Joseph N. Dunning of Burlington, Vermont. Wall timepiece or gallery clock. Weight driven. PP-157.
This is a very interesting weight driven wall gallery clock. It was made by Joseph N. Dunning of Burlington, Vermont. This example is signed on the large painted iron dial in a block format.
This case is constructed in New England white pine and has been veneered in figured mahogany and rosewood banding. The circular case measures 22.5 inches in diameter. A rosewood band is inlaid around the front facing frame. wooden bezel is mahogany and is fitted with glass. It opens from the bottom in order to access that painted iron dial. This dial measures approximately 18 inches in diameter and features Roman style hour numerals, Arabic style quarter hour makers and a closed time or minute ring. It is signed by the Maker below the center arbor in block lettering. The time is indicated by two hands that feature half moons out on the ends. The minute hand is counter balanced. The brass movement is weight driven or powered. The weight is compounded. This movement is designed to run eight days on a full wind.
This clock measures approximately 22.5 inches in diameter and is 3.25 inches deep. It was made circa 1825.
Joseph Nye Dunning was born in Brunswick, Maine, on January 2, 1795, as the ninth child of John Dunning (1738-1831) and Lois (Hinckley) Dunning (1753-1811). The identity of his clockmaking mentor remains unknown. If Dunning apprenticed in Brunswick, possible mentors include Charles Bisbee Jr (1758-1833), Robert Eastman, and James Cary. Alternatively, it is speculated that he may have relocated to Concord, Massachusetts, to work under Lemuel Curtis, a Willard-trained clockmaker. Records indicate that Dunning worked as a journeyman for Curtis before 1818. In 1818, Dunning moved to Burlington, Vermont. Curtis left his shop in Concord in the care of Joseph Dyar and moved to Burlington in 1821. In the spring of 1821, Curtis and Dunning formally advertised their partnership in The Northern Sentinel, announcing that they had established spacious workshops in a building on the northeast corner of Court House Square. They intended to manufacture “all kinds of eight-day Brass Clocks for Meeting Houses, Banks, Parlours and other rooms.” Shortly thereafter, they relocated to a three-story brick building on the east side of Church Street. During this period, Burlington experienced significant economic growth. Curtis and Dunning became two of Vermont's most prolific manufacturers of wall timepieces. In addition to clockmaking, they engaged in the purchase and sale of real estate, watches, jewelry, military goods, and musical instruments. The partnership dissolved in 1832, after which Dunning continued to operate independently in a shop located on Church Street above the jewelry store of R. Fitzgerald. Dunning died in Burlington, Vermont, on December 14, 1841, bankrupt at the age of 48.
For further discussion of Vermont-made timepieces and the work of Joseph Dunning, consult Paul Foley's book, Willard's Patent Timepieces.
