Clock Cases E-Book

Nigel Barnes

• Herausgeber: Crowood
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 334

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

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.

Leseprobe

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.

Although this book covers the cases made for mechanical clocks during a limited period – from the middle of the seventeenth century to the beginning of the twentieth century – the clocks within that time span represent a very wide variety of size, form and status. The term ‘status’ is significant; largely overlooked within the clock and antique trades, it is an indicator of the classes that existed within society and the position within those social strata of the first owner.

When the English monarchy was restored in the year 1660, following a short experimental republic, wealth was concentrated in the hands of a very small proportion of the population. Being hand-made, clocks were very expensive. Over the two and a half centuries that followed, clock ownership spread across the social classes; from being the sole prerogative of the wealthy, it had effectively become universal by the time of the First World War. An understanding of the growth of clock ownership in a stratified society is crucial to understanding clock cases in their social and historical context. In the preservation of clocks, status is one of the factors that affect decisions about conservation or restoration policy.

As clocks evolved from one technical innovation or social requirement to the next, new forms of clock case were adopted to accommodate the changes. Over the years, a number of factors have influenced the development of clock-case designs:

•  Mechanical improvements in time-keeping. One example is the introduction of the longcase clock, which was a direct consequence of the discovery of the pendulum and the innovation of the anchor recoil escapement. The case had to be designed to accommodate a pendulum of 1 metre in length while providing for the long vertical travel of the driving weights.

•  Domestic arrangements. As people became more conscious of time as the basis for organizing society, clocks and watches were made to present the hour almost continuously. From the earliest days, there was a requirement for both portable and fixed domestic clocks to supplement the public clocks that had been installed in towns across Europe since the late thirteenth century. Contemporary writings show an awareness of time beginning to enter domestic life. Up-and-coming middle-class public servant Samuel Pepys was one writer who made reference to it, in his diary entry of 31 December 1664: ‘As soon as ever the clock struck one, I kissed my wife in the kitchen by the fireside, wishing her a merry New Year, observing that I believe I was the first proper wisher of it this year…’. It seems that, as Pepys was rising up through the social classes, he was having to come to terms with concepts of time measurement and the division of the day. (Nowadays, he might have kissed his wife at one second past twelve instead of waiting until one o’clock!)

•  Fashion. Clock cases are rarely merely functional. With special exceptions, decorative elements incorporated into clock-case design and construction broadly followed contemporary fashions in furniture and decoration. Thus, the subdued and puritanical styles of the late seventeenth century gave way to sumptuous embellishment in the early eighteenth century. The exponential growth in clockmaking in the late nineteenth century gave rise to all sorts of design revivals and throwbacks.

•  Economy of construction. Following the rise of industrialization and the establishment of a waged society, clocks were made for all budgets. By far the greatest proportion were aimed at the lower end of the market, with high-volume manufacturers finding ever more economic ways of using materials and benefiting from standardization and economies of scale. Thousands of identical movements were fitted into thousands of identical cases and the cases themselves were often cleverly designed, with mass production and shipping in mind.

•  Diversity of choice in an expanding market. With consumers looking for something ‘different’ – a particular feature of the American market – hundreds of different designs were supplied, all housing somewhat similar movements. (In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries it was not a new phenomenon and, apparently, there were no two identical English longcase clocks made in the seventeenth or eighteenth centuries.)

The growth of time-consciousness in an increasingly organized society is mirrored by clock ownership. Mass production of cheaper clocks coincided with the beginning of the Railway Age, industrialization and consumerism.

Dated 1906 on the inscription, this English clock is made in the classical architectural style. The gilded, incised floral flourish is a typical late Victorian and Edwardian feature. The inscription gives a clue to the status of the first owner, a sergeant-major in the British Army.

The ogee clock (sometimes wrongly called ‘OG’) was made in great quantities by several American makers from the mid-1820s. The veneered ogee-shaped moulding on the front of the case allowed the door to be set back, making packing and stacking easier. The case is large enough to accommodate the vertical travel of the driving weights but transporting weight-driven clocks was problematic and they were discontinued in favour of spring-driven.

These pages in Brook Palmer’s 1967 Treasury of American Clocks (The Macmillan Company, New York) give an idea of just how many variations of just one basic design were available.

The movement and dial of this clock were made in London in about 1730; the case seems to have been made in the mid-twentieth century. The type of wood is completely inappropriate as is much of the design detail, but the clock has survived, albeit without its original case.

This book aims to show how a clock case can deteriorate with the passing of years, or generations or centuries, and how it can be preserved, either as an attractive domestic feature or, sometimes, as an important item of cultural heritage to be passed on to subsequent generations.

Clock cases are often damaged beyond repair or, worse, discarded in the mistaken belief that they are beyond repair. Consequently, it may be necessary to make a copy or replica of an old clock case. This book gives an example in which the design, materials and construction are based on an existing early clock case. Close attention to detail is critical – it often becomes apparent that even the minutest construction detail serves some hidden purpose. The clock-case restorer should always be on the look-out for the duality of form and function – subtle features that look like design peculiarities but which actually mask some construction detail.

It might seem unlikely that a pair of clock restorers would suggest making a replica case to house an old clock but there are some very convincing conservation arguments in favour of the correct replacement case. First, as long as the replacement case is not passed off as genuine, it serves to keep the sense of the clock, and, second, it is a really good way of preserving a clock that might otherwise be far more vulnerable to damage or complete loss.

Since we are craft-workers and restorers, we do not suggest new designs and the limit of our artistic endeavour is in occasionally designing appropriate replacement parts or even complete cases on the basis of detailed research.

THE PURPOSE OF A CLOCK CASE

A clock case fulfils two very different roles and clock-case design represents the union of the two functions:

1.   The practical: how to enclose the clock, protecting the movement from dust and intrusion while displaying the time.

2.  The aesthetic: how to project and reflect the owner’s status and tastes, or at least project an impression that the owner might like to create.

Dealing first with the practical, there are a number of key considerations when designing a case to fit a clock:

1.  The dimensions of the clock dial and the space into which it must display the time.

2.  The type of driving force of the movement – whether weight-driven or spring-driven.

3.  Whether or not it strikes or chimes bells, gongs or rods at hour, half-hour and quarter-hour.

4.  Whether it has a long or short pendulum, or some different type of non-pendulum escapement.

5.  The use or service conditions that the clock will encounter.

The fact that a clock dial is circular has been supposed to originate from the arrangement of a horizontal sundial. Likewise, the ‘clockwise’ direction of rotation of the hands is the same as the rotation of a shadow in the northern hemisphere. The word ‘dial’ is itself derived from a word meaning ‘day’ and the clock dial actually presents an ideogram of present time within the day. Until the recent introduction of the digital display, that circular form of dial with its astronomical inferences remained a standard in Western culture and has dominated the appearance of clock cases.

A carriage clock sold by Edwards & Jones, 161 Regent Street London W., a luxury goods shop located in a prestigious shopping street. The clock is designed to be transportable. With a platform lever escapement, it is compact and works in any orientation; for added protection it was supplied with a carrying case.

Ostensibly, it might seem that the purpose of a clock case is simply to support and protect the movement while presenting the dial so that it can be read conveniently. That is not the whole story; less obviously, most clocks are made specifically to convey an impression, usually of opulence (wealth, richness or lavish luxury) and taste. Certain accurate clocks such as regulators and astronomical clocks are mostly devoid of frivolous embellishment but nevertheless convey the impression of serious and austere purpose, often using finely finished exotic woods. Over the centuries, the practical or functional role of clock cases has been largely masked by design and embellishment.

Anything that requires making – clothes, furniture, ceramics, silverware, clocks – is influenced by designers and fashion leaders and, indeed, this has been the case for many generations. A modern example can be found in car bodies, which, if they were only functional, would all look roughly the same. Instead, their look differs according to make, status and date; as a result, cars of similar status and date tend to look similar. Car-body styling changes from year to year because manufacturers re-invest a significant proportion of the purchase price on design. For the potential car buyer, this year’s model is, for some reason, more attractive than last year’s.

Clock or ornament? In the second half of the nineteenth century, neo-classical and baroque styles appealed to the rising middle classes. This cast-brass clock, which houses a movement from the S Marti et Cie factory in Paris, was made some time after 1860 but before 1889. The styling should be seen through the eyes of a middle-class Parisian at the time of the Franco-Prussian War.

An Art Deco shelf clock from the 1920s or 1930s. The period saw new shapes and combinations of materials, Arabic numerals and, after 1930, chromium bezels. Even the hands are styled in the ‘Empire State Building’ shape that was so popular at the time. The width of the case is demanded by the use of long horizontally mounted brass gong rods.

Most clock cases blend the functional requirements of encasing a clock with a carefully chosen appearance that reflects the owner’s taste (or, arguably, lack of it). The huge variety in shape and style of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century clocks is something that can easily be taken for granted. It seems fairly clear that, from the earliest history of clocks, cases were carefully designed to create a certain impression. Clock ownership spread into the lower social classes in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The wealthy classes bought furniture, clocks and other items that only they could afford. Those with a more limited budget bought items that aimed to mimic the opulence of the wealthy, but at a much lower price. It was only in the twentieth century that the new Art Deco movement largely standardized the design and construction of clocks.

ABOUT CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION

The two terms ‘conservation’ and ‘restoration’ cause much confusion, partly through misunderstanding and misinterpretation and partly through the sort of ideological separation that they imply. The two terms are not necessarily mutually exclusive and in languages other than English they do not necessarily exist side by side.

The point about preserving cultural heritage objects (including clocks and clock cases) is so that future generations will be able to inherit not only the physical objects but also all the knowledge that exists about them – how, why, and for whom they were made – as well as an understanding of the skills involved in their construction.

Conservation

Conservation is the more precisely definable term of the two: quite simply, it is the controlled and careful preservation of what remains of an object, for the enjoyment, enlightenment and/ or edification of future generations. However, although the meaning of conservation is less nuanced than restoration, for any conservation project there will still be a range of possible approaches, each with its own outcome. Conservators and stakeholders must weigh up the pros and cons to arrive at the action plan that represents least risk to the object.

Conservation work is slow and meticulous but commercial restoration can only be as time-consuming as the budget will allow. This is the lenticle window of a fire-damaged Dutch longcase clock (see later), acquired by a client who was willing to sponsor a protracted programme of restoration work. The little window in the trunk door gives a view of the swinging pendulum bob. The door alone took a full week to restore.

In the past, the term ‘conservation’ was usually taken to refer to complicated procedures carried out by specialist scientific experts in rather remote laboratories. With an increasing emphasis on the rarefaction and extinction of certain types of clock, it is increasingly for the amateur horologist to recognize and protect the endangered species of the clock world and endeavour to apply the formal rules of conservation in the sense of preservation.

Restoration – Definitions

Restoration as a term is often poorly defined and open to various interpretations. It has in the past been assumed to be synonymous with the term ‘renovation’ (making new) and a great many restorers still mistakenly strive for an ‘as-new’ look in clocks and antique furniture.

The idea that restoration returns the condition of an object to some undefined point in its past is difficult to apply. As an alternative, restorers often aim to stabilize the object with minimal intervention but with the intention of continuing use. In this case, the refreshing of surface finishes and other cosmetic work is done in a way that will not make irrevocable changes.

The restoration of clock cases is an activity open to those of all abilities, from professional restorers and serious DIY enthusiasts to more casual amateur hobbyists. It is a widespread commercial service within the wider antiques sector. The term ‘restoration’ should not be taken to imply less emphasis on research, record-keeping and documentation than is evident in conservation. Rather than prioritizing present use over long-term preservation, good restoration should preserve an object in a condition in which it can fulfil its original purpose. It is a difficult goal to achieve in practice.

It follows that imprudent restoration may seriously affect the future value of a cultural heritage object. Restoration work must be well thought out if it is to preserve the integrity of an object and give the best possible assurance of future value.

Restoration – A More Formal Approach

Towards the end of the twentieth century ideas about the nature and practice of conservation began to spread from the museums. Various organizations formulated policies about the preservation of cultural heritage and the workers – those people who mended, preserved, repaired or restored artefacts – seem to have polarized into two camps. The restorers (usually commercial service providers linked to the antique trade) often saw conservators as impractical purists with no idea of business. On the other hand, the conservators thought of restorers as unprincipled opportunists willing to despoil cultural heritage for monetary gain. The restorers justifiably felt that they were getting on with the work of returning broken-down old things to a serviceable condition for their customers; the conservators were seen as a theoretical scientific bunch associated with museums and learned dissertations.

Outside of the museum sector, trade groups began to appear: The British Antique Furniture Restorers’ Association was one trade organization that was formed when it was felt necessary to protect the trade, the consumers and the established craftsmen from the spread of untrained and unskilled ‘restorers’.

There is a strong argument that, without the efforts of untrained restorers, no matter how dubious their results by modern ethical standards, there would be a much less rich variety of cultural heritage objects to enjoy today. However, with the benefit of debate and clearer ideas, ethical restoration is becoming the norm for most professional restorers and there is no reason why the amateur cannot follow the same basic principles. Good restoration means achieving the best possible compromise between limited budget, continuing use and longer-term preservation.

The principles of good restoration are in essence the same as for good conservation and at a most basic level can be summarized as follows:

•  Identification and recording.

•  Informing and enlightening the client or owner and discussing the issues with them.

•  Making a rescue or action plan that involves minimal intervention while ensuring stability or at least preservation in the foreseeable future.

•  Recording the work as it is done.

CLOCK CONSERVATION – A SPECIAL CASE?

The subject of clock cases and their restoration has been somewhat overlooked in the past, for reasons that are related to the historical perceptions of clocks and time-consciousness in society. Of the clock-related books written over the last hundred or so years, there are a few that focus on the antique or heritage value of fine clocks, but many more are aimed at the repairer or mender seeking guidance about how to keep a functional part of an owner’s domestic arrangements in regular working order. On the one hand there is, for example, the great classic, English Domestic Clocks, written in 1913 by Herbert Cescinsky and Malcolm Robert Webster – a serious and comprehensive analysis of the evolution in styles of domestic clocks, including their cases. On the other hand there are many books about making and repairing that are more metallurgical or technical than philosophical. In the same year (1913) as Cescinsky and Webster’s great work, F. Garrard wrote Clock Repairing and Making, which was reprinted many times and is now available in electronic format. Garrard sums up in many ways the pragmatic, non-conservation thinking of its time. In one chapter, headed ‘Altering Clocks’, he describes how an original verge escapement of the kind found in very early clocks could be replaced with a modern anchor escapement. In Garrard’s time the emphasis was on timekeeping, but nowadays such an alteration would be unthinkable on conservation grounds. A new way of thinking starts to become evident in only slightly later books. In 1928, G. F. C. Gordon, in Clockmaking Past and Present, introduced the term ‘Conservation’, and expressed a more enlightened view:

The writer is of the opinion that gutting old lantern clocks and fitting eight-day movements will cease before long. In ever increasing numbers, people are realising that the genuine old clock with its original movement is far more valuable… The tendency today is for the public to become more educated.

Historically, clock-menders tended to adopt a pragmatic approach to keeping watches and clocks in working order for their customers and it is only more recently that the traditional work practices have come to be seen as contrary to the principles of conservation.

Are there any professional conservation guidelines for clock cases? The British Horological Institute advises its members in Conservation of Clocks and Watches (1995) that, ‘The restoration of clock cases is beyond the scope of these guidelines as it is a specialised field in which clock restorers should not, without previous training or experience become involved.’ The British Antique Restorers’ Association has a similar view: ‘We do not have any specific published guidelines and in practice we would advise that nobody attempt this work themselves and that it should be put in the hands of a professional restorer.’

Admittedly, clocks represent something of a special case when deciding how to apply rules about conservation or restoration because of some apparent contradictions:

•  Truly conserving a clock implies not allowing it to run, as this wears its internal parts. However, the integrity of an early clock is lost when it is no longer allowed to tick.

•  The requirement to keep a clock ticking involves periodic replacement of parts – is that level of intervention acceptable as a matter of good conservation practice?

•  It might seem incongruous to take great care in preserving a clock case when the movement has been repeatedly repaired.

The snags in clock conservation have undoubtedly spilled into the conservation of clock cases and there are no standards for clock-case restoration that are equivalent to those formalized and practised by members of the British Antique Furniture Restorers’ Association; one exception is the Irish Horological Craft Forum, which has recently published some conservation guidelines specifically to advise restorers working on clock cases.

CONSERVATION FOR THE FUTURE OR RESTORATION FOR NOW?

Who decides whether a clock should be conserved for the future or restored for the present? Ordinary clocks have owners; special clocks have guardians (museums, trusts or other bodies). The factors that influence whether or not preservation is appropriate – or, rather, whether the cost of conservation is justifiable – are usually taken to be related to the object’s importance to mankind. That may mean age, rarity, craftsmanship, artistry innovation or some special feature. It rarely applies where there are large numbers of the object in existence.

The real difference lies in the objectives of the owners or guardians of artefacts. There are three categories of owner/guardian who may avail themselves of third-party conservation/ restoration services:

•  Museums and similar guardians. Entrusted with keeping samples of heritage objects safe for the benefit of future generations, such owners tend to specify a no-compromise application of the principles of best conservation practice in any work on objects in their care. There is no such thing as restoration to museum standards; museums preserve what is there but they do not make up what is not.

•  Enlightened owners. Connoisseurs who understand the historical and social context of the pieces in their collections tend to prefer sensitive preservation methods that will not compromise the heritage or financial value. For the private collector of antique furniture or clocks there is an obvious conflict between the requirements of preservation and continued usage but, unlike museums, connoisseurs are unlikely to specify environmental conditions (humidity, light, and so on) for long-term preservation.

•  Unenlightened owners. Some owners have acquired antique objects purely as items of domestic decoration, with little real understanding of whether they are genuine original examples, cleverly re-worked pieces or simply out and out frauds. To a very large extent the unenlightened owner relies on the honesty and integrity of an antique dealer and there have been many examples where a trusting but inexpert buyer has been the victim of an unscrupulous seller. It is the role of the conservator or restorer to enlighten the client, but quite often the expert’s opinion is sought too late.

The case of Adolph Shrager and Basil Dighton in 1923 left a lasting blot on the reputation of antique dealers as a whole and sums up many of the pitfalls and distasteful aspects of the wider antique trade.

In 1922, Adolph Shrager, an alleged First World War profiteer, went to a London dealer Basil Dighton for advice about buying antique furniture. He bought about five hundred pieces but soon after discovered that many were overpriced fakes. Shrager sued Basil Dighton in a trial, in early 1923, that was widely reported. He lost both the first trial and the appeal, despite demonstrating that he was in the right. The case exposed establishment prejudice against Shrager, the nouveau riche Jew and alleged war profiteer. It also highlighted an apparently widespread practice of cheating vulnerable buyers with large quantities of fake furniture. It is often said in the antiques trade that if you want to find fakes, look in the collections of millionaires.

In more recent times, the internet has brought information about furniture and clocks to anyone interested enough to seek it out, but unfortunately there has always been a lucrative business in making attractive fakes or spoiling fine antiques for the exploitation of the gullible and unenlightened buyer. With his fixed ideas and inappropriate notions about restoration, the unenlightened owner is often very difficult to work for; much tact and diplomacy are required, especially when he has bought a fake or fraudulent reproduction and is inclined to defend his judgement.

Herbert Cescinsky was the expert witness retained by Adolph Shrager to prove to the court that the antiques he had bought were over-priced fakes. The court case, including the judgment against Shrager, has troubled the antiques trade and the legal profession ever since.

THE AMATEUR RESTORER / CONSERVATOR

Planning – A Staged Approach

There has been a recent growth in DIY clock restoration, with ordinary hobbyists attempting to take over what was once left to the high-street clock-mender. Case restoration has naturally been dragged along in the same direction. It is strongly recommended that an approach to restoration that is as close as possible to that of professional conservation/restoration should be adopted, for a number of reasons:

1.  It is the procedure that is mostly likely to maintain or improve the asset value of the clock.

2.  Doing it right usually gives more personal satisfaction and leads to a better understanding of how the original was made, enhancing the heritage value.

3.  Mechanical clocks and their cases are disappearing quite quickly and the preserved original examples will inevitably increase in value.

Having accepted these reasons for choosing sympathetic conservation over unplanned pragmatic repair, the DIY enthusiast should understand the basic principles of conservation, do some historical research on the project, make a detailed examination of the faults, noting the materials that are used, and then draw up a list of stages in a work programme.

There are several stages in a clock-case conservation project:

1.  Identification and historical research about date of construction, region and maker, status, provenance, rarity and any special features are all documented for consideration when the conservation work is at a planning stage.

2.  Detailed inspection and any tests that are needed to identify materials. As part of a service for his clients, the professional restorer prepares a formal document, the ‘Condition Report’, from the information obtained from identification and inspection. Good amateur restoration includes a similar descriptive document, with pictures and sketches, which should be kept with the clock because it adds to the asset value.

3.  An amateur is well advised to draw up a restoration plan, setting out the proposed measures to stabilize the object. Restoration plans, especially for clocks and their cases, tend to include the introduction of new parts that will replace lost, worn or irreparably damaged parts. There will be choices to be made about the level of intervention and replacement and alternative actions may imply different long-term outcomes. Work plans also invariably imply financial and time budgets; consequently, there will be compromises to be made.

4.  All work should always be recorded during restoration or conservation. Things do not always go according to plan and, whatever the conservator records, whether amateur or professional, will be an asset that goes with the clock for the benefit of future owners and conservators.

FINANCIAL GAIN

Financial gain has always been a strong motivator for the restoration of antiques and there is plenty of scope for providing expert services in an honest way, either as an amateur or a professional. As a career, restoration and conservation offer an opportunity to develop professional craft skills, building experience slowly while following a professional development plan until a consultant level is reached. In restoration and conservation, there is no end to learning.

Likewise, the amateur restorer/conservator learns from each project and develops the same techniques and manual skills as the professional. All restorers or conservators, whether amateur or professional, will be aware of the potential for increasing the asset value of antiques, including clocks.

It should not be a matter of concern to the amateur that his first attempts are clumsy or crude, but the subject of those first attempts might be chosen with some prudence. A great many fine clocks and pieces of furniture have been irreparably damaged at the hands of inexperienced restorers.

STYLES AND FASHIONS IN ENGLISH CLOCK CASES

After 1660, clock styling was modified in order to accommodate the newly invented pendulum. Earlier all-brass wall-hanging balance-wheel lantern clocks began to disappear in favour of the more accurate one-second pendulum long-case clock.

Although the overall layout of the English longcase clock persisted for about two hundred years, there was a progression in the detail. Early examples, which were made in the second half of the seventeenth century, usually in London, were slender and elegant, with a square dial that was rarely bigger than 10 inches (25cm) across. Oak was the preferred wood for constructing cases but they were frequently veneered, often in finely figured woods, particularly walnut. Some were ebonized (coloured black) or even veneered with true ebony or other exotics. Inlays and simple patterns of fans and stars are typical of the period.

As the art of the maker of clock cases developed, and tastes moved on from the austere puritanical post-Commonwealth period, burr walnut and marquetry panels appeared. By the end of the first decade of the eighteenth century, marquetry had reached its peak of perfection.