91.               $100

Geo. B Owen “Caliope”, ca. 1885. This rare clock has undergone some restoration but is still nice.  Owen was the General Manager for the Gilbert Clock Co. and also sold upgraded versions of Gilbert clocks under his own name.  This one does not have a label, so we don’t know who marketed it, but the movement is signed Geo. B. Owen, so we’ll go with that.  (Kroeber marketed this model as the Fifth Avenue.) Caliope was the muse of epic poetry in Greek mythology and means “beautiful voice”, but I think of a musical keyboard with steam whistles, also called a steam organ.  The walnut case is 23.5 inches tall, with replaced (and improper) finials on the top corners and a replaced base, not quite to specs.  The door glass is correct with the frosted design but is a modern replacement.  The paper dial in a nickel bezel is signed Gilbert and is probably a replacement; the hands are correct.  The Owen 8-day, time-and-strike movement is running and striking on a nickel bell, and there is a proper single barrel pendulum.  No label, front or back, and the door is not securely mounted.  An uncommon clock with some shortcomings, but still looks good.  $100–$200.