Gary R. Sullivan Antiques Inc.

American Clock Styles - Pre 1840.

Tall Clocks

The most commonly recognized form of antique clock, is typically referred to as a Grandfather clock. Known among collectors as "tall case clocks", these early American clocks range in size, but are normally around eight feet tall. Considered a luxury item at their time of manufacture, the cases are often constructed of vibrant, high quality hardwoods and can feature elaborate inlays, carving and paint decorations. The American tall case clock was produced in all of the original states and appears with great regional variety. The form began to dwindle in popularity by the 1830's, and was replaced by less expensive manufactured examples. Antique tall case clocks can be found by hundreds of different early American clock makers. Despite their age, a properly maintained antique grandfather clock keeps surprisingly good time.

"Banjo" Clocks

The banjo clock was developed at the beginning of the 19th Century by renowned clock maker Simon Willard in Roxbury, Massachusetts. He called it his "Willard's Improved Patent Time Piece". Known today as Banjo clocks, these elegant wall clocks are prized by collectors. This reliable and affordable style quickly replaced the tall clock in many local regions and significantly influenced American clock making. Banjo clocks have never gone out of favor and numerous examples were produced into the 20th Century. The form is prone to restoration, especially to their glass "eglomise" panels and very few early examples survive in original condition. Original timepieces made by the master, Simon Willard, are the most highly sought after by collectors. Several important 19th century clock makers produced these antique banjo clocks (or timepieces). Some other prolific makers of banjo clocks include Simon’s brother Aaron Willard, Lemuel Curtis of Concord, Ma, Elnathan Taber of Roxbury, Ma, and William Cummens of Roxbury, Mass

Lighthouse Clocks

The lighthouse clock is an extremely rare and unique clock form developed by Simon Willard of Roxbury (Boston), MA in the 1820's. It was created to offer an alarm mechanism in a high-style table or shelf clock. Originally known as the "Patent Alarum Timepiece", they have become known as Lighthouse Clocks, for their obvious similarities. Manufactured in the Classical style, the cases are quite varied and can be paint and stencil decorated or mahogany with decorative gilt brass mounts. Very few Willard lighthouse clocks survive and it is thought that fewer than one hundred examples of this highly sought-after form remain.

Dwarf Clocks

Dwarf clocks were made to appear as a tall case clock, but measuring around four feet tall, they were scaled down and slightly more affordable than a full size grandfather clock. This style was previously referred to as a Grandmother clock. It was produced primarily in Southeastern Massachusetts, particularly in Hingham and Hanover, during the first quarter of the 19th Century. Diminutive dwarf clock cases appear in distinctive varieties, including both mahogany and paint decorated pine examples. They were produced as a more affordable alternative to a full size tall case clock. Clockmakers Joshua Wilder of Hingham, Ma and his apprentice Reuben Tower, who worked in Hingham, Plymouth and Kingston, Ma were the most prolific dwarf clock makers. The Bailey family of clockmakers from Hanover, Massachusetts was instrumental in the development of these fine dwarf clocks.

Bracket Clocks

Bracket clocks are spring driven shelf clock, produced throughout the 18th and 19th Centuries. A form produced primarily in England. Nearly all examples that bear American clockmaker's names were imported from Britain. It was common practice for American clock makers to order English bracket clocks, signed with their own names in place of the actual maker. American bracket clocks are quite rare and are prized by collectors. These clocks represent another very popular form that continued to be reproduced through the 20th Century.

Shelf Clocks

Commonly referred to as the "Massachusetts Shelf Clock" or the "Mass. shelf clock", These clocks were most fashionable during the first third of the 19th Century. Often made by the Willards in Roxbury (Boston), Ma., they commonly appear in two distinct configurations. The earlier variation has a wooden front and a slightly kidney shaped dial. Collectors refer to these as "kidney dial Mass. shelf clocks". The later form of Massachusetts shelf clock, called the "dish dial" features a round dial with reverse-painted glass panels (eglomise). Rare early examples such as those made by clockmakers David Wood and Daniel Balch of Newburyport, Ma. can be found with tombstone shaped dials, some made of brass. Boston clockmaker Aaron Willard was the most prolific maker of dish dial Mass shelf clocks.

Grafton Wall Clocks

Grafton Wall clocks were sometimes called Willard experimental clocks or Willard timepieces. These small clocks were usually made in Grafton, Massachusetts, although some were made in Roxbury, Ma. They were produced during the last quarter of the 18th Century. They are great rarities that were developed by Simon Willard and his brother Aaron Willard in an attempt to produce a small wall clock. Simon and Aaron Willard time pieces appear with brass dials and often have a passing strike. Willard thirty hour wall clocks are among the rarest of all important American clocks.

Tavern Clocks

The American version of the tavern clock was produced during the first third of the 19th Century. The form was developed and popularized in England, but did not have the same success in America, subsequently examples from this period are relatively rare. The majority of tavern clocks were manufactured in New England, primarily in Boston. Joseph Nye Dunning of Burlington, Vt. and Abel Stowell of Charlestown, Ma were makers of Tavern clocks. In the late 19th Century, similar production examples were introduced in the form of the "School House Clock". The values of these later clocks are significantly lower than early examples.

Mirror Clocks

Mirror clocks are an attractive design that features a split column frame and a mirror in the lower tablet. Often called "New Hampshire Mirror clocks", this popular form was primarily produced in that state during the 1820's & 30's. Due to their fragile nature, mirror clocks are another form that is prone to have restoration to the glasses, with few examples surviving in original condition. Examples continued to be produced in New York and Connecticut until the middle part of the 19th Century.

List of American Clockmakers This partial list highlights some of the more well known American clock makers We are always interested in purchasing clocks by any of the clock makers listed below.
Back to Top
MASSACHUSETTS
David Akin	Yarmouth, MA	George Glinn	Boston, MA	Samuel Rogers	Plymouth, MA
Charles Babbitt	Taunton, MA	Alanson Gooding	New Bedford, MA	John Roulstone	Boston, MA
Benjamin Bagnall	Boston, MA	Joseph Gooding	Dighton, MA	Sawin & Dyar	Boston, MA
Calvin Bailey	Hanover, MA	Kelley & Shepherd	Dartmouth, MA	John Sawin	Boston, MA
John Bailey	Hanover, MA	Allen Kelley	Provincetown, MA	Martial Shearman	Andover, MA
John Jr. Bailey	Hanover, MA	Ezra Kelley	New Bedford, MA	Abel Stowell	Charlestown, MA
Daniel Balch	Newburyport, MA	Caleb Leach	Plymouth, MA	David Studley	Hanover, MA
Jabez Baldwin	Salem, MA	John Minott	Boston, MA	Elnathan Taber	Roxbury, MA
Jonathan Billings	Acton, MA	Jonathan Mulliken	Newburyport, MA	Stephen Taber	New Bedford, MA
Gawen Brown	Boston, MA	Joseph Mulliken	Concord, MA	Reuben Tower	Hingham, MA
Timothy Chandler	Concord, MA	Nanthaniel Mulliken	Lexington, MA	Samuel Whiting	Concord, MA
William Cummens	Roxbury, MA	Samuel Mulliken	Newburyport, MA	Joshua Wilder	Hingham, MA
Edmund Currier	Salem, MA	Daniel Munroe	Concord, MA	Aaron Willard	Boston, MA
Curtis & Dunning	Concord, MA	Nathaniel Munroe	Concord, MA	Aaron Jr. Willard	Boston, MA
Lemuel Curtis	Concord, MA	John Osgood	Roxbury, MA	Benjamin Willard	Roxbury, MA
Samuel Curtis	Boston, MA	James Perrigo	Wrentham, MA	Simon Willard	Roxbury, MA
James Doull	Charlestown, MA	Joseph Pope	Boston, MA	Simon & Son Willard	Roxbury, MA
Joseph Dyar	Concord, MA	Robert Pope	Boston, MA	Simon Jr. Willard	Boston, MA
Zacheus Gates	Boston, MA	John Rogers	Newton, MA	David Wood	Newburyport, MA
Back to Top
CONNECTICUT
John Avery	Preston, CT	Simeon Jocelin	New Haven, CT	Jacob Sargeant	Hartford, CT
Joseph Bulkley	Fairfield, CT	Daniel Kellogg	Hebron, CT	Nathaniel Shipman	Norwich, CT
Isaac Doolittle	New Haven, CT	David Lowrey	Newington, CT	Asa Sibley	Woodstock, CT
Thomas Harland	Norwich, CT	Marquand & Whiting	Fairfield, CT	Peregrine White	Woodstock, CT
Nathan Howell	New Haven, CT	Silas Merriman	New Haven, CT	John Whitear	Fairfield, CT
Reuben Ingraham	Plainfield, CT	Isaac Reed	Stamford, CT	Moses Wing	Windsor, CT

MAINE
Lebbeus Bailey	Yarmouth, ME	James Carey	Brunswick, ME	John Rogers	Berwick, ME
Oliver Brackett	Vassalboro, ME	Samuel Ranlet	Monmouth, ME	Frederick Wingate	Augusta, ME
Enoch Burnham	Paris, ME	Abner Rogers	Berwick, ME		Back to Top

NEW HAMPSHIRE
Abiel Chandler	Concord, NH	William Fitz	Portsmouth, NH	Leonard W. Noyes	Nashua, NH
Timothy Chandler	Concord, NH	Abel Hutchins	Concord, NH	Enoch Nutter	Dover, NH
James Cole	Rochester, NH	Levi Hutchins	Concord, NH	John Osgood	Haverhill, NH
Jesse Emory	Ware, NH	Benjamin Morrill	Boscowen, NH	Silas Parsons	Swanzey, NH

RHODE ISLAND
Thomas Claggett	Newport, RI	Seril Dodge	Providence, RI	Caleb Wheaton	Providence, RI
William Claggett	Newport, RI	Edward Spalding	Providence, RI	David Williams	Newport, RI
Walter Cornell	Newport, RI	James Wady	Newport, RI

VERMONT
Martin Cheney	Windsor, VT	Joseph Dunning	Burlington, VT	Daniel Lord	Rutland, VT
Curtis &Dunning	Burlington, VT	Nicholas Goddard	Rutland, VT	Lord & Goddard	Rutland, VT
Lemuel Curtis	Burlington, VT

NEW JERSEY
Aaron Brokaw	Bridgetown, NJ	Joachim Hill	Flemington, NJ	Leslie & Williams	New Brunswick, NJ
Isaac Brokaw	Bridgetown, NJ	Joseph Hollinshead	Burlington, NJ	William J. Leslie	New Brunswick & Trenton, NJ
Matthew Egerton	New Brunswick, NJ	Aaron Lane	Elizabethtown, NJ	Aaron Miller	Elizabethtown, NJ

NEW YORK
Nehemiah Bassett	Albany, NY	Joseph Ives	New York, NY	Thomas Pearsall	New York, NY
Nathaniel Dominy	East Hampton, NY	Amos Jewett	Mount Lebanon, NY	Anthony Ward	New York, NY
Effingham Embree	New York, NY	Mitchell & Mott	New York, NY	Wood & Taylor	Florida, NY
Charles Geddes	New York, NY	Pearsall & Embree	New York, NY		Back to Top

PENNSYLVANIA
James Doull	Philadelphia, PA	Leslie & Price	Philadelphia, PA	Benjamin Rittenhouse	Philadelphia, PA
Edward Duffield	Philadelphia, PA	Isaiah Lukens	Philadelphia, PA	David Rittenhouse	Philadelphia, PA
Jacob Godschalk	Philadelphia, PA	Griffith Owen	Philadelphia, PA	Peter Stretch	Philadelphia, PA
William Huston	Philadelphia, PA	Solomon Parke	Philadelphia, PA	John Wood	Philadelphia, PA

MARYLAND & DELAWARE
William Faris	Annapolis, MD	Nathaniel Munroe	Baltimore, MD	Duncan Beard	Appoquinimink, DE
John Fessler	Fredrick, MD	Charles Tinges	Baltimore, MD	George Crow	Wilmington, DE
George Jones	Baltimore, MD		Back to Top	Thomas Crow	Wilmington, DE

American Clock Styles - Pre 1840.	Back to Top
Tall Clocks	The most commonly recognized form of antique clock, is typically referred to as a Grandfather clock. Known among collectors as "tall case clocks", these early American clocks range in size, but are normally around eight feet tall. Considered a luxury item at their time of manufacture, the cases are often constructed of vibrant, high quality hardwoods and can feature elaborate inlays, carving and paint decorations. The American tall case clock was produced in all of the original states and appears with great regional variety. The form began to dwindle in popularity by the 1830's, and was replaced by less expensive manufactured examples. Antique tall case clocks can be found by hundreds of different early American clock makers. Despite their age, a properly maintained antique grandfather clock keeps surprisingly good time.
"Banjo" Clocks	The banjo clock was developed at the beginning of the 19th Century by renowned clock maker Simon Willard in Roxbury, Massachusetts. He called it his "Willard's Improved Patent Time Piece". Known today as Banjo clocks, these elegant wall clocks are prized by collectors. This reliable and affordable style quickly replaced the tall clock in many local regions and significantly influenced American clock making. Banjo clocks have never gone out of favor and numerous examples were produced into the 20th Century. The form is prone to restoration, especially to their glass "eglomise" panels and very few early examples survive in original condition. Original timepieces made by the master, Simon Willard, are the most highly sought after by collectors. Several important 19th century clock makers produced these antique banjo clocks (or timepieces). Some other prolific makers of banjo clocks include Simon’s brother Aaron Willard, Lemuel Curtis of Concord, Ma, Elnathan Taber of Roxbury, Ma, and William Cummens of Roxbury, Mass
Lighthouse Clocks	The lighthouse clock is an extremely rare and unique clock form developed by Simon Willard of Roxbury (Boston), MA in the 1820's. It was created to offer an alarm mechanism in a high-style table or shelf clock. Originally known as the "Patent Alarum Timepiece", they have become known as Lighthouse Clocks, for their obvious similarities. Manufactured in the Classical style, the cases are quite varied and can be paint and stencil decorated or mahogany with decorative gilt brass mounts. Very few Willard lighthouse clocks survive and it is thought that fewer than one hundred examples of this highly sought-after form remain.
Dwarf Clocks	Dwarf clocks were made to appear as a tall case clock, but measuring around four feet tall, they were scaled down and slightly more affordable than a full size grandfather clock. This style was previously referred to as a Grandmother clock. It was produced primarily in Southeastern Massachusetts, particularly in Hingham and Hanover, during the first quarter of the 19th Century. Diminutive dwarf clock cases appear in distinctive varieties, including both mahogany and paint decorated pine examples. They were produced as a more affordable alternative to a full size tall case clock. Clockmakers Joshua Wilder of Hingham, Ma and his apprentice Reuben Tower, who worked in Hingham, Plymouth and Kingston, Ma were the most prolific dwarf clock makers. The Bailey family of clockmakers from Hanover, Massachusetts was instrumental in the development of these fine dwarf clocks.
Bracket Clocks	Bracket clocks are spring driven shelf clock, produced throughout the 18th and 19th Centuries. A form produced primarily in England. Nearly all examples that bear American clockmaker's names were imported from Britain. It was common practice for American clock makers to order English bracket clocks, signed with their own names in place of the actual maker. American bracket clocks are quite rare and are prized by collectors. These clocks represent another very popular form that continued to be reproduced through the 20th Century.
Shelf Clocks	Commonly referred to as the "Massachusetts Shelf Clock" or the "Mass. shelf clock", These clocks were most fashionable during the first third of the 19th Century. Often made by the Willards in Roxbury (Boston), Ma., they commonly appear in two distinct configurations. The earlier variation has a wooden front and a slightly kidney shaped dial. Collectors refer to these as "kidney dial Mass. shelf clocks". The later form of Massachusetts shelf clock, called the "dish dial" features a round dial with reverse-painted glass panels (eglomise). Rare early examples such as those made by clockmakers David Wood and Daniel Balch of Newburyport, Ma. can be found with tombstone shaped dials, some made of brass. Boston clockmaker Aaron Willard was the most prolific maker of dish dial Mass shelf clocks.
Grafton Wall Clocks	Grafton Wall clocks were sometimes called Willard experimental clocks or Willard timepieces. These small clocks were usually made in Grafton, Massachusetts, although some were made in Roxbury, Ma. They were produced during the last quarter of the 18th Century. They are great rarities that were developed by Simon Willard and his brother Aaron Willard in an attempt to produce a small wall clock. Simon and Aaron Willard time pieces appear with brass dials and often have a passing strike. Willard thirty hour wall clocks are among the rarest of all important American clocks.
Tavern Clocks	The American version of the tavern clock was produced during the first third of the 19th Century. The form was developed and popularized in England, but did not have the same success in America, subsequently examples from this period are relatively rare. The majority of tavern clocks were manufactured in New England, primarily in Boston. Joseph Nye Dunning of Burlington, Vt. and Abel Stowell of Charlestown, Ma were makers of Tavern clocks. In the late 19th Century, similar production examples were introduced in the form of the "School House Clock". The values of these later clocks are significantly lower than early examples.
Mirror Clocks	Mirror clocks are an attractive design that features a split column frame and a mirror in the lower tablet. Often called "New Hampshire Mirror clocks", this popular form was primarily produced in that state during the 1820's & 30's. Due to their fragile nature, mirror clocks are another form that is prone to have restoration to the glasses, with few examples surviving in original condition. Examples continued to be produced in New York and Connecticut until the middle part of the 19th Century.
	Back to Top