James E. Conlon of Brookline, MA.

James Edward Conlon was born in 1880 in Little Rock, Minnesota. For many years he operated a shop at 38 Providence Street in Boston as an antiques dealer and clockmaker/restorer who worked in Boston from the 1910s through the 1940s. He was trained or served his apprenticeship under George Greer in Dorchester, MA, and worked as a journeyman clockmaker for John L. Knight and the Wilson Brothers of Boston before going out alone. He was very talented with his hands and also enjoyed researching the Clockmakers that worked a century before him. He was highly respected in the community of collectors and was eager to share his research with others. He gave lectures on the history of New England clock-making at several local historical societies. He also lectured at a Boston Clock Club meeting, an organization formed to share information about clockmakers by their enthusiasts. The Boston Clock Club restricted their membership and excluded dealers. They made an exception for James Conlon. This organization describes James Conlon as someone who “has long been engaged as a clockmaker and probably has had a broader experience with fine clocks than any other person in this section. In addition to his practical experience, he has in years past devoted a great deal of time and energy to consideration of the origin and history of New England clockmakers.” He produced a number of museum-quality copies of several early American clocks.

Interestingly enough, Conlon did not sign his clocks with his name. As a result, we have seen out-of-period Willard wall primitives, timepieces, lyre clocks, lighthouse clocks, and Curtis-style girandole clocks that have been attributed to Conlon by the collectors of his day. This folklore has been passed down through the years. James E. Conlon died on December 31, 1948, at his home in Brookline, MA. He left behind his six sons and five daughters. His Son, James G. Conlon, took over the business in 1948.