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Cowan's
Corner
Luman Watson Clocks,
a Timely
Addition For Collectors
By Wes Cowan
Time. We all worry about it, we all watch it, and none of us ever have enough
of it. Today, most of us track the passage of hours and minutes digitally. Many
of us still have analog clocks, whether they're a treasured heirloom sitting on
the living room mantel or an uncle's old wind-up pocket watch. Tall case, or
grandfather clocks, have remained particularly popular and are attractive
antiques to serious collectors or to folks who simply like their stately look in
an entry foyer or hallway. The firm of Luman Watson, one of the most important
manufacturers of tall case clocks in the Midwest, was located in Cincinnati,
Ohio.
After America declared its independence from Britain in 1776, there
was a shift in purchasing manufactured goods from Europe as the former colonists
began to ramp up production of distinctly American goods. The craft of clock
making quickly transformed into an American industry with the State of
Connecticut as its capital.
The cases of many of the earliest American
clocks reflected English styles, but there were adjustments made based on the
materials available in America. Brass the favored material for the complex
geared movement of the clock was difficult to obtain in America. Yankee
inventors in Connecticut found that gears made of hardwood could be substituted
for brass. These so-called "wooden-works" movements were clearly inferior to
those made of brass, and the gears demanded large teeth for strength. In
general, most of these early clocks ran less than 30 hours before winding was
necessary.
Clocks made with wooden movements were also easily damaged if
transported long distances, and as the nation expanded west, clockmakers from
Connecticut were swept along. In 1809, Luman Watson, a mere boy of 17, emigrated
to Ohio, and along with 19-year-old Ezra Read began peddling the new-fangled
wooden works to local clockmakers. By 1815, the duo had opened a factory in
Cincinnati to manufacture wooden works clocks, employing local cabinet makers to
make cases. Hiram Powers, one of the most important 19th century sculptors in
America, found early employment as a painter of clock dial faces in Watson's
factory.
In spite of a booming business, within six months the partnership
split and Watson continued alone. Read and his twin brother relocated to Xenia,
Ohio, and made the bulk of Watson's cases, although Watson also ordered cases
from other Ohio and Kentucky cabinet makers.
Cases are typically unsigned by
the maker and are constructed of cherry. Occasionally, one finds use of imported
mahogany veneers and other exotic hardwood veneers and inlay. The wooden works
made by Watson in Cincinnati are often stamped on the seat plate with the
initials of the finisher or the assembler of those works.
The firm was
exceptionally prolific. It is estimated that between 1815 and 1834 (the year
Luman Watson died), more than 30,000 tall case clocks were manufactured. This
figure is staggering considering the fact that after about 1820, tall case
clocks began to fall out of favor, and their production fell sharply. By about
1830, the firm had begun making large numbers of clocks designed to sit on a
mantel or special shelf.
The "shelf clocks" produced by Luman Watson are
typical of many produced by other firms. The case was tall and rectangular with
a door flanked by half columns and topped by a scroll cut crest decorated with
stenciled flowers or other ornamentation. The glass panels, or tablets, in the
door were most commonly mirrored glass, but many were painted with scenic
landscapes or portraits of beautiful women. Portraits of popular political
figures also appear, presumably specially ordered by an enthusiastic supporter.
Many Luman Watson tall case and shelf clocks are still around. Expect to pay
a few thousand for a respectable tall case example, and more if you'd like the
best. Watson produced thousands of simple shelf clocks, and these are readily
available for a few hundred dollars. If you are a clock collector, keep your
eyes open for a true Luman shelf clock rarity: the Hollow Column, or "Portico"
clock. This clock was made to resemble a Roman temple with the case flanked on
each side by two hollow wooden columns. The weights used to drive the works ran
through each of the columns.
 About the author: Wes Cowan is founder and owner of Cowan's Auctions, Inc. in Cincinnati, Ohio. An
internationally recognized expert in historic Americana, Wes stars in the PBS television
series History Detectives and is a featured appraiser on Antiques Roadshow. He can be
reached via email at info@cowans.com. Article research by Ted Sunderhaus and Tom
Spittler.
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A Luman Watson tall case clock, $11,500 at a June 2006 auction. The clock
case is attributed to Elijah Warner of Lexington, Ky.
A Luman Watson shelf clock made by George Mitchell for Watson; $690 in
2005.
This Luman Watson shelf clock shows the portrait of Richard Johnson,
President Martin Van Buren's vice president; $3,450 in 2004.
Wes Cowan
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