Charles Alva Smith No. 280. Made in 1941. A wooden geared wag on the wall clock featuring a bird’s-eye maple case. 225049.
The case is crafted from bird's-eye maple, a prized wood characterized by tiny swirling knots that resemble small birds' eyes. These are scattered across the wood, giving it a 3D, holographic, speckled appearance. The more birds’ eyes, the better the example. These eyes disrupt straight or wavy grain patterns, and the knots make working with the wood a challenge. As a result, it is highly prized for special furniture projects and case instruments. The case, weight, and pendulum are also decorated with inlay.
The case on this choice example is fancier than most. At the top are solid wing-shaped frets, a central plinth, and a turned acorn-style finial. This top detail is not seen on most of Smith’s other 600 examples. Traditionally, his cases are flat on top. This clock is also decorated with line inlay along the backboard's perimeter, the hood's front, along the length of the weight, counterweight, and pendulum bob. All of the case joinery is well-executed. The weight and pendulum rod are made of tiger-maple. The wood grain is enhanced with a honey-tinted finish. Alva Smith cases are designed to be hung on the wall. Each clock has a wooden wall bracket that mounts to the wall, and the clock case hangs from the bracket. This example is numbered, signed, and dated by the Clockmaker. It is number 280 and dated January 1941.
The wooden geared mechanism is beautifully crafted and detailed. Windows on the sides of the case allow inspection of the gearing without removing the hood. Smith offered two types of escapements; this clock has the pinned escapewheel. A weight powers the clock. An eight-sided, lined, inlaid wooden canister with turned caps on top and bottom encases a lead slug. The drop's length determines how long the clock runs. This clock will run for almost two days from a standard mounting position. The drive system requires a counterweight, which is also constructed of wood and decorated. The pendulum bob is suspended from a well-shaped, turned wooden rod and decorated with an inlaid star.
The dial is paper and applied to a wooden backboard. The graphics drawn on the paper illustrate Smith's drafting skills. The hands are made of maple and indicate the time on a time ring with Roman-style hour numerals.
This decorative example is signed and dated. It is numbered 280. Apparently, all of Charles Alva Smith's production is signed, dated, and numbered.
This Vermont-made treasure measures about 26 inches from the top of the bonnet to the bottom of the pendulum. The backboard is 13 inches tall, 6.75 inches wide, and protrudes about 5.25 inches.
Inventory number 225049.
Charles Alvah Smith was a maker of very interesting wooden cased and wooden geared clocks. He was born on his grandfather’s farm in Guilford, Vermont, on November 3, 1866. His parents, Sanford Alvah Smith and Ellen (Hunt) Smith, had three children. His father, Sanford, owned and operated a business that made carriages for children and later other various wood products like wooden sleds, tricycles, and children’s toys. Charles joined this business in 1889 and quickly moved up through the company ranks. It is here that he learned the trade of fine woodworking. Sometime around 1820, Charles retired after 35 years of involvement in the family business. While in retirement, he developed many relationships with various local business enterprises as a designer. A clever person, he was awarded as many as six patents that are mechanical in nature. One patent is for a foot pedal starter used in an automobile. A patent second was for a circular wood-cutting table saw. An example of his involvement with local businesses was his involvement with the Franklin Motor Car Company. He advised their planning and production divisions.
Charles was a Yankee. He collected wood scraps from his furniture-making business and began making clocks in his home workshop. He first presented them as gifts and soon went into production sometime in 1931 until he died in 1946. During this time, he produced approximately 619 clocks. In fact, No. 619 is a clock that I have seen. Charles made each clock from start to finish. He made the entire clock to his very high-quality standards. For additional information regarding his interesting person, please read Charles Alvah Smith: Vermont Maker of Unusual Wood Clocks, written by John M. Anderson. This is a soft cover, 60-plus page description of this ingenious Yankee clockmaker, which was published by the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCC) in December of 1990.
We have owned and seen a fair number of these clocks over the years. Some of the numbers include numbers 10,109,138,162, 203, 266, 366, 368, 484, 493, 495, 506, 573, 605 and 607.
