Posted 2 days ago
rlwindle
(151 items)
This is a curb find, I was walking Louie, my dog, Sunday when I came across this clock in someone's rubbish pile. They previously had a garage sale there on Friday and Saturday, evidently the clock didn't sell. I finished walking Louie and went back after the clock, it was still there.
First thing I noticed was that it is a weight driven clock, no mainsprings to wind (third picture, only weights are raised using the key holes). Secondly I noticed that it is a 30 hour clock and has to be wound daily, I looked into my collection of pendulum bobs looking for one that was the right weight to run the clock, no luck. Then I started to clean the clock and over in the top left hand corner lodged in the case was the clock's pendulum bob, which I dislodged and cleaned up, then the movement, raised the weights, set it in motion and off it took.
Birge, Mallory & Co. was in business from 1838-1843. The brass strap movements they used were early examples of mass-produced brass movements produced in the U.S. Rolled brass was still scarce, leading to the use of smaller sections riveted together.
In 1830, John Birge (see fourth picture) became a silent partner in the firm of C. & L.C. Ives. During this period, he also produced some clocks under his own name, of which the clock below is a rare example. From 1833 through 1837, he was involved in several firms including Birge, Case & Co., Birge, Gilbert & Co., Birge & Fuller, and Birge & Gilbert. In 1837, the firm Birge, Mallory & Co. was formed with principals John Birge, Ransom Mallory (made cases for Chauncey Jerome prior to joining in this firm), Sheldon Lewis, Thomas Fuller, and Ambrose Peck. The firm was known for their triple-decker shelf clocks, and produced 8-day and 30-hour brass movement shelf clocks through 1843, when the firm was dissolved.
Nice find. Great history notes!