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Lot Essay
Ingeniously designed to suggest a bracket clock sitting atop a shelf, this thirty-hour wall clock is one of the rarest time-keeping forms to survive from eighteenth-century America. The design, of sufficient height to include a pendulum, allows for a weight-driven movement, which was considerably less expensive than the spring-driven mechanisms required for bracket clocks. While a few were made by other makers, the vast majority of surviving examples are signed by Simon Willard (1753-1848), the renowned clockmaker credited with the invention of this innovative form and according to the most recent estimate, less than three dozen are known today. As noted by Morrison H. Heckscher, only five signed by Simon's younger brother, Aaron Willard (1757-1844) are known, all of which are in museum collections (figs. 1, 2; the wall clocks signed by Aaron Willard are in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Winterthur Museum (two examples), Historic Deerfield, Inc. and Old Sturbridge Village; while others may exist, no references have been found). See Morrison H. Heckscher, American Furniture: The Queen Anne and Chippendale Styles (New York, 1985), pp. 309-310, cat. 200; Charles F. Montgomery, American Furniture: The Federal Period (New York, 1966), pp. 202-203, cat. 155; Winterthur Museum, acc. no. 57.920; Dean A. Fales, Jr., The Furniture of Historic Deerfield (New York, 1976), p. 268, no. 522; Herschel B. Burt, Eighteenth Century Thirty-Hour Willard Clocks 1770-1790 (Grafton, MA, 1997), pp. 1, 18-21, pls. 9, 10.
Frequently referred to as the "Grafton wall clock," the form has long been associated with the Willards during their years in Grafton, prior to their removal to Roxbury in the early 1780s. Supporting this contention, several examples are engraved Grafton, while none are similarly marked Roxbury. Born in Grafton, located thirty-five miles west of Boston, Aaron Willard most likely trained in the shop established by his eldest brother Benjamin on the family homestead in 1766. Upon the outbreak of the Revolutionary War in 1775, both Aaron and Simon enlisted and marched to Roxbury where they served during the siege of Boston. They were included in the Roxbury tax list in 1783, but may have moved to the town as early as 1780. Recent scholarship has revised the notion that all these clocks were made in Grafton and it is now believed many were made in the 1780s while the Willard brothers were working in Roxbury. See Paul J. Foley, Willard's Patent Time Pieces: A History of the Weight-Driven Banjo Clock, 1800-1900 (Norwell, MA, 2002), p. 2; Burt, pp. 18, 20.
The Blair Collection clock is distinguished by its original outer finials and, as indicated by the engraved reference to John Nazro, its manufacture as a presentation piece. Depending upon the design of the original fret, the clock may have had just the two outer finials, or, as reproduced here a third central finial. Identical finials appear on the wall clock in fig. 2 as well as a shelf clock signed by Aaron Willard now at the Willard House and Clock Museum (see Burt, p. 22, pl. 11). Sawn from thin boards, the frets surmounting these clocks were inherently fragile and, like this example, most are now missing or replaced. The current fret is a modern reproduction based upon that on an Aaron Willard clock now at Winterthur (fig. 1). Other variations in design seen among these clocks include the use of a pierced surround inside the kidney-shaped door opening; evidence indicates that the Blair Collection clock never had such decoration. Only one other Willard wall clock is known that bears the name of its patron on the dial; signed by Simon, it was made for Benjamin Guild of Cambridge (R.W. Husher and W. W. Welch, A Study of Simon Willard Clocks (1980), p. 25, fig. 1.24). Due to their rarity, Willard wall clocks appear infrequently in the marketplace. An example signed by Simon, also missing its original fret, sold at Grogan and Company, September 21, 2003 for $126,500 (see https://www.groganco.com/retro.htm).
John Nazro, the patron identified on the clock's dial, was most likely the individual of that name who was a prominent merchant and resident of Worcester, Massachusetts. His life dates are unknown, but he may have been the son of Stephen (b. 1712) and Sarah (Belcher) who married in Boston in 1743. He married Mary Coffin (b. 1750) and the couple had nine children, all born in Worcester from 1776 to 1793. There, he was involved in the production of potash, ran a successful general store and during the War, served on several committees that coordinated the town's efforts to support the patriot cause. His business pursuits were evidently quite successful as he was among the town's highest taxpayers and was able to afford a grand home. The house, located at the corner of Main and Pleasant Streets, was noted to have been one of the "handsomest" on the street and surrounded by an elegant garden. After the War, he was involved in a number of civic ventures, including the building of a school house and the formation of a fire company. At the same time, while he appears to have been based in Worcester, he also had business interests in Boston as he advertised the sale of linen goods at his Queen Street shop. While his death date is unknown, he was living in 1799 when his son, also named John, married and was recorded as "junior"; he may have died prior to April 1801, when some of his property was sold at auction. See Albert A. Lovell, Worcester in the War of the Revolution (Worcester, MA, 1876), pp. 63, 117-118, 126; John S. C. Knowlton, Carl's Tour in Main Street (Worcester, MA, 1889), pp. 206-208; Caleb A. Wall, Reminiscences of Worcester (Worcester, MA, 1877), p. 363; Franklin P. Rice, The Worcester Book (Worcester, MA, 1884), p. 13; Henry H. Chamberlain, Worcester Main Street Sixty-Three Years Ago (Worcester, MA, 1886), pp. 9, 11; https://theoldentimes.com/jfarrar01ma.html; https://pblib.utpb.edu/MARION/ABS-6134.
According to Mrs. Blair's notes, the clock was purchased by Francis H. Bigelow in 1919 from "a Mr. Bellows of Roxbury to whose grandfather it had belonged." It is not clear whether Mr. Bellows was Nazro's grandson or if he was even a family member and the clock may have passed out of the family soon after John Nazro's death. Mrs. Blair purchased both wall clocks (see lot 532) from Mr. Bigelow in 1925 and as detailed in her 1943 inventory, both were displayed in Room I in the annex of her cottage in Tuxedo Park.
Frequently referred to as the "Grafton wall clock," the form has long been associated with the Willards during their years in Grafton, prior to their removal to Roxbury in the early 1780s. Supporting this contention, several examples are engraved Grafton, while none are similarly marked Roxbury. Born in Grafton, located thirty-five miles west of Boston, Aaron Willard most likely trained in the shop established by his eldest brother Benjamin on the family homestead in 1766. Upon the outbreak of the Revolutionary War in 1775, both Aaron and Simon enlisted and marched to Roxbury where they served during the siege of Boston. They were included in the Roxbury tax list in 1783, but may have moved to the town as early as 1780. Recent scholarship has revised the notion that all these clocks were made in Grafton and it is now believed many were made in the 1780s while the Willard brothers were working in Roxbury. See Paul J. Foley, Willard's Patent Time Pieces: A History of the Weight-Driven Banjo Clock, 1800-1900 (Norwell, MA, 2002), p. 2; Burt, pp. 18, 20.
The Blair Collection clock is distinguished by its original outer finials and, as indicated by the engraved reference to John Nazro, its manufacture as a presentation piece. Depending upon the design of the original fret, the clock may have had just the two outer finials, or, as reproduced here a third central finial. Identical finials appear on the wall clock in fig. 2 as well as a shelf clock signed by Aaron Willard now at the Willard House and Clock Museum (see Burt, p. 22, pl. 11). Sawn from thin boards, the frets surmounting these clocks were inherently fragile and, like this example, most are now missing or replaced. The current fret is a modern reproduction based upon that on an Aaron Willard clock now at Winterthur (fig. 1). Other variations in design seen among these clocks include the use of a pierced surround inside the kidney-shaped door opening; evidence indicates that the Blair Collection clock never had such decoration. Only one other Willard wall clock is known that bears the name of its patron on the dial; signed by Simon, it was made for Benjamin Guild of Cambridge (R.W. Husher and W. W. Welch, A Study of Simon Willard Clocks (1980), p. 25, fig. 1.24). Due to their rarity, Willard wall clocks appear infrequently in the marketplace. An example signed by Simon, also missing its original fret, sold at Grogan and Company, September 21, 2003 for $126,500 (see https://www.groganco.com/retro.htm).
John Nazro, the patron identified on the clock's dial, was most likely the individual of that name who was a prominent merchant and resident of Worcester, Massachusetts. His life dates are unknown, but he may have been the son of Stephen (b. 1712) and Sarah (Belcher) who married in Boston in 1743. He married Mary Coffin (b. 1750) and the couple had nine children, all born in Worcester from 1776 to 1793. There, he was involved in the production of potash, ran a successful general store and during the War, served on several committees that coordinated the town's efforts to support the patriot cause. His business pursuits were evidently quite successful as he was among the town's highest taxpayers and was able to afford a grand home. The house, located at the corner of Main and Pleasant Streets, was noted to have been one of the "handsomest" on the street and surrounded by an elegant garden. After the War, he was involved in a number of civic ventures, including the building of a school house and the formation of a fire company. At the same time, while he appears to have been based in Worcester, he also had business interests in Boston as he advertised the sale of linen goods at his Queen Street shop. While his death date is unknown, he was living in 1799 when his son, also named John, married and was recorded as "junior"; he may have died prior to April 1801, when some of his property was sold at auction. See Albert A. Lovell, Worcester in the War of the Revolution (Worcester, MA, 1876), pp. 63, 117-118, 126; John S. C. Knowlton, Carl's Tour in Main Street (Worcester, MA, 1889), pp. 206-208; Caleb A. Wall, Reminiscences of Worcester (Worcester, MA, 1877), p. 363; Franklin P. Rice, The Worcester Book (Worcester, MA, 1884), p. 13; Henry H. Chamberlain, Worcester Main Street Sixty-Three Years Ago (Worcester, MA, 1886), pp. 9, 11; https://theoldentimes.com/jfarrar01ma.html; https://pblib.utpb.edu/MARION/ABS-6134.
According to Mrs. Blair's notes, the clock was purchased by Francis H. Bigelow in 1919 from "a Mr. Bellows of Roxbury to whose grandfather it had belonged." It is not clear whether Mr. Bellows was Nazro's grandson or if he was even a family member and the clock may have passed out of the family soon after John Nazro's death. Mrs. Blair purchased both wall clocks (see lot 532) from Mr. Bigelow in 1925 and as detailed in her 1943 inventory, both were displayed in Room I in the annex of her cottage in Tuxedo Park.