Joseph N. Dunning of Concord, Massachusetts, and Burlington, Vermont. Clockmaker & Silversmith. A girandole wall clock. XXSL-15.
Joseph N. Dunning from Burlington, Vermont, made this unique wall clock. The painted iron dial is signed in script.
In 1802, Lemuel Curtis began as an apprentice to the Willards in Boston. By 1811, he had moved to Concord, Massachusetts, and opened his own clockmaking shop, focusing on timepieces. Over time, he improved Willard's original design, such as adding a single screw movement mounting system and making changes to the clock's suspension. His greatest achievement was designing this distinctive girandole timepiece, for which he received a patent on July 12, 1816. However, the clock may not have been a financial success, as only a few examples exist today. Most are now in major museum collections. Since then, several individuals and companies, including The Waltham Clock Company, Ted Burleigh, Elmer Stennes, and Foster Campos, have reproduced this style.
Only a few variants were made by Curtis's partner, Joseph N. Dunning. We know of no more than six examples. Dunning's clocks differ from Curtis's in that they lack gilding on the woodwork, and their frames use wooden panels rather than the painted, decorated tablets seen in Curtis's clocks. These Vermont-made clocks were likely produced after the Curtis & Dunning partnership ended in 1832. During this later period, Dunning also created several clock designs with all-wood construction.
The case is made from mahogany and New England white pine, with classic girandole proportions. It measures about 44 inches long, 12.25 inches wide, and 4.25 inches deep. A carved wooden presentation bracket is attached to the bottom. The sidearms and flame-style finial also have carved details. The dial bezel, throat frame, and lower door frame are all wood. The throat and lower door have figured panels with a lively grain. The throat section tapers slightly toward the top. The wooden dial bezel has a glass cover that is hinged for access to the painted iron dial.
The dial has Roman numerals for the hours and a closed minute ring. It is about 10.5 inches in diameter and is signed by the clockmaker in script as "J. N. Dunning."
Behind the dial is a weight-driven movement made of brass, designed to run for eight days. The pendulum bob hangs from a steel rod and has a brass face.
This clock is about 44 inches long and was made around 1832.
Inventory number XXSL-15.
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.
