122. $200
John Conger column & splat, ca. 1830. This is a rare
clock: I can find two sales (of the same clock) on LiveAuctioneers and one sale on Antique Clocks Identification and Price Guide over
the last 23 years. Conger worked out of Bristol, CT but little is known about him; he used wooden movements made by Samuel Terry,
according to Clockmakers & Watchmakers of America. The case is 29.5 inches tall, never had feet or finials, and is hinged
on the left. The finish is very old, with some crustiness; the bronzing on the columns is still bright, the splat less so. The dial glass is original, with most of the original putty, the center mirror is period but may be a replacement, and the tablet
is original with some chipping and touch-up. The tablet is remarkably well preserved. The wood dial is reasonably clean
with lots of color in the spandrels; the hands are period. The 30-hour, time-and-strike wooden movement will run with finger
pressure and strikes the iron bell on its own; weights are included. There is a good label inside (with two overpastes that
are not relevant to the maker). There is a tin dust shield for the back that you can reattach if you are the lucky winner. The most recent sale of a Conger clock was in 2018 at Cottone’s, ex the Lindy Larson collection, but that clock had a very unusual
brass movement; a sale at RO Schmitt in 2003 is the only listing on Antique Clocks Identification and Price Guide of a Conger clock
with a wooden movement, for $200. We’ll start this rare clock/clockmaker there. $200-$400.
Antique American Clocks January 2023