Clock Cases - Nigel Barnes - E-Book

Clock Cases E-Book

Nigel Barnes

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Beschreibung

This practical, informative and beautifully illustrated book will be essential reading for all those with a passion for mechanical clocks. It will be of particular interest to both amateurs and professionals alike who wish to work on clock cases and restore them in the correct way according to modern best practice. The authors, both experienced horological restorers, examine in detail the restoration processes and provide detailed descriptions, and a wealth of photographs and diagrams. Difficult, and often misunderstood, areas of restoration and conservation are explained in the context of twenty-first century thinking. The haphazard approach to clock case restoration, which has continued in some quarters almost to the present day, is no longer considered appropriate for preservation of the rapidly dwindling stock of clocks that represent our horological heritage. Accordingly, the authors emphasize that sensitive and sympathetic clock case restoration is essential and, indeed, is the most economically attractive approach to adopt. The book outlines the history of the main types of clock case made up to about one hundred years ago, and considers clock case woods and woodworking, and some of the special techniques involved in clock case construction, restoration and conservation. It demonstrates how a new clock case can be constructed, provides a clock case restoration study and describes the restoration of a number of other wooden clock cases. Covering both stone and metal clock cases of the 19th and 20th centuries and including a useful appendix which provides guidelines for restoring and conserving horological objects, this is an essential resource for all those who wish to work on clock cases and restore them in the correct way - whether amateurs or professionals. Beautifully illustrated with 500 colour photographs.

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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

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CLOCK CASES

A Practical Guide to their Construction, Restoration and Conservation

Nigel Barnes and Karoliina Ilmonen

First published in 2015 by The Crowood Press Ltd Ramsbury, Marlborough Wiltshire SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book published 2015

© Nigel Barnes and Karoliina Ilmonen 2015

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication DataA catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 78500 024 9

Disclaimer

The practical workshop procedures and the tools and equipment used by those involved in clock case construction, restoration and conservation are potentially dangerous. All equipment and tools employed in this work should be used in strict accordance with both current health and safety regulations and the manufacturer’s instructions.

The author and the publisher do not accept any responsibility in any manner whatsoever for any error or omission, or any loss, damage, injury, adverse outcome, or liability of any kind incurred as a result of the use of any of the information contained in this book, or reliance upon it. If in doubt about any aspect of the construction, restoration and conservation of clock cases, readers are advised to seek professional advice.

Throughout this book ‘craftsman’, ‘he’, ‘him’ and ‘his’ are used as neutral pronouns and as such refer to males and females.

Photographs by Nigel Barnes except where otherwise stated.

Contents

Preface
Chapter 1  Introduction
Chapter 2  Woods and Woodworking in Clock Cases
Chapter 3  Some Special Techniques in Clock-Case Construction, Restoration and Conservation
Chapter 4  Making a New Clock Case
Chapter 5  A Clock-Case Restoration
Chapter 6  Some Wooden Clock Cases and Their Restoration
Chapter 7  Stone Clock Cases of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries
Chapter 8  Metal Clock Cases of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries
Chapter 9  Finding a Clock Case to Restore
Appendix: Guidelines for Restoring and Conserving Horological Objects
Index

Preface

This book is a sequel and companion to Maintaining Longcase Clocks – An Owner’s Guide to Maintenance, Restoration and Conservation and is likewise aimed at the amateur clock owner and the aspiring professional. While that book was restricted in its scope to just one type of clock, this is intended as a source for anyone working on clock cases. It covers the more frequent types of cases of clocks made up to about one hundred years ago or less – in other words, clock cases that would now be considered as antique in the usual meaning of the word. Because we work in conservation and restoration, we do not offer advice about modern designs for new clocks.

As the title suggests, this book is aimed at the practitioner – everyone from the amateur clock enthusiast to a professional horological service provider – rather than the collector. As a result, the historical background material provided is just enough to put the clock cases into their social and historical context or setting. Nevertheless, it is inevitable that we touch on the wider subject of how antiques and cultural heritage objects might be preserved for future generations to enjoy and learn from. Over the centuries, clocks and clock cases have been made to reflect a wide range of status, quality and value; the same sorts of value judgements and decisions about preservation and restoration that apply to other forms of cultural heritage object apply equally to clock cases.

My co-author in this book is Karoliina Ilmonen, a bright and energetic clock restorer and conservator. She has contributed modern thinking based on her formal training and comprehensive understanding of the principles of conservation in horology.

Karoliina and I are not museum-based conservators. We both provide professional services in the horological sector as clock and clock-case restorers and conservators, so we are familiar with the conflicts between available budget, preservation and usage. We often argue about how best to apply the principles of conservation and how to make those real-world compromises that will best suit our clients while, as far as possible, preserving the clocks that are temporarily entrusted to us. Karoliina is a theoretical perfectionist in her approach to her conservation work and I am more of a pragmatist, aware of the client’s budget and the foreseeable future. The fact that we do not always disagree indicates that, for any clock, a number of conservation or restoration approaches are possible, each with a separate outcome.

People have always been fascinated by old items and, with the rise of mass production in the early twentieth century, formalized ideas about conservation in general began to develop. The preservation of horological heritage was always a slightly different case because it was to some extent obstructed by a contrary groundswell of conservative, pragmatic clock-menders whose primary objective was the maintenance of domestic time-keeping by whatever means necessary.

Since those early conservation days, clock cases have remained in a sort of no-man’s land between the horology and antique furniture sectors. This advice given by the British Horological Institute in its 1995 publication, Conservation of Clocks and Watches (ed. Peter B. Wills), asserted that clock case restoration was a specialized field and that clock restorers who had no previous training or experience in that area should not become involved in it. From the other side of the fence, The British Antique Furniture Restorers’ Association lists clock movements and clock dials among its services – but not clock cases. Neither the European Confederation of Conservator-Restorers’ Organizations (ECCO) nor the UK Institute of Conservation (ICON) are aware of any conservation guidelines that are specific to clock cases. And, while the British Horological Institute recommends avoidance, the Antiquarian Horological Society offers a bursary for conservation work, but gives no conservation advice for clocks, let alone clock cases.

The apparent absence of specific guidance about clock-case restoration should not be a matter for immediate concern. Clock cases are, after all, cultural heritage objects for which universal guidelines apply. Drawing on as many sources as possible, our aim has been to set out clear practical advice that is straightforward to follow and will be more or less in harmony with the sorts of best-practice guidelines that will surely play an increasingly significant part in the way clock cases are preserved for future generations.

Conservation and restoration start with identification and historical assessment. To quote from Herbert Cescinsky, ‘The history of a nation’s handicrafts is the history of a people, and its art works mark the measure of its culture and education. With the furniture of the various periods we enter the homes of their everyday life.’

Although our book is more concerned with restoration and conservation, we accept that advice on making new clock cases is both necessary and appropriate. The reason for that apparent discrepancy is that conservators must consider the long-term preservation of clocks. In the case of a clock that has somehow lost its case, the preferred preservation route is the construction of an appropriate replacement case. This will ensure that the clock remains intact as an identifiable object and should also convey an impression or sense of the original.

We discuss the main types of clock case, referring to their historical background and evolutionary history before dealing with the specifics of construction and restoration. Clock cases made from materials other than wood figure quite prominently – this is an area that otherwise is only really covered by special interest groups, mostly through the internet.

The subject of clock cases is inseparable from the wider subject of clocks but we describe clock movements only in terms of physical characteristics, the dimensions and properties that influence the design and construction of their cases.

Regardless of classifications and formal definitions of the key terms ‘repair’, ‘restoration’, ‘conservation’ and ‘preservation’, fundamental uncertainties remain that are mostly related to the more basic definition of ‘horological heritage’. The introductory chapter examines the idea of how and why clocks and their cases come to be classed as ‘worthy of preservation’ or not, and how perceptions change, and will continue to change.

There is no reason why the amateur clock restorer should not aspire to the highest standards in terms of ethical approach, knowledge of the subject and workmanship, all of which are routinely applied by museum conservators. Ultimately, good restoration is in an owner’s best interest because it protects the value of his asset. Even the amateur who lacks years of experience can follow some really basic rules; one of the most important is to work on an antique clock case (or any antique object) in a way that the original maker would approve.

Amateur restoration is no longer limited by the cultural demarcations of previous generations when a clockmaker made only clocks and a chair-maker made only chairs. Craft skills are disappearing all over the developed world and, although the amateur can acquire the same skills through self-teaching, it takes time and practice. Our book can only guide the thoughts, not the hands, and we would encourage the interested reader to get together with like-minded people by joining a mutual interest group.

Nigel Barnes

Chapter 1

Introduction

BACKGROUND

Over the years a great many books have been written on the subject of clocks, dealing in detail with technical innovations about timekeeping and with the development of various clock types. Often, books are specific to one type of clock or, sometimes, to just one British county or region.

Inevitably, books about clocks contain some information about clock cases but usually in an incidental way and only a very few books have been written specifically about the subject. This might seem strange, since the outward appearance of a clock is likely to be a significant factor for a potential buyer. It seems even more strange when clocks are compared with antique furniture, where the superficial or decorative characteristics receive far more attention than the hidden details of the construction. Like antique furniture, clocks varied widely in terms of quality or status, with styles frequently changing or evolving to reflect prevailing fashions. The older examples tend to be more sought after, although old does not absolutely guarantee quality. It might, however, mean scarce.

Clocks made for the wealthy elite in the days before mass production were hand-crafted by highly skilled craftsmen. The carefully selected mahogany veneers and intricate gilded brass-work applied to the case of this three-fusée chiming clock are intended to give an impression of opulence. (Steve Daniels)

Ignoring clock cases in books about clocks has a historical precedent: one early book about clocks was written in the 1480s by a German monk working in the Vatican. The manuscript of Fra Paulus Almanus (Brother Paul the German), discovered in the twentieth century in a monastery library, contains quite detailed descriptions of thirty clocks. It seems that Brother Paul was a clock-mender and that his clients were the senior hierarchy of the church. Although there are a few tantalising clues about the clocks’ cases, the manuscript is a clock-mender’s record showing wheels, striking arrangements and other mechanical detail. Brother Paul the clock-mender was so focused on the mechanical parts of the thirty clocks that their cases must have seemed insignificant.

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!



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