This is a very good Burleigh reproduction of Lemuel Curtis's Girandole Timepiece. The example offered here is a faithful copy of the original form. 220018.
In 1802, Lemuel Curtis was an apprentice of the Willards and worked in Boston. In 1811, he moved to Concord and set up his shop as a Clockmaker. He specialized in timepieces. Over the years, he made several improvements to Simon Willard's original patent design. One example of which is the single screw movement mounting system of mounting the movement to the case. His ultimate achievement would have been the design of this girandole form. However, this was not a financial success. As a result, a small number were originally produced. Many of these are now in the collections of our Country's best Museums. Many individuals and some companies have since made reproductions of this form. Some of these include The Waltham Clock Company, Elmer Stennes, and Foster Campos. Those individuals who have seen the Ted Burleigh examples often agree that they are the best of the group in terms of fit, finish, proportions, and quality. This is a faithful copy of the original form. It is one of approximately 50 clocks made.
Ted Burleigh made this beautiful example in 1977. It was the 14th example manufactured in that year. The first example was made in 1973. This model was priced at $3,000, as stated in their 1981 brochure. It is a faithful copy of the Lemuel Curtis example in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. This case measures forty-six inches long. The case is constructed in mahogany and is finished in shellac on the sides. The frames, bezel, carved eagle finial, and bracket are wonderfully gilded in gold leaf. The is in good overall condition and has had a few minor areas restored. Most of this work is done on a number of the gilt balls that decorated the bezels. You will also find that the case is die-stamped "T. E. D. 14" on several components. The most obvious is located on the back of the lower door. The reverse-painted tablets are outstanding and done on convex or bowed glass. The throat is an intricate traditional theme and is signed "L. CURTIS" in the lower section. The bottom circular tablet depicts a Boston Harbor dock scene. The view is of Rowe's Wharf and depicts some of the commerce that was being done during colonial times. The coloring and detailing are first-rate. This tablet is signed on the back "AMB GW 1977." This is Ann Banister's mark. She was an artist working in the Gilders Workshop. This tablet was painted by her in 1977. The dial is painted on metal and features the "L. Curtis / Patent" signature. The traditional Concord gold ring is also used as decoration. Below the Arabic hour numeral six, it is printed, "Reproduction by T.E. Burleigh, Jr.," in block letters. The clock's hands are a traditional Curtis form, having concentric circles and barbed pointers. The sidearms on the case are brass and nicely formed. The lower returns are capped with brass decorations. The movement is brass and die-stamped by "KILBOURNE & PROCTOR / INC., / G" on the front plate. It is weight-powered and is designed to run for eight days on a full wind. The weight of this clock is lead and is most likely a replacement. This movement is mounted to the back of the case with two screws. It is also supported on a metal seat-board. The steel pendulum rod supports a decorative bob. The pendulum tie-down is in place.
This clock is approximately 46 inches long, 13 inches wide, and 6 inches deep.
Inventory number 220018.
Gilders Workshop. Ted and Fran Burleigh, Winchester, Massachusetts.
The Gilders Workshop was located in Winchester, Massachusetts, and opened in 1972. The husband and wife team of Ted and Fran Burleigh were the principals. That year they produced 12 banjo clocks. Before 1975 they were primarily doing restoration and gilding work. Clock production didn't take off until Elmer Stennes died in 1975. The Burleighs did gilding work for Stennes in the end. Their work was excellent.
Ted was the frontman. He was also involved with the carving of various decorative elements and the preparation of the cases for gold leaf where expected. He did the finishing the mahogany cases. He was also responsible for the assembly of the clocks. Components came in from various sources and he assembled and completed the clocks.
Ted's wife, Fran, did the gilding of the decorative wooden components. She trained under Boston's master gilder, Nils Johnson. She learned both water and oil gilding, traditional techniques that made the Burleigh clocks so beautiful. Fran may have been best known for her skill in reverse glass painting and restoration. She was an exceptional artist and a very talented instructor. Fran trained at least three other artists to do reverse painting on glass. All three became very proficient in this skill. Their daughter Cindy worked with them until she married. Ann Banister was working there almost the entire time. Linda Abrams started in 1975 and worked there for approximately four years. After that time, she struck out on her own and continues to do very high-quality work. She is sought out by the most discerning of clientele.
The Burleigh clock dials were painted by Martha Smallwood. This is often helpful in dating an example because she had a habit of pasting a sticker on the back of her dials that dated when they were completed.
The cases were made by Chuck England. He started making cases for them in 1973 and continued to do so until the last run of banjo clocks was made in 1989.
The movements were supplied by Kilbourne & Proctor.
The first clocks were timepieces or banjo clocks. There were four versions. The gilded versions were closely patterned after those made by Lemuel Curtis in Concord, MA before 1820. It is not currently known to me how many banjo clocks they made. In 1981, they were priced at $1,100.
The opportunity to copy a Lemuel Curtis Girandole presented itself in 1973. Ted copied the example now on loan at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. That clock is very well known and is often pictured. It features a wedding scene in the lower glass. It appears that they made 50 of these. In 1981, they were selling for $3,000. This was their most expensive model. You could also order this clock with a thermometer in the waist glass as a special order.
In 1980, the Burleighs copied the Aaron Willard Grafton Wall Clock that is in the collection of Sturbridge Village. They modified the movement of their clock to run for 8 days instead of the original format of 30 hours. The case design is faithful to the original. They made 50 of these clocks which they priced at $2,700.
