Clocks

Clocks of all types have always been popular with collectors. The eighteenth-century tall case, or grandfather’s, clock was designed to house a works with a long pendulum. The name on the clock is usually the maker but sometimes it is a merchant or other craftsman. In 1816, Eli Terry patented a new, smaller works for a clock, and the case became smaller. The clock could be kept on a shelf instead of on the floor. By 1840, coiled springs were used and even smaller clocks were made. Battery-powered electric clocks were first made in the late 1800s but the average household in the United States did not use a battery-operated clock until the 1930s. A garniture set can include a clock and other objects displayed on a mantel. For more information, explore our clock identification guides.