Flavel Bingham of Windsor, Connecticut and Utica, New York. Clockmaker, watchmaker and silversmith. 216009.
This wonderful inlaid cherry case tall clock was made in Utica, New York, by Flavel Bingham.
This decoratively inlaid example stands on a fancy applied bracket base. This detail features four flared French feet with an aggressive flair and a nicely shaped drop apron. The base panel is bordered with thin mahogany cross-banding. A light wood line inlay frames the interior edge of the banding. The center of the base panel features a large diameter circular checkered inlay pattern that centers a twelve-pointed inlaid star. This star is oriented in a pattern composed of light maple and ebony. The waist features a nicely shaped door that is bordered with an intricate barber pole inlay. An additional line inlay conforms to the shape of the door. Inlaid four petal quarter fans are positioned in the bottom corners of this pattern. In addition, a large inlaid oval is also used as decoration in this location. The waist door is flanked by line inlaid and fluted quarter columns. These terminate in turned wooden quarter capitals at the bottom and brass quarter capitals at the top. The bottom plinths are inlaid with a string of graduating bell flowers. Above the waist door is veneered with two figured mahogany panels that are separated by three vertical inlay patterns. We refer to this pattern as a bookend design. The bonnet features a swan's neck pediment. The long slender moldings terminate with applied brass rosettes. Three brass ball and spike finials are supported on vertically inlaid plinths. The inlay consists of an alternating pattern of light and dark wood. The bonnet door is arched glazed and is also partially inlaid with barber pole and line inlay. Fully turned fluted hood columns are positioned on either side of the door. They are mounted in brass Doric-style capitals. The sides of the hood feature tombstone-shaped windows. The back corners are fitted with fluted quarter columns.
The iron dial is colorfully painted. A red-breasted robin is featured prominently in the arch, and floral decorations are depicted in each of the four spandrel areas. The raised gesso patterns are highlighted with gilt paint. These frame the floral decorations in each of the four corners. The time ring is formatted with large Roman-style hour markers. Arabic numerals are used as the five-minute markers. This dial also displays the date of the month calendar and the seconds on a subsidiary dial. This dial is signed by the clockmaker. The signature reads in block lettering, "FLAVEL BINGHAM." Additional painted scenes are also included in the design of this dial. The hour and minute hands are nicely formed from steel and hand-filed. They are excellent.
The movement is constructed in brass. It is designed to run eight days on a full wind and is weight driven. This clock strikes the hours on a cast iron bell. It is good quality.
This clock stands approximately 7 feet 11 inches tall to the top of the center finial and was made circa 1802.
Inventory number 216009.
Flavel Bingham was born on March 14, 1781, in Andover / Bolton, Connecticut, and died of Typhus on August 13, 1804, in Utica, New York. He was 23 years old when he died. His parents were Stephen Bingham (born 11/30/1740 and died 2/19/1835) and Sarah Long (born 3/25/1743 and died 4/29/1799.) Together they had ten children. Flavel was number seven. It is recorded that Flavel served one of the most famous Connecticut clockmakers, Daniel Burnap as an apprentice in Windsor, CT. This would have been during the period when Eli Terry was also being trained by Burnap. Bingham completed his training in 1800 and soon moved to Utica, New York, where he is listed as a silversmith and as a watchmaker located at the sign of the Golden Watch on the east side of Genesee Street during the approximate years of 1802-1804. Flavel married Fanny White Bingham (born 2/5/1781). She also died of typhus on July 11, 1804. They had one son named Flavel, who was born on November 8, 1803. Flavel II was raised by maternal grandparents because of his parents young deaths.
Very few clocks have been found to date made by this maker. Another example known has a painted dial signed “F. Bingham / Utica.”
