044-T-0692

SETH THOMAS NOVELTY TIMEPIECE
INDEX # : 044-T-0692

circa: 1910-1911

CLOCK STYLE Novelty

CLOCK NAME Quaint

MANUFACTURE

Seth Thomas Clock Co., Thomaston, Conn.

Seth Thomas (1785-1859)

CASE MODEL # N/A

MOVEMENT TYPE Brass, 30-hour, spring driven, lever escapement

CASE SIZE & CONSTRUCTION Base = 2 ½", Height = 9", Depth = 2"

LABEL INFORMATION No label - original.

DIAL INFORMATION

White enamel dial with black roman numerals, 1 ½" chapter ring.

MISC. FEATURES Gold ormolu finish.

ACQUIRED FROM "Bogart's Antiques" in Zainesville, Ohio.

CONDITION WHEN ACQUIRED Running condition, original.

RESTORATION N/A

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.

List price of this timepiece in 1909 was $4.70.

REFERENCES 1. "Seth Thomas Clocks and Movements - Identification and Price Guide" by Tran Duy Ly, 1996, page 345, figure 1363.
2. "Seth Thomas Clocks and Movements" by Tran Duy Ly, 1996. Page 345, figure 1363.

NOTES I'm kind of glad this little clock was all we left with from this antique store. KL saw an old display case that she liked, but I cringed when I saw how big it was. The case must have been 15 feet high and about 25 feet long! If she would have bought it, we would have had to rent a tractor-trailer to move it (and store it as it was way to big to fit in our house).

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CLOCK STYLE	Novelty
CLOCK NAME	Quaint
MANUFACTURE	Seth Thomas Clock Co., Thomaston, Conn. Seth Thomas (1785-1859)
CASE MODEL #	N/A
MOVEMENT TYPE	Brass, 30-hour, spring driven, lever escapement
CASE SIZE & CONSTRUCTION	Base = 2 ½", Height = 9", Depth = 2"
LABEL INFORMATION	No label - original.
DIAL INFORMATION	White enamel dial with black roman numerals, 1 ½" chapter ring.
MISC. FEATURES	Gold ormolu finish.
ACQUIRED FROM	"Bogart's Antiques" in Zainesville, Ohio.
CONDITION WHEN ACQUIRED	Running condition, original.
RESTORATION	N/A
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. List price of this timepiece in 1909 was $4.70.
REFERENCES	1. "Seth Thomas Clocks and Movements - Identification and Price Guide" by Tran Duy Ly, 1996, page 345, figure 1363. 2. "Seth Thomas Clocks and Movements" by Tran Duy Ly, 1996. Page 345, figure 1363.
NOTES	I'm kind of glad this little clock was all we left with from this antique store. KL saw an old display case that she liked, but I cringed when I saw how big it was. The case must have been 15 feet high and about 25 feet long! If she would have bought it, we would have had to rent a tractor-trailer to move it (and store it as it was way to big to fit in our house).