Carved Column & Splat Transitional Shelf Clock made by Mark Lane of Southington, Connecticut. NN-108.
This is a very attractive transitional shelf clock made by Mark Lane of Southington, Connecticut, circa 1830.
The case is mahogany and retains an older finish. All of the carved components are original to this clock. The two finials are carved in the form of pineapples. The splat and the split columns are carved in a similar theme. The feet are an interpretation of an animal's paws. The reverse painted tablet is period. It is not puttied in place. It is held by glued strips. The tablet is in excellent condition and depicts an interesting scene and border. The dial is painted on wood and features Roman numerals. The wooden works' 30-hour weight-driven movement is a time-and-strike design in working order. The label is pasted onto the inside of the backboard and in fair condition. It does have some areas of loss on the sides. These areas usually list the population census and set up instructions for this clock. Overall, this is a fine example.
It has the following dimensions: 29 inches high, 16.75 inches wide, 5.5 inches deep.
Mark Lane was born on July 16, 1784, in Wolcott, Connecticut. His father, Joel (1751-1806), and his mother, Elizabeth Atkins, were married on May 22, 1776, and raised their family in the town of Wolcott, Connecticut. At 14, Mark trained as a cabinetmaker under the guidance of Isaiah Shepard (Shepherd). On February 12, 1807, Mark married Rhoda Shepard of Southington. She was Isaiah's brother. Mark began his clockmaking career as a cabinetmaker. He began to assemble clocks in Southington, Connecticut, in about 1823. He had a partner Solomon Stow who married Rhoda's sister Eunice. To our knowledge, a clock labeled Lane & Stow has not been found to date. In about 1826, Mark began to manufacture his own movements while working in Southington, Connecticut, until 1835, when he moved to Elizabethtown, New Jersey. He would have been 50 years old when he moved his family. In 1833, he was elected to replace the town clock with a new wooden one. This would have been a shelf clock and not a tower clock. He is recorded as working there until 1837, when he returned to Southington. He died there on June 27, 1832.
