Whittier Perkins of Wendell (Now Sunapee), New Hampshire. A primitive form. OO-41.
This unusually simple or primitive tall case clock was made by Whittier Perkins of Wendell, New Hampshire. This small town no longer exists. It has become part of the town of Sunapee. This clock was purchased out of a house in that area. It was said to have been located there for many generations.
This case is constructed in New England white pine and retains its original surface. The original brown wash includes dark black paint streaks that resemble a long linear grain format pattern. The design of this case suggests that it was locally made by a cabinetmaker unfamiliar with the construction process of assembling a tall clock case. This may add to the rustic charm of this example.
The base section rests flat on the floor. The waist section is long. A simple and narrow rectangular-shaped waist door is fitted into the center of this section and opens to access the case's interior. Inside the case, one will find a pendulum that features a wooden rod and the two original tin can weights. The hood or bonnet features a large and boldly formatted cornice molding. This exhibits a very overhang. The bonnet door is constructed and fitted with glass. The shape of the door aperture conforms to the arched shape of the dial.
This wooden dial is nicely decorated with paint and displays the time in a traditional format. The hours are displayed in Roman numerals, and Arabic five-minute markers are positioned above each hour. Interestingly, shaped pewter hands are used to indicate the time. The Clockmaker's name is signed within the time track below the center arbor in this example. This clock is signed in block lettering, "W. PERKINS / WENDELL." Very little diversity in color is used in the artistic design of the dial. The artistic designs are drawn out in black and then highlighted with red. Florals are displayed in both the arch and spandrel areas. The dial arch is also an excellent depiction of a colonial home.
The wooden geared movement is the construction one expects from the Ashby School of Clockmaking. Perkins must have been trained in Ashby due to the similarities between movement construction and design. These types of wooden geared movements are designed to run for 30 hours on a full wind and strike the hour on a cast iron bell, which is mounted above the works on an iron bell stand. This movement is constructed with two large beech wood plates. Five turned posts support the plates and are secured with pins. The wooden gearing is robust and fitted between the plates. The winding drums are divided. The count wheel is mounted on the back of the movement. Please pay close attention to the bits of ironwork. They are nicely formed.
This fine clock was made circa 1805.
The overall height of this example measures approximately 7 feet 3 inches tall.
Inventory number OO-41.
This clock is pictured and discussed in "American Wooden Movement Tall Clocks 1712 - 1835," written by Philip Morris on page 96. It is now on display at the Sunapee New Hampshire Historical Society.
Whittier Perkins was born the son of Captain Icabod and Sara (Whittier) Perkins on April 7, 1764. He was born in Methuen, Massachusetts. He was the first cousin of Robinson Perkins, a clockmaker working in Jaffrey, NH, and was trained in the Ashby, Massachusetts School of Clockmaking. Whittier’s clock movements share many of the Ashby construction characteristics. They differ slightly. Please read American Wooden Movement Tall Clocks 1712 – 1835, written by Philip Morris, for a more in-depth discussion about construction variations. It is now thought that Whittier moved to Wendell, NH, with his Father, Icabod, in 1790. He and his family are listed in the 1790 census. They built a house there on a hill that still stands today. Whittier served as a selectman in that town in 1797. Whittier died in Wendell on August 16, 1813. The town name of Wendell no longer exists. Its name was changed in 1850 to Sunapee. It was named after the lake and the mountain. Very few clocks are known by this maker.
