The Sounds of Times
Thursday, October 6,
noon – 3p.m.
Sunday, October 9, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
The world and everything in it
revolves around time, the center of existence since the beginning of time. Our
own body’s circadian clock is set on a 24-hour cycle, a time equal to the
revolution of Earth around the Sun. For about 3,467 years, time was determined
by astronomical bodies from the time the sundial, the first clock used to
measure time, was invented by the Egyptians in 1500 – 1300 BC until 1967 when a
second was first defined as a finite number of atomic vibrations.
Clock designs are as numerous as
the grains of sand in an hour glass. Included in the exhibit will be a circa
1900 hand-made figural clock, supposedly displayed in a clock show somewhere in
Europe; a black, 1940s Seth Thomas U.S. Navy ship’s clock; a Seth Thomas mantel
clock with Adamatine finish; brass clocks; a crystal Regulator clock; carriage
clocks, other assorted mantel clocks; several wall clocks (including a calendar
clock and a banjo clock); watches, including a WW II pilot’s stopwatch; and a
tall case clock that was made in Philadelphia circa 1750 with John Wood Sr.
brass movements.
The center piece of the exhibit
is a museum quality c. 1750 Queen Anne, tall-case clock that was
made in
Philadelphia. The 9’ 2” tall walnut case clock commands attention when one
walks into the large parlor of the museum. The brass works and dial of the
eight-day clock were made by John Wood Sr., who died in 1761. Above the face of
the clock is engraved “John Wood Philad.” John Wood Sr. was a prominent
clockmaker during the first half of the 18th century, but he was not
as well known as his son, John Wood Jr. Wood Sr.’s residence and shop was
located on the southeast corner of Front and Chestnut Streets in historic
Philadelphia. In his will, Wood Sr. was identified as “Watchmaker.” The walnut
case, with intricate carving above the arched face of the clock, has an intact
sarcophagus top with turned finials. Although this case is not attributed to a
particular cabinetmaker, it is known that John Head, a famous Philadelphia
cabinetmaker, did make two cases for Wood in 1729 and 1730, at the price of four
English pounds each.
One of the wall clocks is a local piece. It has painted on its glass door the following: A V Polack Watchmaker & Jeweler Hagerstown MD.
Also on exhibit from the collections of Allison-Antrim Museum, will be a mantel clock handmade by the late David S. Warren, Greencastle, It is an eight-day clock whose case was made from a Norway maple tree that once stood in the Warren’s front yard. All of the clock’s works were manufactured in Warren’s home workshop, including the pendulum, weights, gears, and bearings. The case features inlays, hand carvings, and a glass door that was reverse painted by Warren with an image of the five-arch limestone bridge, which once spanned the Conococheague about one mile west of Greencastle. The clock was a gift to the museum from David Warren’s children in 2001.
Take time to visit the museum and learn about the history of clocks and to see and hear the many clocks and watches in “The Sounds of Time” exhibit. There is no charge for admission but donations are accepted.