108. $1500
E. Terry & Sons box clock with “window
shade” alarm, 1823-1831. Although Eli Terry’s earliest shelf clocks took this form, the pillar & scroll style became more
popular, and these simple box clocks were not made in quantity. Similarly, the torsion-spring (window shade) alarm was soon
replaced by weight-driven alarm mechanisms. Not all box clocks contain this uncommon alarm mechanism, which can also be found
in some pillar & scrolls. The case is 22.25-inches tall and 14 inches wide with good mahogany veneer all around (I see one
well-done repair on the left side), and a clean finish. The dial glass is original and with period-appropriate waviness (there
is a crack in the upper right corner); the lower glass has been repainted and seems to be modern glass, but the putty looks very old,
suggesting it was repainted in place. The wooden dial shows numerous losses and some touch-up repairs. I’m not certain
that it is original, as the back shows that the center opening appears to have been pared back relatively recently to accommodate
the alarm ring. On the positive side, it does show a decoration below the mainstem that was favored by Terry in his early clocks. The hands are period, as is the alarm ring. The five-arbor wooden, 3o-hour movement is running and striking and the alarm is
functional, striking on a second iron bell. There is a period pendulum bob and two cast iron 30-hour weights, and a good, if
dark, label inside on the backwall. AAC sold a nice example in 2023 for $5000; Cottone’s sold one without an alarm in 2023 for
$1400. No sales records on the Antique Clocks Identification and Price Guide. $1500–$4000.
Antique American Clocks JANUARY 2025