Object Name
Clock, Wall
Artist/Maker
E. N. Welch
Materials
Wood --Metal
Catalogue Number
2012.019.001
Dimensions

a- l: 65.3 cm x w: 38.8 cm x h: 10.4 cm
b- l: 8.3 cm x w: 3.6 cm x 0.8 cm

Description

This is an antique wall clock. a- The main body of the clock consists of an inlaid wood case, with a painted wood and glass door, and a clock. The wood case is stained, and there is an inlaid wood veneer on the front. The door is also inlaid wood, with two metal hinges on the right side. There are two glass panes in the door. The upper pane is clear and protects the clock. The lower pane is painted with a blue and gold bubble patterned background, with flowers inside a pink circle. There are gold accent on the painting. The door handle has a small metal key on the middle of the left side that allows the case to be opened. Inside is the clock face and hands, as well as the mechanism. There are two metal wires coming from the clock mechanism. One has a hook at the end from which the clock weight hangs. The other is a spiral. There is a manufacturer's label on the back of the case, but it has deteriorated so it's no longer legible. The back is plain, with two metal braces (one at the top and one at the bottom) to affix the clock to a wall. There is a label on the back, but it is deteriorated so it is no longer legible. b- This is the clock weight. It is a flat metal circle, with a hook at the top to connect the bob to the pendulum.

History

The E. N. Welch Manufacturing Company was a joint stock corporation formed July 6, 1864 to succeed an older private firm making clocks under the name of E. N. Welch. The Welch firm was well known for its handsome rosewood cases, though in 1885, with changing styles in furniture, the surviving firm began to introduce new models with solid walnut cases and discontinued some of the older rosewood veneered cases. After the death of Elisha Welch in 1887, the firm began to decline fast, selling off some of its assets and issuing new stock to raise capital. A new brick factory was built and occupied and by April, 1900, they could not meet their liabilities with the interruption in their cash flow. Members of the wealthy Sessions family were busy at this time buying out former stockholders and eventually took control of the firm in 1902 and changed the name to the Sessions Clock Company on January 9, 1903. (Information from http://www.nationalclockrepair.com/Welch_Clock_History.php)