Posted 2 years ago
Dark_Penguin
(1 item)
This is an Ansonia statue clock; when working the clock swings back and forth on the horizontal post held up in the statue's right hand. In her left hand, there used to be a chain leading down some fish resting against her hip; the fish are still there. I posted an outdoor view to provide a better image of the statue; she was outside for a photo project though we don't keep her there.
This clock belonged to my grandmother who was born in Salt Lake City in the year 1888; she always had it on her mantelpiece for as long as she lived. I believe her family may have owned the clock even before she was born. For what it's worth, her paternal grandparents came from Massachusetts as part of the general westward movement of the LDS church, sometime around 1850. '
I know that Ansonia figure clocks were very popular in their heyday, but I have never seen another one like this anywhere, either online or in real life.
If anyone can tell me anything more about this item, particularly its date of manufacture, I would truly appreciate it.
I’m having trouble understanding what I’m seeing in picture 4.
Would you re-orient the picture?
Saw a bunch with the globe clock. Found this..
http://www.clockprices.com/ansonia-diana-figural-swinging-mystery-clock.html
I'm wondering if the clock on yours was replaced...maybe early in its life?
https://www.fontainesauction.com/auction-lot/ansonia-fisher-figural-swing-clock_B40D1D26CA
@dav2n01
That's very interesting! The statue is obviously a little different in terms of depiction, but the overall style and bronze finish is very similar. If the Diana statue has a bow and quiver, then maybe I need to find out if there was a fishing goddess, and search for that name.
@dav2n01 Equally interesting about the clock being replaced. As you must have guessed, the clock on ours is EXACTLY like the one on the Diana clock; given that the clock would work just as well on either statue, they might just as easily have asked for the fisher statue instead of the Diana one. The clock part just hangs on the horizontal piece; you could just as well hang it from a nail on the wall, provided the nail was long enough. It's not attached in any permanent way to the statue, so I'd be surprised if the shops that sold these pieces originally didn't let you choose whatever statue you wanted. Or the customers got together later and agreed on a trade...any number of possible scenarios.
I must see if there was a clock shop in SLC, around 1870 - 1900.
@Watchsearcher, I tried to rotate the photo but for some reason it's just not working. It still comes out sideways when I post it. If you want to download it and rotate it yourself, up is to the left.
Sideways pictures are a common problem but easily fixed. Here’s the magic solution: on your device (probably phone), edit your picture in some way such as changing it’s dimensions….even a very small alteration will be fine.
After you have altered your picture, edit your post and replace the sideways picture with it’s newly altered version.
Having done that simple change, your picture will post correctly oriented. :^)
Your heirloom clock is the Fisher. Circa 1883, but your clock could certainly been manufactured and sold several years before or after that year. There were double figural "Swing" clocks. The Fisher was paired with the Hunter. There were several styles of the actual clock mechanism and I see no reason to believe that your clock isn't all original.
@Bruce99, thanks for the info.
Based on that, it seems possible if not probable that they owned the clock before 1888.
Now that I know what to look for, I have seen images of this clock, the Diana clock, and the double figure clock.
My parents, while they owned it, had the clock fixed but it stopped again after a few weeks. I'd love to try again, but we have three cats who would probably attack a swinging object and knock it down, so it's probably not worth it.
@Dark_Penguin,
My wife is allergic to cats or we probably would care for one. We're dog people, and they can ready wreck a home when they get anxious. I think that your right though. If you ever have shot at getting an enclosed glass display case big enough for it, I imagine that they are very interesting clocks to have running.
If we have solved your mystery, please check the "Mystery Solved" box in your Posting.
Thanks for sharing your heirloom Ansonia with us!