173-C-0206

CLOCK STYLE	Figural Mantel
CLOCK NAME	No. 8022 "Huntress"
MANUFACTURE	Seth Thomas Sons & Co., Thomaston, CT. (but sold exclusively from NYC.) Seth Thomas (1785-1859), image to the left Aaron Thomas (????-????)
CASE MODEL #	8022
MOVEMENT TYPE	Brass, spring driven, (T&S), 15-day high grade movement
CASE SIZE & CONSTRUCTION	Base = 18", Height = 20", Depth = 6 ½" Gold finished Spelter figure of Diana the Huntress and her Dog mounted on marble base.
LABEL INFORMATION	Dial signed "Seth Thomas Sons & Co. N.Y."
DIAL INFORMATION	N/A
MISC. FEATURES	This model was available in French Bronze, Light Verde, and Verde Antique.
ACQUIRED FROM	Birthday gift from KL, Internet live auction at Antique Helper Auctions, Indianapolis, Indiana on December 11th, 2005
CONDITION WHEN ACQUIRED	Original condition, not running. Dianna is missing the arrow which she holds in her right hand and the bow in the left hand.
RESTORATION	A new bow and arrow will be fashioned and finished to match the case.
HISTORICAL DATA Seth Thomas's Case Factory c. 1885 in Thomaston, Conn. Seth Thomas's Sons factory	Seth Thomas (1785-1859) apprenticed to Eli Terry. He along with Silas Hoadley worked for Terry from around 1807-1810 making wood tall case movements. This was the point in history were the mass production of clock movements started. Terry contracted with the Porter's to make 4,000 wooden tall case movements in three years, a feat which had never been accomplished before. Terry had introduced a method of using interchangeable parts to make these movements, an idea he had supposedly gotten from Eli Whitney. After the contract was fulfilled, he sold the business to Thomas and Hoadley who continued manufacturing the wood tall case movements. Thomas eventually bought out Hoadley's interest in the business, and began producing shelf clocks with Eli Terry's patented wood 30 hour shelf clock movement. Seth Thomas had an elaborate career making wood and brass movement shelf clocks, and his company became the most well known name in the clock business. He was not considered to be inventive or much of a risk taker, but he was certainly a sound businessman. In 1853 his business became a joint stock company named The Seth Thomas Clock Co.. After Thomas' death in 1859, his son Aaron became President and began to add new products to a conservative line. Between 1865 and 1879 they operated a subsidiary firm known as Seth Thomas' Sons & Company that manufactured a higher-grade 15-day mantel clock movement and during that period were major supporters of a New York sales outlet known as the American Clock Company. This branch of the Seth Thomas Clock Co. was responsible for manufacturing high end clocks to compete with French imports of that time period. The firm was located in Thomaston Connecticut and was headed by Aaron Thomas (Seth's son) and sold these pieces almost exclusively out of New York City by the American Clock Company . The clocks that they produced sold between $11.50 to $77.00, with a median price of around $30.00. These were quite expensive for the time. Due to the success of the offshoot firm, in 1879 the company was absorbed by the parent company and the line of clocks they produced was continued under the Seth Thomas Clock Co. name. Thomas Bradstreet, who was the Great Grandson of Seth Thomas, was superintendent of the marine clock shop. In 1931, the Seth Thomas Clock Co. became a division of General Time Instrument Co. (Seth Thomas's Great Grandson was chairman of the board until he died in 1932). In 1949, The company became a division of General Time Corp. In 1970, became a division of Tally Industries, who still produces clocks with the Seth Thomas Trademark. The town of Plymouth Hollow, Conn. changed it's name to Thomaston in 1866 to honor the clock maker.
REFERENCES	1. "Clock Identification and Price Guide - Book 1", Roy Ehrhardt, 1994, page 59. 2. "Seth Thomas Clocks and Movements" . Tran Duy Ly 1996.
NOTES	This is the first piece that we ever purchased at a live auction held over the internet.