029-C-0192

SETH THOMAS STENCILED HALF-COLUMN & SPLAT SHELF CLOCK
INDEX # : 029-C-0192

circa: 1829-1840

CLOCK STYLE Shelf Clock

CLOCK NAME N/A

MANUFACTURE

Seth Thomas, Plymouth Hollow, Conn.

Seth Thomas (1785-1859)

CASE MODEL # N/A

MOVEMENT TYPE

Type 1.511, Wood movement, weight driven, 30-hour, T&S, hour strike on cathedral gong.

CASE SIZE & CONSTRUCTION Base = 17 ½", Height = 34", Depth = 4 ½"

LABEL INFORMATION

Original in excellent condition:
"Patent Clocks, / invented by ELI TERRY, / made and sold / at Plymouth Hollow, Conn., by / Seth Thomas. / Warranted if well used"

DIAL INFORMATION

Original wood dial (11 1/2" x 10 3/4") with black Arabic numerals and painted white background.. Floral painted spandrels with gold leaf highlights and borders. Chapter ring is 10".

Dial glass is 11 1/4" x 10 3/4".

MISC. FEATURES Terry style hour and minute hands, looking glass. Columns are 26 1/2" in length. The looking glass is 10 7/8" x 15".

ACQUIRED FROM Antique auction at "Fortna's Auction House" in Annville, PA.

CONDITION WHEN ACQUIRED Clock in running order, looking glass and dial glass have been replaced (new putty). Small piece of splat missing on right side

RESTORATION March 2001 - Replaced missing splat side piece on right side of clock case.

HISTORICAL DATA

Seth Thomas's Case Factory c. 1885 in Thomaston, Conn.
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 to make 4,000 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 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. In 1853 his company became the Seth Thomas Clock Co., and operated under this name until 1931 when it 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.

Terry filed a lawsuit against Thomas after he stopped giving him credit for the movement design on the labels. The lawsuit is suspected to have been started to "scare off" competitors from infringing on Terry's patent. The suit was settled out of court. Thomas used the above label after this lawsuit was settled (1829).

REFERENCES 1. "Eli Terry and the Connecticut Shelf Clock, by Kenneth Roberts and Snowden Taylor, 1994.

NOTES N/A

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CLOCK STYLE	Shelf Clock
CLOCK NAME	N/A
MANUFACTURE	Seth Thomas, Plymouth Hollow, Conn. Seth Thomas (1785-1859)
CASE MODEL #	N/A
MOVEMENT TYPE	Type 1.511, Wood movement, weight driven, 30-hour, T&S, hour strike on cathedral gong.
CASE SIZE & CONSTRUCTION	Base = 17 ½", Height = 34", Depth = 4 ½"
LABEL INFORMATION	Original in excellent condition: "Patent Clocks, / invented by ELI TERRY, / made and sold / at Plymouth Hollow, Conn., by / Seth Thomas. / Warranted if well used"
DIAL INFORMATION	Original wood dial (11 1/2" x 10 3/4") with black Arabic numerals and painted white background.. Floral painted spandrels with gold leaf highlights and borders. Chapter ring is 10". Dial glass is 11 1/4" x 10 3/4".
MISC. FEATURES	Terry style hour and minute hands, looking glass. Columns are 26 1/2" in length. The looking glass is 10 7/8" x 15".
ACQUIRED FROM	Antique auction at "Fortna's Auction House" in Annville, PA.
CONDITION WHEN ACQUIRED	Clock in running order, looking glass and dial glass have been replaced (new putty). Small piece of splat missing on right side
RESTORATION	March 2001 - Replaced missing splat side piece on right side of clock case.
HISTORICAL DATA Seth Thomas's Case Factory c. 1885 in Thomaston, Conn.	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 to make 4,000 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 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. In 1853 his company became the Seth Thomas Clock Co., and operated under this name until 1931 when it 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. Terry filed a lawsuit against Thomas after he stopped giving him credit for the movement design on the labels. The lawsuit is suspected to have been started to "scare off" competitors from infringing on Terry's patent. The suit was settled out of court. Thomas used the above label after this lawsuit was settled (1829).
REFERENCES	1. "Eli Terry and the Connecticut Shelf Clock, by Kenneth Roberts and Snowden Taylor, 1994.
NOTES	N/A