192.           $1000

Howard & Davis No. 4 Banjo, US Light House Establishment,ca. 1858.  A 32-inch cherry case with an old finish; any original grain painting has been cleaned off.  The dial glass is original, the throat and box glasses are likely original as well, with “United States Light House Establishment.” on the tablet. “CONDEMNED USLHS” is stamped into the front of the left side of the box and ‘37’ is stamped into the upper left corner, on a glue block behind the dial, on the box door, and on the dial door hinge.  (The USLHS became the successor to the United States Light House Establishment in 1910.)  The thick paper dial is clean, lightly faded, and with little wear, with “Howard & Davis, Boston” below the mainstem.  The hands are likely original.  The 8-day brass movement is stamped Howard & Davis, Boston with a proper pendulum and bob, and driven by a cast iron weight stamped with ‘4’.  It will run briefly but needs to be cleaned. The weight shield has several horizontal cracks, has been repainted red (perhaps during service), and the pendulum tie-down is secured with glue as the screws no longer have purchase.  There is a hand-written service label on the interior right side dated to 1885 and 1898; normally there is a USLHE paper label there, but it looks like it was replaced by the service label.  At one time there was something attached to the top of the clock and there are holes in the base, with evidence of a previous attachment there as well. Very few sales records of USLHE clocks, most recently at Eldred’s in 2020 for $3500.  $1000–$2500.