74.              $100

Brewster Manufacturing Co.(?) miniature empire shelf clock, 1851-1855.  A second example of the uncommon miniature triple decker clock, but the lack of a label means we don’t know if it was marketed by E.O. Goodwin or directly by the BMC – both parties sold this model under their own name.  We know that Goodwin made the cases in his shop and Brewster provided the movements.  BMC was the successor to Brewster & Ingrahams after a dispute between Epaphroditus Peck and Noah Brewster, Elisha Brewster’s son, both of whom were working together selling B&I clocks in England, caused the break-up of B&I back in Bristol CT.  This was not Peck’s first run-in with a clockmaker’s son in England – the firm of Peck & Jerome, which earlier sold Chaucey Jerome clocks in England and was a partnership between Chauncey and Epaphroditus, ended in 1844 after Peck got into a dispute with Chauncey Jerome, Jr., who was working with him in England. Peck apparently did not get along well with clockmakers’ sons!  To the best of my knowledge BMC and Goodwin are the only makers/sellers of this wonderful little clock.  The 20.5-inch-tall case has been refinished and stained with mahogany and the columns grain-painted to match, with gold caps and plinths.  The dial glass is a modern replacement, the lower glasses period/original with considerable losses to the tablets.  The middle tablet is an image of Buckingham Palace, the lower tablet is from a lithograph of the early Smithsonian Institution.   The contoured metal dial holds the likely original paint in good, clean condition, with proper hands.  The 8-day, time-and-strike, spring-driven B&I movement is running and striking a wire gong without problem. No label, of course, on the replaced backboard.  $100–$200.