Figure 829 shows a Dutch bracket clock, the face and ornaments gilded and the face painted. The feet are of wood and in the usual Dutch ball-foot style. It has a bob pendulum and the works are of brass. It differs from the brass clocks above described in that the top of the clock is protected by a wooden hood. A characteristic of the brackets of these clocks is the mermaid cut out of the wood on either side of the back. Such clocks are contemporaneous with the English brass chamber clocks, but are very inferior in workmanship and, we believe, are such as the Clockmakers' Company sought to suppress.

The development from the brass chamber or lantern clock to the tall or "grandfather's" was a natural one. First, a wooden hood was placed over the brass clock for protection, and when the long pendulum came into fashion it had to be enclosed to keep it from injury, the result being a clock with a long case.

The earliest long-case clocks, as well as any seventeenth-century clocks, are extremely scarce.

The inventory at Boston, "I clock and case £6," in 1652, would be an extremely early entry for a tall clock, although the high price would indicate that it was such; but there can be no doubt about the entry in New York, in 1689, "one Pendulum Clock £6," referring to the tall-case clock.

The earliest clock-cases were very plain, made mostly of oak or walnut, the finer ones being almost entirely of the latter wood; and on the dial-face of the earlier ones the maker's name appears under the dial in Latin; a little later the name appeared on the dial between the figures VII and V within the circle, and about 1715 the name-plate appeared.

At first the dials were square, but they later (about 1710) were made with the straight top broken by a half circle, suggested either by the dome bell on the chamber clock or more probably to cover the top of the bell; and many of the old clock-faces were made over in this way when the fashion changed.

As with the chamber clock the date could be told somewhat by the fret, so in the tall clock an approximation can be made by observing the spandrels or corner ornaments on the face. The earliest faces have a cherub's head, almost perfectly plain, in the four corners (Figure 831), which continued in use as late as 1700. This was followed by cherubs a little more ornate, going out of style about the same time. Then, about the year 1700, came two cupids supporting a crown (Figure 834), which, in its simple or more elaborate form, continued to be used until about 1740; and in George Ill's reign the pattern became very intricate, sometimes with an Indian or some other head in the centre of a mass of scroll-work, sometimes without the head (Figure 847).

It is impossible to tell the age of a clock entirely by its case, as very often the works were brought over here without the case, or, as during the Revolutionary War, the works were taken out and hidden and the case left to be destroyed. Nor can one always judge by the face, as old faces have sometimes been discarded for newer styles. Nor can one always tell from the name-plate, for the writer knows of at least one instance where the name-plate had been removed and that of a clockmaker who made repairs substituted. It is really only by taking into con-sideration all the points heretofore discussed that one can come to an approximation of the age of a clock.

Figure 829. Dutch Chamber Clock, late seventeenth or early eighteenth century.

One of the earliest tall clocks in this country is shown in Figure 830, the property of Mr. Richard A. Canfield. The case is of walnut with oyster-shell inlay which consists of cross-sections of the wood set side by side, and narrow lines of light wood divide the surface in geometrical shapes and bull's-eye light is set in the door in front of the pendulum. The top is flat and is supported at the corners by spiral-twisted columns. There is no door in the hood, but on either side of the hood, at the back, is a groove into which the back of the clock fits, and the hood slides up until it clears the back. The dial (Figure 831) is square and in the earliest form, with cupid-head spandrels and narrow numeral dial. It also has a second-hand and a calendar attachment. This clock bears the name "Johannes Fromanteel, Londini," across the base of the dial. This John Fromanteel was a member of an illustrious family of clock-makers who are mentioned as early as 1630. One of them is spoken of by Evelyn as "Our famous Fromantel," and undoubtedly they were at the head of their profession. The regulator, as will be seen in Figure 831, is on the side, and the pendulum is adjusted by moving the hand on the small dial. The winding arbour is in two parts, which is very unusual. Generally the arbour is cast with the barrel, and the main wheel is secured to the barrel by a washer and pin. In this movement, however, the winding end of the arbour and the barrel are in one piece and the main wheel and the other end of the arbour are in another and slide into the winding end, the plates of the movement keeping them together.

Figure 832 shows another early tall clock by the same maker. It is owned by the Philadelphia Library and is said to have belonged to Oliver Cromwell, but this tradition cannot be true. It probably dates about 1690-1700. The name appears below the dial in Latin, "Johannes Fromanteel, Londini fecit." As this John was not admitted to the Clockmakers' Company until 1663, this clock could not have belonged to Oliver Cromwell, who had died before that date, and it is hardly likely that he would have owned a clock made by an apprentice not yet admitted to the guild.

Tall Clock, last quarter seventeenth century.

The dial of this clock is silvered and the rest of the face is of brass, without spandrels at the corners, and we can see no signs of there ever having been any.

Figure 831. Dial and side view of works of foregoing clock.

The clock has a small calendar attachment. The case is made of walnut, and very tall, to make room for the pendulum. These pendulums were sometimes seven feet long. The early single moulding is seen about the doors and the spiral-turned columns are typical of the early clock-cases. It is doubtful whether the interrupted arch pediment is of the same age as the rest of the case. With this exception, the case is very similar to that shown in the preceding figure, including the ball feet.

Figure 832. Tall Clock, 1690-1700.