Posted 10 years ago
KD1800
(1 item)
On a recent visit, my husband was given this clock by a great-aunt of mine. She had received the clock from an old neighbor who worked on clocks as a parting gift when he moved in 1949. My intent is to find out the history of this clock and when it was made.
As you can see, the clock is black and has brass designs on it. The face is solid brass with the S on the left of the 12 and F on the right of the 12. It has a stamp on the back, left side which prints ??81 D. I can't make out the rest of it. I know D stand for April and it's date is backwards, making it 1800s, however I'd like to know if it pre-dates or post dates Seth Thomas's death. I don't want to sell it I'm just curious. The back plate is stamped with a calligraphy S & T overlapping each other. The faded label says September ..."".. 1880. I have found it to be similar (probably identical) to the label which states "Seth Thomas Clock, Co". I know the company name was given sometime before Seth's death so his son's could manage it.
This Mantel Clock measures 11.25" from bottom of legs to top of arch. 10.75" from left to right (across the face) and from it's widest depth, 5.25" deep.
Most of the clocks I've seen online will have similar features but I haven't been able to find one like this, without pillars! I'm sure the company made hundreds if not thousands of them...perhaps this is a less expensive model and most families threw them away? Ha Ha. We love it, and are excited to learn it's from the Seth Thomas collection. Additional facts would be very much appreciated. Thank you!
This model is called the Elba from circa 1896. The top metal ornament is broken and partially missing. Perhaps it was altered (smoothed out) to look as though it was an original design.
Here's an example with a fully intact metal decoration: http://z.about.com/w/experts/Antique-Clocks-3526/2009/07/Seth-Thomas-Elba_1.jpg
Nice clock none-the-less. Any other questions? If not please indicate "Mystery Solved" in your listing. Thanks.
Wow, the ornament on top was beautiful! Defiantly looks like it was broken off of our clock. Thanks for the information. Can I shine the brass without effecting the value of the clock?
Also, were the Elba clocks part of a promotion or just sold regularly?
The Elba was offered in the Seth Thomas Catalogs but they often worked with businesses to offer promotional clocks.
Personally, I would just use non-abrasive Goop hand cleaner on the case (metal included). Keep applying with a clean, soft cloth until the cloth remains clean. You can clean into the little nooks and crannies with cotton-tipped applicators and an old toothbrush.
You're the owner so obviously you can polish the metal, but it's really a matter of personal preference. I would also use a permanent marker to carefully "re-ink" the raised numerals on the dial.
Thanks again for sharing.
One other thing, your clock has an "Adamantine" finish so don't use anything abrasive on it. Once you have it cleaned, you may want to apply a good quality car wax to help bring out the gloss and color.
Here's some information on Adamantine: http://clockhistory.com/sethThomas/products/adamantine/