Seth Thomas Parlor Calendar No. 4. 223163.
This Parlor Calendar No. 4 case is veneered in boldly figured or "Polished" walnut and retains its original finish. The veneer is in excellent condition, having only a couple of small areas of loss along the bottom edge or molding. Elements of the cabinet, the four corbels, and elements of the moldings are accented with black paint. This is an original treatment.
Both painted dials are original to the clock and measure eight inches in diameter. They have yellowed due to changes in the color of the shellac applied to protect their surfaces. The upper time dial displays the time with spade-shaped hands. Roman-style hour numerals are positioned inside the closed minute ring. The Maker's trademark, and a patent date of “Dec. 28, 1875” are also present.
The lower calendar dial displays the calendar date, day of the week, and the month. The month and day are printed on rolls that are shown through the rectangular openings in the dial. These rolls are in good original condition. The calendar mechanism is designed to be perpetual. This means that, if set up correctly, it will reset itself automatically to account for variations in month lengths and Leap Year. The "Feb. 15, 1876" calendar patent date is also painted on this dial.
The time-and-strike movement is spring-wound and designed to run for eight days on a full wind. The construction is brass, having steel pinions and steel springs. The front plate bears the Clockmaker's die-stamp. This movement includes a strike train. It strikes the hour on the hour on a bell mounted inside the case.
The Clockmaker's labels are inside the case. The calendar instructions are pasted on the backboard. The setup label is on the back of the door.
This clock stands 25 inches tall overall.
This is a fine example made circa 1895.
Inventory number 223163.
Seth Thomas was born in Wolcott, Connecticut, in 1785. He was apprenticed as a carpenter and joiner and worked building houses and barns. He started in the clock business in 1807, working for clockmaker Eli Terry. Thomas formed a clock-making partnership in Plymouth, Connecticut, with Eli Terry and Silas Hoadley as Terry, Thomas & Hoadley. In 1810, he bought Terry's clock business, making tall clocks with wooden movements. Seth chose to sell his shares in the partnership in 1812, moving in 1813 to Plymouth Hollow, Connecticut, where he set up a factory to make metal-movement clocks. In 1817, he added shelf and mantel clocks. By the mid-1840s, He successfully transitioned to brass movements and expanded his operations by building a brass rolling mill and a cotton factory. In 1853, He incorporated the business but continued to be the majority shareholder. This clock business expanded until it became one of the "BIG Seven" in Connecticut. Their product line had offerings that competed at every price point, from kitchen clocks to precision regulators. Seth Thomas died in 1859. The community of Plymouth Hollow so revered him that they changed the name on July 6, 1875, to Thomaston in his honor. After his death, his son, Aaron, took over the company's leadership. Aaron is credited with increasing the business by adding a number of new case styles and improving production methods. The company went out of business in the 1980s.
