Oliver Gerrish of Portland, Maine circa 1826. A superb Federal period wall time piece or banjo clock. UU-49.
Banjo clocks, as they are commonly called today, come in various grades. This example has to be considered a Maine Masterpiece. The quality of the case and design and construction of the movement is first rate. It may be on a plateau of its own.
This gilt front example is original from the top of the wooden carved finial to the tip of the acorn drop finial mounted to the presentation bracket. The case is mahogany, and the secondary wood is chestnut. The wooden frames are fitted with rope moldings. These decorative elements, as well as the bracket and hand-carved eagle finial, retain their original gilt surfaces. The sidearms and the dial bezel are cast in brass. The bezel is fitted with glass to protect the enameled iron dial. This dial features Roman-style hour figures. The time is indicated by wonderfully made and shaped steel hands. They are reminiscent of the hands that Lemuel Curtis was making in Concord, Massachusetts, having cS-loops and tapering to a point. The frames support eglomisé panels. The throat panel depicts an image of Lady Liberty. Above her are various gilt designs and the inscription "PATENT." The lower door is fitted with an eglomisé tablet depicting several buildings set on the bank of a river. A stone bridge is depicted in the background. Several human figures are busy at work. The colors are excellent. Inside the case is the Clockmaker's movement.
This weight-driven movement is secured to the backboard with a single screw. Locating pins are used to aid in alignment. The construction or design of the mechanism is very unusual for the period and the form. It exhibits a high level of skill and knowledge of watch construction. The cast plates are brass. The front plate is die-stamped with the Maker's name and the dates (1826) (1876). The Maker's die-stamp is more of a hallmark that Gerrish also used in imprinting his silver pieces. The brass plates support the steel pinions and the brass gearing. The teeth in the gearing are deeply cut. The escapement is deadbeat, and the method of attaching or hanging the pendulum is on a knife edge. This movement is also fitted to retaining or maintaining winding power. These last two design elements were used in constructing many high-grade regulators. The clock is powered by a lead weight and is designed to run for eight days before it needs to be rewound.
This wonderful clock measures approximately 40.5 inches in length.
Inventory number UU-49.
Oliver Gerrish, watchmaker, clockmaker, silversmith, and jeweler, was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on January 4th, 1796. He was the son of Timothy Gerrish (1756-1815), a gold and silversmith, and Dorothy Paterson (1756-1845). In 1810, at the age of fourteen, he went with and apprenticed to watchmaker John Gaines. Gaines was a descendant of the Gaines family of chairmakers. Oliver served his seven-year apprenticeship and, in 1817, went on to work as a journeyman in Boston. He first worked for Williams and Johnson. Their shop was located at the corner of Washington and Court Streets. Within nine months, Oliver moved on and worked with Baldwin and Jones. By 1819 he moved to Portland, Maine, and opened a jewelers shop on Exchange Street. On January 6th, 1825, he married Sarah Little in Portland, Maine. From 1858-77, he worked in partnership with his nephew, Nathaniel Pearson. Oliver Gerrish was an active member of the Portland community. He served as the President of the Portland Savings Bank and the Mechanics Association and Aged Brotherhood. He was a member of the Board of Trade, The National Historical Society, and the Portland Athenaeum. He was a prominent Mason and held almost every imaginable post in that organization. He was also Secretary and Treasurer of the Relief Fire Society. Oliver died on December 3rd, 1888.
