired teeth in the movement, but this will be determined once the movement has been torn down for cleaning.

RESTORATION

01/7 - Cleaned and repaired movement. Restoration included: 1) Disassemble and clean all wood parts of movement in solution of mineral spirits, boiled linseed oil, and paraffin wax, 2) 6 pivot holes were repaired in the past with homemade rolled brass inserts and 1 even had a nail across the worn area as a bushing! These were all removed and 6 new oak bushings were inserted to repair the worn pivot holes. Movement was then reassembled and tested.
05/07 - K.L. created a new top tablet using gold bronzing powder with a stencil we had in our archive. She also created a new bottom tablet using gold and silver bronzing powders for the border, and an architectural image of a landscape scene. The pattern for the reverse painting was from an original tablet. The border was made up of individually cut stencils. The rope stencil was reproduced off of a fragment of the original glass that was broken. I replaced this broken center tablet with a period mirror.

I added a sheet of Dura-Lar conservation film over the paper label to protect it from deterioration. New reproduction feet were made, the rear feet were stained to match the case using a mixture of varnish and oil paints. The front feet were gold leafed using patent 18kt leaf. The case was then cleaned and polished using Briwax.

Images to the left are:

Top image - Restored pivot holes using homemade oak bushings.

Second image - Completed restoration of the 8 day wooden movement.

Third image - Restored top tablet

Fourth image - Restored lower tablet

Fifth image - Restored front and rear feet.

HISTORICAL DATA

Ephraim Downs (older brother of Anson Downs of the Atkins & Downs firm) manufactured clock movements from 1810 until 1845. Prior to 1810 he was making clock cases for the Harrison's of Waterbury, Ct. He, like most other early American clockmakers initially made the 30 hour wooden tall case movements. He was a carpenter by trade and it believed he may have gotten his early clock training by working with Eli Terry, or the subsequent Thomas / Hoadley firms. From 1815 through 1821, Ephraim was in Cincinnati, Ohio making movements for Read & Watson. He then returned to Connecticut where he worked part time for Silas Hoadley and also produced movements for sale by himself. After Eli Terry started producing the 30 hour shelf clock, Ephraim relocated to Bristol, Conn., perhaps encouraged by George Mitchell who was a prominent businessman in Bristol. He married Chloe Painter of Plymouth, becoming a brother-in-law of Silas Hoadley. It is believed that during his time in Bristol, he marketed very few cased clocks with his own label. He primarily manufactured wooden movements for the various firms which were currently operating in the area. Ephraim's account books have survived the years, and data within those records indicate that from the period 1831-1837 he made 244 8-day wooden movement clocks. These were sold wholesale, so I am unsure of how many he may have sold retail, but the number is undoubtedly small. Downs sold these 8-day clocks for $7.00 - $9.00 each.
The image to the left the Downs' Mill on the Pequabuck River in East Bristol. This was the location were Ephraim produced a large number of his wooden clock movements. The Mill is no longer standing, but a stone monument was erected at the site as a historical marker in memoriam.

REFERENCES 1. "Eight Day Wood Movement Shelf Clocks - Their Cases, Their Movements, Their Makers" NAWCC Bulletin Supplement Spring 1993, by Bryan Rogers and Snowden Taylor.
2. "Eli Terry and the Connecticut Shelf Clock", by Kenneth Roberts & Snowden Taylor, 1994.
3. "Romance of Time", by Brooks Palmer, 1954

NOTES A picture of this clock was not provided with the auction material ahead of time, it was simply described as an Ephraim Downs wood works clock. I figured it was a 30 hour, stenciled half-column and splat. When I saw what it actually was my jaw about hit the floor. It is simply a massive and beautiful 8-day case done in the empire style. It is a fairly rare clock, as Ephraim Downs did not make that many 8-day wooden movements, and most of what he did make were sold to other clock making firms. This is the first empire cased 8-day wooden movement that I have seen that was "made and sold" by Ephraim Downs. This will be an exciting restoration project and the finished clock should be quite impressive.

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CLOCK STYLE	Large Empire Shelf
CLOCK NAME	N/A
MANUFACTURE	Ephraim Downs, Bristol, Conn. Ephraim Downs (1787-1860)
CASE MODEL #	N/A
MOVEMENT TYPE	8 Day, wooden, type 3.21 T&S movement, strike on a massive 5" cast bell. Note the strike side train is on the right hand side of the movement, this design is attributed to Samuel Terry and used by Ephraim Downs, Atkins & Downs, and Samuel Terry. The reversal of the time & strike trains in the movement allow for both sides to be wound in the opposite direction of the Terry 30 hour movement. This was believed to have been done to give customers the feel of winding in the right direction! An old repair was done the the suspension spring bridge, the original slotted post was covered by a small piece of metal to hold the suspension spring , it is screwed to the front plate.
CASE SIZE & CONSTRUCTION	Base=21 1/2", Height=42 1/4", Depth=6 1/2" Upper half columns are done with a faux finish (maple?) and are 13" long, including the original gold leafed capitols and bases. Lower full columns are mahogany veneered and are 16 1/2" long including the original gold leafed capitols and bases. The case is covered with Mahogany veneer.
LABEL INFORMATION	Good condition, stating: "Patent / Eight Day / Clocks, / Made and Sold / by / Ephraim Downs / Bristol, Conn. / Warranted if well used" Printer was P. Canfield, Hartford Philemon Canfield (1786-1864) moved to Hartford, Ct. in 1814. He was already an established printer at this point in his career, and his services were used by many of the early wooden movement clock making firms in Connecticut. He sold his printing/publishing business in 1839 to Case, Tiffany & Burnham. (image to left)
DIAL INFORMATION	Original hand painted wooden dial in good condition. The dial is finished with gold leafed spandrels, decorative flowers, and chapter rings. Dial has black Roman letters and the chapter ring is 10 1/2". The dial appears to be original to the clock. The dial glass is believed to be an early replacement and is 11" x 11", held in place with putty. There is a repairman's mark on the front right hand side of the dial, it reads: "Restored by Salmnson <sp?> Barnes, 1931, mfg. 1810" Not sure where the repairman got the mfg date, but it was probably made c. 1831-1835.
MISC. FEATURES	The reverse glass tablet in the lower door was a poor restoration attempt by a previous owner. It does appear to have been the original glass, as it had the original stencil border, but the original painting was removed and a new scene painted. The glass was broken when the clock was acquired. This glass was 11" x 14 13/16". A new historically correct tablet will be created by KL to insert in the lower door. The middle glass is partly original (bottom image to the left), but it was broken at some point and a previous owner inserted 2 additional pieces of glass to either side of the original. These were also poorly painted and will be removed. KL will create a new glass using the pattern off of the piece of the original painting. This glass is 11 1/2" x 3". The top glass is also a poorly done replacement. It will be removed and either a stenciled glass, reverse painted glass, or an old mirror will be inserted into this section. The glass is 13 5/16" x 2 3/4". The clock retains it's original ivory escutcheons in both the upper and lower doors. Also believed to be original to the clock are the pendulum bob, winding key, hour and minute hands. The top pediments (middle image to the left) under the cornice are of the style created by Elias Ingraham, and since Ephraim Downs is not known to have made cases, this may be a case that was purchased / traded from Ingraham or one of the firms that also dealt with Elias.. The pediments located between the upper and lower columns (center image to left) are hand carved.
ACQUIRED FROM	Auction of clocks from the estate of Marx Richardson, Lonestar Chapter 124 One-Day.
CONDITION WHEN ACQUIRED	The clock is missing the time & strike weights. The backboard is loose from the bottom of the case and will be restored with period nails. All three glasses in the clock have had poor attempts done at restoration and will be replaced with historically correct tablets. The mahogany veneer is in good shape, but will need to be cleaned and polished with paste wax to restore it's original sheen. It is unknown if this clock would have originally had paw & ball feet, initial inspection of the case shows evidence that it may have had them. The only other case that I have seen of this style was manufactured by Atkins & Downs and did have the paw & ball feet. Initial inspection did not reveal any broken or repaired teeth in the movement, but this will be determined once the movement has been torn down for cleaning.
RESTORATION	01/7 - Cleaned and repaired movement. Restoration included: 1) Disassemble and clean all wood parts of movement in solution of mineral spirits, boiled linseed oil, and paraffin wax, 2) 6 pivot holes were repaired in the past with homemade rolled brass inserts and 1 even had a nail across the worn area as a bushing! These were all removed and 6 new oak bushings were inserted to repair the worn pivot holes. Movement was then reassembled and tested. 05/07 - K.L. created a new top tablet using gold bronzing powder with a stencil we had in our archive. She also created a new bottom tablet using gold and silver bronzing powders for the border, and an architectural image of a landscape scene. The pattern for the reverse painting was from an original tablet. The border was made up of individually cut stencils. The rope stencil was reproduced off of a fragment of the original glass that was broken. I replaced this broken center tablet with a period mirror. I added a sheet of Dura-Lar conservation film over the paper label to protect it from deterioration. New reproduction feet were made, the rear feet were stained to match the case using a mixture of varnish and oil paints. The front feet were gold leafed using patent 18kt leaf. The case was then cleaned and polished using Briwax. Images to the left are: Top image - Restored pivot holes using homemade oak bushings. Second image - Completed restoration of the 8 day wooden movement. Third image - Restored top tablet Fourth image - Restored lower tablet Fifth image - Restored front and rear feet.
HISTORICAL DATA	Ephraim Downs (older brother of Anson Downs of the Atkins & Downs firm) manufactured clock movements from 1810 until 1845. Prior to 1810 he was making clock cases for the Harrison's of Waterbury, Ct. He, like most other early American clockmakers initially made the 30 hour wooden tall case movements. He was a carpenter by trade and it believed he may have gotten his early clock training by working with Eli Terry, or the subsequent Thomas / Hoadley firms. From 1815 through 1821, Ephraim was in Cincinnati, Ohio making movements for Read & Watson. He then returned to Connecticut where he worked part time for Silas Hoadley and also produced movements for sale by himself. After Eli Terry started producing the 30 hour shelf clock, Ephraim relocated to Bristol, Conn., perhaps encouraged by George Mitchell who was a prominent businessman in Bristol. He married Chloe Painter of Plymouth, becoming a brother-in-law of Silas Hoadley. It is believed that during his time in Bristol, he marketed very few cased clocks with his own label. He primarily manufactured wooden movements for the various firms which were currently operating in the area. Ephraim's account books have survived the years, and data within those records indicate that from the period 1831-1837 he made 244 8-day wooden movement clocks. These were sold wholesale, so I am unsure of how many he may have sold retail, but the number is undoubtedly small. Downs sold these 8-day clocks for $7.00 - $9.00 each. The image to the left the Downs' Mill on the Pequabuck River in East Bristol. This was the location were Ephraim produced a large number of his wooden clock movements. The Mill is no longer standing, but a stone monument was erected at the site as a historical marker in memoriam.
REFERENCES	1. "Eight Day Wood Movement Shelf Clocks - Their Cases, Their Movements, Their Makers" NAWCC Bulletin Supplement Spring 1993, by Bryan Rogers and Snowden Taylor. 2. "Eli Terry and the Connecticut Shelf Clock", by Kenneth Roberts & Snowden Taylor, 1994. 3. "Romance of Time", by Brooks Palmer, 1954
NOTES	A picture of this clock was not provided with the auction material ahead of time, it was simply described as an Ephraim Downs wood works clock. I figured it was a 30 hour, stenciled half-column and splat. When I saw what it actually was my jaw about hit the floor. It is simply a massive and beautiful 8-day case done in the empire style. It is a fairly rare clock, as Ephraim Downs did not make that many 8-day wooden movements, and most of what he did make were sold to other clock making firms. This is the first empire cased 8-day wooden movement that I have seen that was "made and sold" by Ephraim Downs. This will be an exciting restoration project and the finished clock should be quite impressive.