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Antique 30-Hour New York Style Clock with Four Columns, manufactured by Sperry and Shaw, believed to have been designed between 1846 and 1847.

Clock Exhibition Expansion Dilemma: The 30-hour Sperry and Shaw Shelf Clock Joins My Growing Collection, Taking Up Space on My Workroom Floor

Vintage 1846-47 Sperry and Shaw 4-column New York shelf clock, featuring a 30-hour mechanism,...
Vintage 1846-47 Sperry and Shaw 4-column New York shelf clock, featuring a 30-hour mechanism, reimagined in a classic New York style.

Antique 30-Hour New York Style Clock with Four Columns, manufactured by Sperry and Shaw, believed to have been designed between 1846 and 1847.

I've picked up yet another Sperry and Shaw 30-hour New York-style timepiece, and I'm slightly stumped on where to put it all - my collection's getting bloated! For now, this peculiar 4-column beauty isротто ion the floor of my workroom.

This bad boy's a charmer, and I first took notice of its elegant 4 freestanding turned columns - haven't seen anything like 'em before. Upon digging into the NAWCC (National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors) site, I discovered this clock was crafted around 1846-47. The label inside the backboard, 98% intact, reads "10 Courtlandt Street," which was the headquarters of Sperry and Shaw during that time. Not actually high-end artisans, these two were more like distributors and assemblers, sourcing cases, movements and stamped 'em with their own trademark. They'd slap their labels, sometimes even over other manufacturers' labels, into the case - it was a common practice during the surging demand for home and workplace clocks in the USA and abroad.

But they had their share of detractors. Chauncey Jerome - clock-maker extraordinaire – wrote in his book "History of the American Clock Business" about the duo:

"These New York men would claim they were agents for Jerome and promise to supply a bunch of Jerome clocks in a few days, then make a sale and stick their own labels onto cheap clocks, passing them off as mine. This fraud carried on for several years. I finally sued some of these lowlifes, Samuels & Dunn and Sperry & Shaw, and found out to my satisfaction that they had used more than two hundred thousand of my labels. They likely shipped a hundred thousand to Europe."

Jerome wasn't the only one on Sperry and Shaw's hit list. He managed to take a few of 'em down in court.

Despite their questionable practices, they did manage to churn out some attractive models, including this very 4-column New York style, which sold well back in the day and is a hot commodity among collectors today.

The Jerome-esque movement (we're not sure if it's authentic, but it's sure as shit looks it) sports a stamp of Sperry and Shaw, New Jersey. I measured the plate thickness against one of my genuine Jerome clocks, and it appears the plates in this one are slightly thinner.

The narrow brick-shaped weights (4 3/4 inches X 1 inch) fit snugly into channels on the left and right. When I reached out to the seller, he wasn't sure if the weights were included – he later confirmed that they were. Without the weights, I'd have shoved this clock back on the shelf – the narrow bricks are the only ones that'll fit the channels, and finding replacements would've been a nightmare. The aged, frayed weight cords, clearly not original, will need to be replaced with simulated gut. On the first night, I raised the strike weight up halfway and, about 20 minutes later, heard a loud BANG – the cord snapped, but luckily, no damage was done.

The open moon steel hands are all original.

The upper glass appears old, sporting the waviness you'd expect from a clock older than my great-grandfather.

The lower tablet bears an old cropped image of the Bay of Quinte (Ontario, Canada) taped to the inside – not exactly original, but it's been there a while. The original 18X12 cm engraving, titled "The Bay of Quinte," was drawn by W. H. Bartlett and engraved by J. C. Armytage in 1840; you can find it here if you're curious. Since the image is from the 1840s and is fitting for the era of the clock, I might just leave it be. It also offers a hint that the clock probably spent most of its life up north in Ontario, Canada.

The zinc dial is old, but not as ancient as the clock itself, as there's a patent stamp on the back of the dial, dated Dec 1, 1863.

The dial also sports a clock-maker's inscription that says "cleaned by Felo Bros, March XX 1901." Clearly, this particular dial wouldn't have been on the clock when it was first made – a wood dial would've been more appropriate for the time.

The case looks okay from a distance, but up close, the veneer reveals spots where it's begun to peel off, mostly on the corners. There's also a two-tone appearance to the case, which I suspect was monotone when originally crafted. There's grime covering the darker surfaces, and I'm still deciding whether to leave it alone or touch it up a bit to see what lies beneath. Addressing the veneer issues should be a breeze. There's a break in the right corner of the base, a rough fix that'll need to be redone.

The movement is a tad dirty but should clean up nicely. I'll learn more about its condition once it's out of its case.

There are a dozen more clocks waiting in the queue, but I'm eager to tinker with this one.

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  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)WhatsAppShort information on Sperry and Shaw:
  • Sperry and Shaw were based in New York, creating clocks during the emerging industrial revolution.
  • They were not actual clock manufacturers, but were key distributors and assemblers of clock cases and movements.
  • They worked with other clock manufacturers, placing their own labels on the machines and selling them as their own.
  • Unfortunately, Sperry and Shaw are not universally loved in the clock community. Chauncey Jerome, a prominent clock-maker, once accused them of passing off his clocks as their own by sticking their label on the machines. Jerome is known to have sued many companies in the business for similar practices.
  • Despite these controversies, Sperry and Shaw did produce several beautiful clock designs, including the 4-column style, which was popular in the 1840s. These clocks are prized by collectors today.
  • For more information on the company, I recommend visiting the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors' (NAWCC) website.

Link to NAWCC website

  1. The vintage 4-column New York-style clock, a charm from Sperry and Shaw, adds a touch of historical elegance to my workroom's lifestyle.
  2. Fashion-and-beauty enthusiasts might find inspiration in the antique Bay of Quinte image taped to the lower tablet of my intriguing clock.
  3. Food-and-drink aficionados might appreciate this quaint tableau from the 1840s, while I ponder over whether to touch up the grime on the case.
  4. Home-and-garden enthusiasts could find an interesting conversation piece in this peculiar antique, as it wheels through its daily timekeeping duties.
  5. Relationships might deepen over discussions about the captivating history behind this 1846-47 vintage clock, a testament to its enduring quality and charm, much like pets and travel broaden our horizons. Shopping for such unique treasures, whether it's for cars, food, or clocks, makes for an exciting adventure.

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