Gurdon Huntington Musical Tall Clock

Description:

Gurdon Huntington Musical Tall Clock, Windham, Connecticut, and Walpole, New Hampshire, c. 1790, the cherry solid fret-top case with freestanding fluted columns flanking the glazed hood door over the 12-in. painted iron Roman numeral dial inscribed G. Huntington with floral corners and moon's age dial and six tunes indicated by the brass hand in the arch including R. D. Stuben's Favorite, The Frog and the Mouse, The Lass of Pa...ten Mill, ...Psalm, Handels Minuet, and The...Bower, tombstone-shaped waist door and base panel inlaid with segmented banded inlay, all on ogee bracket feet, eight-day movement with count wheel hour strike and three train, six-tune musical movement with pin barrel and ten bells mounted above, seconds beating pendulum and three tin-cased weights, ht. 97 in.




Provenance: By descent from the original owner, Ephraim Brown (1775-1845). This clock traveled from Windham, Connecticut, to Bloomfield, Ohio, with Gurdon Huntington's widow, Temperance, in 1814, where she joined her daughter Mary and son-in-law Ephraim Brown at Brownwood, the family homestead. It returned to Connecticut with the Brown family about 1970 to a house located a few miles from where the journey began.

Note: According to Penrose Hoopes, Connecticut Clock Makers of the 18th Century (reprinted 1975),pp. 92-3, Gurdon Huntington (1763-1804) was born in Windham and by age 21 was advertising in the Connecticut Gazette that he was carrying on the clock and watch business a few rods north of Maj. Ebenezer Backus's store in Windham. By 1789, he moved to Walpole, New Hampshire, where he died in 1804.

This clock was likely made during the time of Huntington's move to Walpole, New Hampshire, and musical clocks are a rich tradition in both locales. Norwich, Connecticut, makers Thomas Harland and Daniel Burnap and Connecticut River Valley makers Asa Sibley (who administered Huntington's estate) and Peregrine White, Sibley's master, are known to produce musical clocks of a similar technical design.
Estimate $15,000-25,000

Fret, finial plinths, carved finials and bottom board are replacements, object right front foot facade and returns are restorations, hour hand is a replacement.


The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging. Condition requests can be obtained via email (lot inquiry button) or by telephone to the appropriate gallery location (Boston/617.350.5400 or Marlborough/508.970.3000). Any condition statement given, as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Skinner Inc. shall have no responsibility for any error or omission.

Keywords