Object Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
58.62 |
Object Name |
Clock |
Title |
Tall Case Clock |
Artist |
Duffield, Edward |
Place of Origin |
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
Date |
1769 |
Description |
Mahogany case. Bell-top hood with three beet-shaped wooden finials, the base of the center one being flanked by brackets resembling thorny branches. The dial is 12 1/2" square, of silvered brass. Marked "Duffield, Philada." The movement has a time train of four arbors and is conventional. The deadbeat escapement is located between the plates. An 8-pound pendulum with a pine rod and lens-shaped bob is driven by a crutch wire. It is adjustable but not compensated. (Robert P. Multhauf, "Catalogue of Instruments and Models," 1961). |
Label |
Edward Duffield's well-crafted clock was commissioned for use in the Pennsylvania State House yard observatory during the transit of Mercury across the sun, an astronomical event that occurred a few months after the transit of Venus in 1769. In the 1740s, Duffield made watches and clocks in his shop on the northwest corner of Second and Arch Streets. He also served as custodian of the large clock on the tower of the Pennsylvania State House, which many city residents relied on for the correct time. |
Material |
Mahogany, pine, and brass |
Dimensions |
H-82.5 W-20 D-9 inches |
Dimension Details |
Dimensions without hood Hood: 29.25 x 23.5 x 10.25 |
Credit line |
American Philosophical Society |
Search Terms |
18th century eighteenth century Philadelphia timepiece astronomy |