The missing numbers were often replaced with little symbols, often looking like stars. At this time it also became fashionable to use Arabic numerals for the hours instead of Roman numerals. The painted background decoration is starting to spread out too; arched dials have a scene painted in the arch, often with a spray of flowers on each side. The corner painting is spreading a little too, and the imitation spandrels are now often geometric designs, or a fan shape, or a floral design, which fills the corner.
Two middle period dials with Arabic hour numbers. Circa to Now we come to the later clocks, of around to In the North of England after grandfather clocks gradually got bigger and bigger, until by the end of the period some of them were huge - - - the dials were often fifteen inches wide and the clocks were eight feet tall, sometimes nine feet or more.
Given the larger area of dial to be decorated the dial painters went to town, the corner paintings became little masterpieces in their own right, and the decoration spread from the corner right up the side of the dial circle, to meet the next corner painting, and so on. Most of these clocks have an arched dial, and the artist painted in a large scene, often a biblical illustration, or a country scene, a nautical scene, a ruined abbey, or something ordered specially by the customer.
The hours have gone back to Roman numerals and stay that way; the hands are normally highly decorated brass and matching. These brass hands were used after for the rest of the period when grandfather clocks were made, in other words up to , possibly in a few rare cases to The minutes are shown by a minute band, two concentric circles close together, with lines inside to represent each minute instead of minute numbers.
There are occasional exceptions of course, some makers seemed to have a favorite feature which they kept using long after everybody else had moved on - - - Date and seconds subsidiary dials are usual now, and the small ornate hands fitted to these are also brass and matching. Two later dials, the painting filling the dial and arch. Another late dial, from the end of the Grandfather clock production days.
Not much white left on here - - -. Center seconds hand and large date hand, rolling moon phases in the arch. Very typical of the late dials, except for the center seconds and use of minute numbers. These may be used as seconds here. Circa to To finish off, here is a quick guide to the various white dial features and their dates:. Some of these features can overlap, but looking at all of them gives a good guide to the approximate year.
Of course, all dates are approximate, to the nearest ten years. Dotted Minutes to Minutes numbered every five minutes to Minutes numbered every quarter hour to No minute numbers to Roman hour numerals to then to Arabic hour numerals to Full minute band to Flowers or fruit to Fans, shells or abstract to No painting - left blank to Gold imitation spandrels to Name of maker to Flowers or birds to Small painting on white background to Full painted scene to Moon dial to Square dial to Arch dial to Steel to Brass to A very early unsigned 6.
G: Very common pattern provincially to H: Often used outside London to J: Used in the provinces to L: Very popular to M: Again, much used North and South to N: Final form of hands on brass dials to Also used on the first painted dials of the same period. No 2 middle period, very common pattern to No 3 Late period pattern, and after. London, pre , very rare on provincial clocks. First appeared C, peak use provinces to Often used by Thomas Thompion, but appears to on provincial clocks.
Very popular outside London to Can be seen on the early brass dial pictured above. A large spandrel, mainly used in Northern England C to Used in London from , and in the provinces C to First appears in the provinces , very popular C to First known example , very popular to Used together with 15 above to Not much white left on here - - - Center seconds hand and large date hand, rolling moon phases in the arch.
While some English clocks have a clockmakers name and location, there were many individual clockmakers who never included this.
Some only made a few clocks in their lifetime for extra income and remain anonymous. Between and , virtually all grandfather clocks had engraved brass dials. While some southern clockmakers continued to use brass until , from these usually had an engraved silvered dial centre.
Until the winding holes in 8 day dials had decorative rings and from scalloped edges were added to any cut outs. The style of decorative brass spandrels surrounding the dial can also give an indication of age, but this requires an expert eye. In the first white dials were made in Birmingham, growing more common until , replacing brass dials almost completely. Early examples were simply decorated with painted golden spandrels and occasional simple floral designs on the dial face. From , with the change in numerals, corner decoration became more complex, with painted scenes sometimes replacing the simpler designs.
Roman numerals have always been the norm for grandfather clock dials, with the half hour mark represented by a cross with an arrow head until These became increasingly decorative until , after which they were replaced by a simple diamond shape or omitted entirely. Until the minutes were numbered within the minute band.
After , these were engraved outside the minute ring, which was moved inwards on the chapter ring. From to , the minutes were represented by dots and only numbered every five minutes, then every fifteen minutes from to After this date, minute numbers were not used apart from on some bespoke commissions. For about thirty years from , Arabic numerals became the vogue, after which they returned to the traditional Roman numerals for good.
The style of movement pillars falls into three periods, the earliest until possessing three rings and four fins. In the middle period until the fins were lost and from until the present a more organic curved design replaced this. Before , square headed screws were used in the clock movement, being replaced after this with round heads and more precise thread profiles. The earliest pendulums were usually a thin rod with a small round plain lead weight, or bob. After , the bob became more flattened into the now familiar form and was usually encased in brass.
You can find this serial number on the reverse side of the dial. If your grandfather clock bears a stamp and serial number from the German company Embee, your clock is from the 20th century and can be dated very specifically within a five-year period.
Most antique clock sellers will be able to help you identify the specific year of the Embee or the Gustav Becker by researching the serial number in catalogues. If your clock was not manufactured by a recognized maker, consult an antiques dealer to determine the type of the wood, the style of the clockface and any other period details that may help him identify the specific decade in which the clock was manufactured.
Because unidentified grandfather clocks can be highly individual in their make and features, expertise is often needed to determine their age. Julia Lai is a frequent contributor to Los Angeles-based arts and literature publications. She graduated from University of California, Los Angeles with a bachelor's degree in history and has been writing professionally since By: Julia Lai Updated April 12, Share It.
0コメント