Author: Maurice Robertson

I believe that nothing holds more quintessential charm than early 19th century,
English, blue transfer ware, otherwise known as “blue and white”.

Charm is a word we hear very little of these days, although it’s something we naturally look
for. We may not often hear the word, but there’s a part of us that seeks it out. Charm can be defined in a number of ways: – to attract, or delight, to enchant. Charm is alluring, or pleasing, a particular quality that attracts and delights.

By charming I don’t mean mawkish sentimentality. That, which charms, never stops giving; it
remains delightful and pleasing to the eye and does not change with the vagaries of fashion, so beautifully defined by Oscar Wilde – “Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we haveto alter it every six months”. Or even people, again an Oscar Wilde quote – “It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious”.

English, blue underglaze, transfer printing on pottery was at its peak from the late 18th
century when Josiah Spode I,the Staffordshire potter, is credited with the introduction of blue transfer printing on earthenware (1781 – 1784) although printing on porcelain, in a small way, had had a much earlier introduction. The process was probably invented by John Brooks, an Irish, copper plate engraver employed at the Battersea enamel works in London in 1753

There is also an anecdotal story, from circa 1750, about a Liverpool printer, John Sadler, who stood fascinated, watching children at play. The children were pressing damp scraps of
printed paper onto the surface of pieces of broken pottery leaving a print behind!

It is said that from this casual observation, the Staffordshire blue underglaze transfer printing industry eventually developed. However, after nearly seven years of trial and error, the earliest examples of printing on ceramics date to 1756 and were produced by Sadler and Green of Liverpool, who began by printing on tiles.

Just like so many industrial “secrets” Sadler and Green felt confident that their little printing secret was safe and had not bothered to patent their technique. Either by sheer coincidence, or by workmen moving around the infant, mid 18th century, ceramics industry, we find not only early printing on Liverpool tiles, but the process promptly followed with experimental printing on porcelain atWorcester in 1757.

Like many processes, it’s simple, after you know how and printing on earthenware was much
the same in its development. The ajority of the 18th and 19th century English, printed pottery
manufacturers were centered in Staffordshire and by the early 19th century were producing inexpensive blue printed pottery in large quantities, both for the English and the export market, with vast quantities going to nearly all parts of the English speaking world, America, Canada, India, South Africa and Australia.

The process of transfer printing involved a series of steps with each completed step moving on to the next until the piece was ready to leave the factory. Of great importance was the “artist”, or copper plate engraver. It was entirely due to his artistic expertise that produced the quality of the print. The engraver, with a sharp steel point, engraved the pattern on to the surface of a smooth copper plate.

This moved on to the inking shop, where the plate was inked until the ink had filled the
engraved plate. Surplus ink was wiped off and the pattern, using a press, was printed on to fine sheets of tissue. The tissue was trimmed to a suitable shape and size and after being dampened, was transferred to the surface of the cream or white, fired, but unglazed, or bisque fired, earthenware shape.

A skillful practiced dabbing technique was used to print the tissue transfer to the surface; the tissue was then gently peeled off, leaving the pattern neatly printed behind. The next step was the glazing shop, where each newly printed piece, now dry, was plunged into a deep tub
of glaze. The glaze was actually powdered glass suspended in water and looking a lot like a creamy white soup. The now printed and glazed shape, after drying off, went to the firing kiln. The high temperature kiln melted the powdered glass into a shiny smooth coat over the shape.

The final result was a beautiful sapphire blue image on a white or cream coloured pottery surface, named “creamware”. During the final decade of the 18th century, it was discovered, that with the addition of a small amount of cobalt to the glaze, a fine, delicate blue lustre was produced, this became known as “pearlware”.

Many of the prints can be seen to make social and political comment, humour, rural life and
scenery, heroes of the day and royalty. Many were copied from illustrations of India, from hunting and farming. At this period, c1780 – 1830, society was principally rural and unlike today, the world was a much bigger place, with little opportunity to travel very far from home.

As the 19th century progressed, more and more industrial techniques were developed,
eventually obliterating the beauty and all the charm of these 18th and early 19th century wares. The shapes lose all their refinement, becoming heavy and purely functional, in fact, the art had disappeared! By about 1850 colour printing had been introduced and although blue printed wares were still being made, the general quality has seriously declined. Just
like all artistic forms, the further it gets from the original, the less identified it becomes with the original concept.

There are many “charming” aspects associated with early blue transfer ware, which could be referred to as naïve charm. If you look carefully at a blue and white shape, you will very often see where the transfer design ends and continues, leaving the pattern not quite matching. I have seen several pieces with the finger prints still visible, fired into the glassy glaze as left by the glazer 200 years ago.

A collection, small or large of early blue and white is a visual feast and the crowning ompliment is the addition of an early blue and white lamp. Recall that these early pieces were glazed with a fine tight “skin” of glass and lamplight simply does the rest, with light twinkling, reflected from piece to piece and the lamp, of course, completely at home, the shape now being now reassigned as a perfectly appropriate lamp.

The traditional background colour for displaying blue and white is yellow, whether a yellow
fabric or wall. Yellow toile printed fabric is very complimentary and can make a stunning accent for a kitchen or as a feature in a formal room. A beautiful big blue and white, flower filled jug in the middle of a small collection, really is a sight for sore eyes! Close to unbeatable is an antique corner cabinet, each shelf aglow with shapes and sizes of blue and white. The result will not only charm, but will certainly add its mystical quality to attract and
delight, the early period being the most collectable, from around 1780 up until
about 1830.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/antiques-articles/antique-lamps-english-printed-blue-and-white-5268763.html

About the Author

Maurice Robertson, principal of The Antique and Vintage Table Lamp Co, has had a lifetime’s association with antique porcelain and pottery, with his commercial experience spanning a period of over 45 years,including valuer to the Australian Government’s Incentive to the Arts Scheme. His long experience with antique ceramics and glass also includes dealing with leading museums and numerous international private collections. He has extended his ceramics expertise into the quality table lamps seen on the company’s site and is well known to local and international interior designers who have included many of his table lamps in their projects. He has also supplied items of national interest to the official Sydney residence of the Australian Prime Minister.

The Antique & Vintage Table Lamp Co specialize in antique table lamp lighting with an on-line range of over 100 unique, antique and vintage lamps on view.

Lamps are shipped ready wired for the U.S, the U.K andAustralia.

You are invited to visit their web site at www.antiquelampshop.com

© The Antique & Vintage Table Lamp Co 2011

Author: Software Coupon Codes

Wall Regulator

A regulator is a clock with exceptional accuracy, made possible by the invention of the deadbeat escapement in 1715. Regulators were called such because they were used to regulate less accurate clocks and watches. For example, they were used in train stations and jewelry stores, where great accuracy was essential. Over time, however, less accurate clocks were labeled regulators, so eventually the term “regulator” just became a generic name for a hanging wall clock.

Statue

Figural clocks, now known as statue clocks, feature representations of people, animals, or mythical beings. Internationally, France was the most significant manufacturer. Within the United States, the Ansonia Company was the early leader.

Porcelain

Porcelain clocks have cases made of glazed ceramic. While the Royal Bonn Company of Germany made many of these colorful hand-painted cases, the Ansonia Company made most of the works.

Mantel

Mantel clocks, otherwise known as shelf clocks, began replacing long-case (grandfather) clocks when spring-driven movements became available. Previously, clock cases were necessarily tall and bulky because weight-driven movements required a relatively long drop in order to operate. Mantel clocks also became more popular and affordable when mass-production methods were introduced.

Grdanfather

Grandfather clocks, also known as hall, tall, floor or long-case clocks, are weight-driven clocks first made in England in the 1660s. They were among the most common early clocks in the colonies.

because the settlers did not yet have mills capable of producing springs for spring-driven clocks. Grandfathers were large because they required a tall case to provide an adequate drop to run the clock. Those made in the colonies were copies of English styles.

Calendar

In about 1853, John Hawes of Ithaca, New York, made the first simple calendar clock in the U.S. Several years later, the first perpetual calendar clocks were produced. Perpetual models are superior to simple ones because they automatically adjust for leap years and differing numbers of days in the months. Most calendar clocks have two dials, one for time and the other for the date.

Carriage

Carriage clocks were designed to hang inside coaches and were often covered with leather cases to protect them. They typically feature a rectangular brass case with glass front and sides, a porcelain dial, and a bailtvpe handle on top. Many also have a smaller subsidiary alarm dial below the main dial.

Banjo

Simon Willard patented his wall clock in 1802. While he called it his “Improved Timepiece,” it became known as the banjo clock because of its shape. It featured a pendulum that could be screwed down so the clock could be easily moved without damaging its suspension. Unlike many clocks of that day, the banjo clock is an original design rather than a version of a European clock. Although its popularity diminished after i860, it has frequently been copied ever since.

Alarm

Although the Greeks developed a water-operated alarm clock wound 250 B.C, the first mechanical alarm clock was not invented until 1787, when Levi Hutchins of Concord, New Hampshire, made a crude model. Because the alarm could only be set to ring at 4 AM., however, it was of little practical use. In 1876, nearly a hundred years later, Seth Thomas created and patented a wind-up alarm clock that could be set for any hour.

Advertising

It display promotional information on their cases, dials, or tablets. Two early U.S advertising clock companies began manufacturing these wall clocks in the late 1800s. The first was the Sidney Advertiser Company of Sidney, New York; the second was the Baird Company of Plattsburgh, New York. Sidney featured a clock with advertising messages placed on a drum that turned every five minutes. Baud’s early clock cases were made of papier-mache; later, they were made of wood.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/antiques-articles/10-popular-types-of-antique-clocks-5270295.html

About the Author

Antique clock prices are an important resource for any clocks collector, you will find antique clock price guides and information in my website.

Author: Andrew Clayton Clockmaker

So, you have bought a clock, it ran when you saw it, (or you were assured it did if you bought it through the internet) You bring it home, or have it delivered, put it in your house – - – and it won’t run.

99% of the time this is caused by the clock not being “in beat” All mechanical clocks have to be set in beat before they will run properly.

Sometimes they run for a while then stop, this can be even more annoying than if they won’t run at all!

I’m talking about clocks with a pendulum here, clocks with a platform escapement are outside the scope of this article, and need professional attention.

If you have bought or moved a Grandfather Clock, or a Wall Clock or Mantel clock and it just wont go, despite running quite well before you moved it, here is what you need to do: -

First, make sure your clock is vertical on the floor or wall, or level horizontally if it is a mantle or shelf clock.

A Grandfather Clock must be stood on a firm level surface, if you have a deep pile carpet stand it on a board. It also needs to be secure against the wall. Most antique clock backs have a few holes in them, where previous owners screwed them to the wall to fix them in position. You can do this, or, if you have a skirting board at floor level, put a piece of wood between the back of the clock and the wall to take up the gap. This can be screwed to the back of the clock or glued on.

You should end up with a clock that feels firm with no shake or wobbling about if you gently push it with your hand.

A good wall clock, especially the top quality “Vienna” type, has a strong metal hanging bracket well screwed to the top of the clock case at the back, and very often two small screws, one at each side at the bottom of the case. Drill and plug the wall, and put a STRONG screw in for the clock to hang from – - – nails, flimsy picture hooks etc are not strong enough to hold a big heavy wall clock for very long – - – you would not believe what a mess your clock will be in if the hanger pulls out or breaks. Lets just say you will probably be in the market for another clock!

Screw the bottom screws in until they just start to dig in the wall, then we can get to the next part, setting the clock “in beat”

The following applies to all pendulum clocks, with the exception of a few expensive ones which have adjusting screws on either side of the “crutch” on the back of the movement.

When the clock has been fixed in position, put the pendulum on the movement, and give it a gentle swing. If the clock runs without any problem, with a nice even beat – - – - – you are probably the sort of person who wins prizes, lotteries etc – - – - I have never had one yet that did not need adjusting!

More likely, the clock will run, but sound like it is “limping” with an uneven sound. We are going to use both eye and ear to set it in beat, listen first, when properly set up the pendulum should swing from left to right going “tick” at one end of it’s swing, and “tock” at the other.

A clock running in beat goes :- tick – - – - tock – - – - tick – - – - tock, with the four hyphens representing an exactly equal amount of time.

Out of beat, it goes: – tick – - tock – - – - – - – - tick – - tock – - – - – - – - tick – - tock This is easier to hear than describe, the two sounds come very close together, then a longer interval before two more very close together.

You can also watch the pendulum as it swings, the tick should sound at one end of the pendulum swing, and the tock at the other end, just as the pendulum stops to swing the other way. Watching and listening, you will hear the tick (or tock) then the pendulum will continue in the same direction until it stops and goes the other way, and the tick at the other end of the swing will be quieter, until it eventually stops running.

There are two ways to correct this, the easy way is to lean the whole clock to one side, if the clock stops lean it the other way, and you will come to a point where you will hear the beat suddenly even up into a nice even sound. If you have only moved the clock a tiny amount you can leave it there, putting some packing under the clock base at the side lifted off the floor. The problem is, of course, if you have moved it so far it looks like the Leaning Tower of Pisa you are probably going to want to try something else!

The correct way to set the clock up is this – - – - (you will only have to do this once, so stay with me) you need to bend the crutch very slightly.

The crutch is the wire part fixed to the clock at the back of the movement, usually bent at a right angle at the bottom, with a rectangular hole in it for the pendulum rod to slide through. If you touch it you will see it can move from side to side through an arc. Very often this wire is already bent slightly, (don’t worry about the shape of it, you can’t see it at the back of the movement) when the clock is running it is the crutch that swings the pendulum, by giving it a tiny impulse at each swing. Many people think the pendulum drives the clock; it is of course the other way round. The pendulum is there to “regulate” the clock and enable it to keep time, instead of running away at a fast speed till it runs down and stops.

Looking from the front, with the pendulum hanging down stopped, move it to one side by hand, until you hear a tick. Then move it the other way until you hear a tock. If it has to be moved father to the right (from the centre) than the left, the crutch must be bent to the left. – - – - – -Or the other way round, of course.

The weights need to be on the clock, or the springs wound if it is a spring driven clock.

Also, be careful with the crutch bending, don’t grab it and heave it all over, you can damage the escapement, anchor, or ‘scapewheel.

Reach round the clock movement from the front with both hands, one on each side, place the first finger of one hand near the top of the crutch, and the first finger of the other hand near the bottom of the crutch, where the pendulum rod passes through it.

The bottom finger does the bending. – - – - And it only needs a tiny amount. Better to have to do it a couple of times than overdo it and have to start again the other way, this can go on for ages if you keep bending the crutch too far each time.

Grandfather Clocks are easiest to set up, there is more room to get your hands in, smaller clocks need delicate handling and great care not to break any delicate parts. Most people will achieve a good result with care and patience, if you don’t understand some or all of this, I recommend you to seek out a competent repairer to do it for you, I don’t want to encourage you to break your clock!

One final point, the length of the pendulum controls the speed of the clock, more accurately the distance between the centre of the pendulum “bob” and the top of the rod. If your clock is going too fast or “gaining” you can drop the bob slightly by turning the adjusting nut below it clockwise a small amount, or turn it anti-clockwise to move it up a fraction, and thus speed the clock up slightly. Let it run for a few days, then fine-tune it if need be. Eventually you will be surprised how good the timekeeping of some of these lovely old clocks can be!

Andrew.

www.clockmakersandrepairs.co.uk

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/antiques-articles/and-the-beat-goes-on-5276935.html

About the Author

40 Years Experience in Clock Repair And Service

Author: Andrew Clayton Clockmaker

The Development Of The Pendulum Clock Part 1

I have been interested in clocks of all kinds for many years now, and I used to marvel at the complexity and beauty of a good grandfather clock.

I realised early on in my interest that the clock as we know it today could not have just appeared out of nowhere fully formed, so I started to do a little research into the subject.

The story of the development of the clock, and in particular the pendulum which swings and controls the clock, is almost an epic tale in itself, with lots of brilliant minds, some real characters and a few charlatans thrown in for good measure – - – - come with me, as we go back almost a thousand years to it’s beginning, and work our way forward again to the mechanical clock that we would recognise today.

A single person, or even a single country did not invent the clock. The first people to need to know and measure time were astronomers, they realised very quickly that the observation of planets and stars requires accurate time keeping.

Way back in 1100 A.D. a Chinese astronomer called Su Sung made a huge clock thirty six feet high, which incorporated astronomical models showing star positions. Processions of figures carried tablets showing the time to anyone stood looking at the clock, (and I’ll bet there were plenty of those) and inside the clock itself were the astronomical models, hidden from the ordinary people. The clock was driven by a massive water wheel, and the most important part of the whole thing was a device to control the water flow rate, and thus the clocks timekeeping.

The control device is known as an escapement, and this clock was the earliest known example, although apparently a monk called I’Sing invented the escapement itself centuries earlier. (No jokes about I Sing and Su Sung please, the names are held to be correct so I won’t make a Song and dance about it!)

The escapement is the heart of a clock, it lets the power in the weights or springs “escape” in tiny equal amounts, so the hands move round the dial in a steady measured progress.

Moving on a few hundred years, the astronomers in Europe continued to commission working models, Ptolemy and Copernicus were just two of many people investigating the heavens. From around 1400 onwards, non-astronomers started to take an interest in the new mechanical wonders, and the timekeeping part of the machines was split off from the models of the planets movements, and the “clock” was born.

There is a theory, which sounds reasonable to me that the word clock comes from the German word “Glock” which means bell. The early clocks were mostly in towers in public buildings, and did not have any hands; they just rang the hour on a bell.

Apart from tower clocks, around Cromwell’s time the usual clock to be found in the houses of very wealthy men was the Lantern Clock, so called because it resembled an old coaching lantern, except for the large bell on top. Cromwell himself owned several clocks, and there is a watch he owned in the British Museum.

These clocks had what is called a “Verge” escapement, combined with a swinging bar called the “Foliot”, without going into detail here I can tell you that they were not very good timekeepers – - – - people used to go out to the sundial in their garden to set the clock somewhere near!

This foliot was replaced later by a balance wheel, but the timekeeping was still, shall we say, not very accurate. The search for accuracy in timekeeping was still driven by the astronomers, for better clocks meant better planetary observations. The average person going about their daily life at this time had no need of a clock at all; he or she knew by the Sun’s position in the sky roughly what time it was, and for centuries that was good enough for work on the farm and village life.

One astronomer who played a crucial part in the development of the grandfather clock was Galileo Galiei, the famous Italian scientist and astronomer. When Galileo was a young man the story goes that he was in the cathedral in Pisa, and noticed that one of the lamps hung from the roof was swinging in the breeze from the open door. He timed this swing as best as he could using his pulse, and noticed that it took the same number of beats to swing through a short arc as it did through a much longer one. It moved slowly swinging through a short arc and faster when swinging through a long one, so the time it took was always exactly the same regardless of the size of the swing. Another fact he later discovered was that the number of swings a pendulum makes in a minute depends only on its length.

This was in 1581, and after that many mechanics and blacksmiths were to try their hand at making a clock with a pendulum. Then in 1657 a clockmaker in Holland, Salomon Coster, made the first pendulum clock from a design by the great Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens. This clock still exists today, and is in a museum in Leiden, Holland. It has a pendulum 14cm long, and a verge and crown-wheel escapement.

Huygens published a book in 1658 all about the pendulum clock, and he was recognised as the inventor of the pendulum thanks to his book. Although later research indicates that Galileo’s pupil Viviani actually built a clock to Galileo’s design and instruction, but because they were so secretive about it at the time they did not receive any credit for the invention, and it was only by accident around 80 years later that knowledge of this clock, built around 1640, came to light – - – by then Huygens was firmly accepted by everyone as the inventor of the pendulum clock, Galileo received no credit for it till many years after his death, and probably never at all but for the chance discovery of all his old manuscripts in a butchers shop being used as wrapping paper for meat! – - – But that’s a story for another time – - -

Huygens also contributed two more inventions to the clock movement. The crutch that drives the pendulum, and “Huygens endless rope” which enabled the weight to still drive the clock while it was being wound up.

The new knowledge spread to England very quickly, this was to make us the leading clock making country in the world for the next 150 years or so, due to the rapid take-up of the new pendulum. We will leave the story here, the development of the clock movement has moved from China via Turkey to Italy, then to Holland, and we can take a look at the next stage here in England in part two.

Andrew.

http://www.clockmakersandrepairs.co.uk

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/antiques-articles/a-very-short-history-of-the-pendulum-clock-part-1-5282175.html

About the Author

40 years experience in making and repairing clocks,specialising in Grandfather Clocks and musical / chiming clocks.

We also carry out clock repair work on Wall clocks and Mantel clocks, as well as making and engraving brass clock dials.

Author: Andrew Clayton Clockmaker

The Development Of The Pendulum Clock Part 2

In part one we traced the development of the pendulum clock from early beginnings in China around 1100, to the improvements made in Italy then Holland in the 1600′s.

Now we can take a look at English clockmaking up to the point where the grandfather or longcase clock as we recognise it today appeared.

Here is an advertisement, which appeared in the London paper “Commonwealth Mercury” in November 1658 – - – - -

“There is lately a way found for making clocks that to exact and keep equaller time than any now made without this Regulator (examined and proved before his Highness the Lord Protector by such Doctors whose knowledge and learning is without exception) and are not subject to alter by change of weather, as others are, and may be made to go a week, a month, or a year with once winding up, as well as those that are wound up every day, and keep time as well, and is very excellent for all House Clocks that go either with springs or weights; and also Steeple Clocks that are most subject to differ by change of weather. Made by Ahasuerus Fromanteel, who made the first that were in England. You may have them at his house on the Bankside, in Mosses Alley, Southwark and at the sign of the Mermaid, in Lothbury, near Bartholomew Lane end, London”

I’ll bet the guy who wrote that went off to America selling Snake Oil shortly afterwards – - – -

What the advert is telling the people of London is that the pendulum had arrived in England at last, and clocks were for the first time reasonably accurate, certainly to within a few minutes a week. The other give away here is the name of the clockmaker, Ahasuerus Fromanteel was a Dutchman living and working in England, this explains how an obscure book written in Dutch came to be recognised so quickly in England, one of Fromanteel’s sons, John, was sent over to Holland to learn about making pendulum clocks from Salomon Coster, the clockmaker who made the clocks for Huygens and by a happy accident he was there within 11 weeks of Huygens being granted his patent for the pendulum.

John quickly sent the knowledge of the new pendulum back to England, with the permission of either Huygens or Coster, and by the time he returned home to London the family was well-established making clocks. Ahasuerus Fromanteel worked with his friend Thomas Loomes, and his is the second address in the advert, ” at the sign of the Mermaid in Lothbury”

The first English pendulum clocks were wall clocks, often known as “hoop and spike” clocks, the hoop hung on a nail or peg set in the wall, and there were two spikes or pointed steel bars that protruded from the back of the clock and dug into the wall to stop the clock slipping sideways.

These clocks were really lantern clocks with a pendulum hanging down beneath, which meant they could not be stood on a table or shelf any more, but the huge increase in accurate timekeeping was considered worth the trouble of fixing them to the wall.

The beautiful English Lantern Clock, made of brass with an engraved dial and four corner pillars like a four poster bed, started to be enclosed in a wooden hood, similar to the hood on the grandfather clock, this then went on a high shelf fixed to the wall, and the shelf had holes in so that the pendulum and weights could hang down below the shelf through the holes. The clock inside the case quickly became much plainer to look at, the wooden hood was easier and cheaper to make, and with a nice engraved brass dial, and some mouldings to the case, it looked good too.

Around the same time, 1665, someone unknown got the idea of enclosing the weights, and the rope they hung from, in a long “trunk” going down to the floor, and the grandfather clock appeared for the first time. These early clocks are highly sought after today, and bring large sums of money on the rare occasions they come on the market. A few of the old Lantern Clocks were also housed in a grandfather case at the time, and again these rare early clocks are very sought after today.

Up to this point, the pendulum was about ten inches long, as they were used with the old verge escapement, and they sounded quite “busy” with a beat of half a second, and because the new clocks had a long case it seemed a good idea to put in a longer pendulum – - – - the trouble was, it was going to need another new invention to do this, the seconds pendulum is 39 inches long, and if it were used with the verge escapement it would swing in an arc of around three feet! – - – Clearly too much for the beautiful, slim, new grandfather clock case.

The credit for the first useable long pendulum clock goes to a former blacksmith called William Clement, like many others he went into

clockmaking from blacksmithing, and rose to become an eminent London clockmaker. Clement was commissioned to build a new clock for Kings College, Cambridge, and this clock (for which he was paid £42) is now in the Science Museum in London. Dated1671, it is the earliest known clock with an “anchor escapement”

The anchor escapement was so named because it resembles a ships anchor, and is driven by a vertical escape wheel. Another effect of the adoption of the longer pendulum, with it’s soothing one-second tick, was the rapid growth in the use of the long clock case, as a protection for the pendulum, which hung down a long way below the clock movement.

This brings us to the grandfather clock we would recognise today, and in fact the anchor escapement is still in use the world over in clocks of all shapes and sizes, as it is robust, reliable, and tolerant of a certain amount of wear and tear without stopping the clock.

The beat interval of a pendulum varies, as we said before, according to its length, a 10 inch one beats half-seconds, a 39 inch one beats seconds, (this is by far the commonest length used in grandfather clocks), a 14 foot long one beats two seconds, (often used in Church or Tower clocks), and one, in St Chad’s Church Shrewsbury has a mighty 52 foot long pendulum beating four seconds! There is little to be gained using these longer pendulums, as other factors such as “circular error” creep in and affect the timekeeping, which is why they are so rare.

Townely Hall in Burnley, near where I live, has a wonderful clock by Thomas Thompion, the pendulum is hung from the ceiling and goes into the clock through a hole in the top of the hood – - – an “upside down” arrangement which seems to work very well, I’m not sure how long the pendulum is, at least 14 feet but it could be more, the ceiling is very high!

The two most common types of grandfather clock movement are the “30-hour” and the “8 day”, this refers to how long the clock will run before the weights drop to the bottom, and the clock stops. There are others of longer duration, as mentioned in the Fromanteel advertisement above, but most of us are unlikely to own one of these clocks, famous London makers mainly made them, and the prices of these clocks have spiralled out of reach of most of us.

I mention the 30-hour and 8day winding because I want to finish this piece with a traditional rhyme, which I love: -

There was a man who had a clock

His name was Mr Mears.

And every night he wound that clock

For five and forty years.

And when at last that clock turned out

An eight-day clock to be

A madder man than Mr Mears

I never hope to see!

I hope you enjoyed reading this brief walk-through of the development of the pendulum clock, and if you are lucky enough to own one, may you continue to enjoy it for many years to come.

Andrew.

http://www.clockmakersandrepairs.co.uk

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/antiques-articles/a-very-short-history-of-the-pendulum-clock-part-2-at-the-sign-of-the-mermaid-in-lothbury-5282192.html

About the Author

40 years experience in making and repairing clocks,specialising in Grandfather Clocks and musical / chiming clocks.

We also carry out clock repair work on Wall clocks and Mantel clocks, as well as making and engraving brass clock dials.

Author: Devon

An antique Oriental rug or carpet is a carpet which meets or exceeds one hundred years of age.

Reputable antique rug dealers, museums & collectors have adapted this one hundred years of age or greater definition of antique rugs & carpets based upon generally accepted guidelines set by old, internationally accepted Customs import laws and regulations.

While such definition of an Antique rugs has since been lifted by international trade, this one hundred year rule for antique rugs is strongly supported by Scholars and authorities in the field of Oriental rugs and antique carpets. Such specialists in the field of hand knotted rugs unanimously agree and accept a rug as an “antique” if it is evaluated to one hundred years or older.

If a carpet is greater than fifty years of age, and less than one hundred years, it will fall into the semi-antique category of antique rugs.

A note to those in the market for antique rugs and antique carpets.

• Rug dealers & rug sellers who overstate the actual age of a hand knotted rug are to be avoided. Often, their lack of transparency of actual age, or inflation of age, may lead buyers to an incorrectly determined, higher perceived value, than the item at hand merits.
• As a buyer, be aware of a rug dealer or rug seller’s use or abuse of the terms semi-antique or antique. Ask them what they consider to be semi-antique and antique. An exaggerated age category may often be a sign of abusive ploys or a sellers attempt to exploit a buyers lack of knowlege.

Examples of semi-antique and antique properly used:

1. A sixty year old Kerman from Persia should be advertised or relayed to the buyer as “A semi-antique Persian Kerman”
2. A one hundred and twenty year old Tabriz from Persia should be properly advertised as an “Antique Persian Tabriz”

Such attributions using semi-antique and antique measures of 50 -99 years of age, and 100+ years of age reflect a more conservative & proper methodology of assigning & categorizing rugs of great age.

Such qualifications on age of antique rugs is reflected by the following organizations: ORRA & RugRag.com

Buy from trusted sources for fine Oriental rugs

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/antiques-articles/antique-rugs-5299441.html

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Author: Antiques Attic

Probably the most highly collectable antique bears are the German manufactured Steiff bears.Margarete Steiff began work as a seamstress and often had off cuts of felt left over at the end of the day. She used these off cuts to make small novelty elephant pin cushions for children. These soon became more popular than the clothes she made by day. The Steiff firm grew quickly and in 1903 the Steiff bears were born. Margarete took a stall at the Leipzig fair to launch it new range of jointed bears based on the drawings of her nephew Richard. The bears received mixed reviews at the fair but a American businessman made a order of 3000 bears, this canny American new that after president Roosevalt refused to shoot a bear cub, the businessman new that American children would fall in love with the “teddy bear”

Stuff toy collectors the world over are all searching for that rare antique collectable bear. Steiff bears can be worth thousands and thousands of pounds and in fact a bear sold at Christies for over £100,000 in 1994. Even later bears can be very valuable and are always very sort after.

A master stroke by Steiff was to introduce the button in the ear of each bear. This stopped rival companies from copying their designs and made Steiff bears instantly recognisable. At the beginning of the 20thC, to prevent its popular designs being copied, Steiff devised its famous button in ear label. Buttons produced prior to 1905 are embossed with an elephant holding aloft his ‘S’-shaped trunk, whilst later ones read “Steiff” in a variety of styles. Materials and shape help to date bears as well as the style of his button. Bears produced prior to the 1930s, such as the teddy clown, Petsy bear and teddy baby (see right), can be identified by their humped backs, long arms and large feet. After WWI glass eyes replaced boot button eyes, and following WWII, artificial and wool Plush was used because mohair became difficult to source. During the 1950s, many early designs were reintroduced with slight design modifications such as a larger heads, a less pronounced hump and shorter limbs. Replicas and Limited Edition runs of original bears have also been produced in recent years and should not be confused with originals.

Steiff collectors tend to look for older examples, usually in good condition as this has a strong bearing on future value. White and cinnamon colouring are rare and a bear with an especially attractive face tends to command a premium. Other antique teddy bears can be valuable but it could be argued that Steiff is one of the ultimate collectors pieces.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/antiques-articles/antique-and-collectable-teddy-bears-5299886.html

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Chris Farnworth has several years in the antiques trade and specialises in antique silver pieces. Further information about Chris can be found at www.antiquesattic.co.uk

Author: stevemelt

It’s not enough that you have reached so many target clients during a trade show exhibit; or that you have almost depleted your boxes of postcard printing materials during the event. The fact is, your trade show exposure would be for naught if you do not have a follow-through plan for the people you have made contact with.

Lead follow through activity is basically essential after the event is over. According to a recent research study, 80% of leads that were collected during a trade show are not followed up. In other words, 80% of your money, time, effort and energy have been completely wasted

Let’s face it; the main purpose of exhibiting at a trade show is to generate as many leads as you can from the attendees and participants. Therefore, this should be your focus before, during and especially after the event. So obviously, your task doesn’t end when the trade show closes. In fact, your job of getting these leads into customers has just begun.

So where do you begin your follow through? You can start by sending them thank you emails to express your appreciation for stopping by your booth and allowing you to introduce your business. Better than just a text based email, you can send a video email.
Here are a few very interesting facts regarding video email:
Video email reduces advertising cost and increases customer retention by 400%.
Studies show that video email reaps a 280% higher return than direct mail.
In a study by – Marketing Vox, results showed that 63.9% of 5,000 people watched a video sent via email to completion, compared to the average time spent on a text email – which was 8 seconds!
Obviously, video emails are not only more cost effective, but effective overall than traditional follow up methods.

When would be the most appropriate time to follow up with your leads? Between 7 and 10 days after the trade show is enough lead time for you to get in touch with your target clients. If not, then your leads would probably forget you and your business and move on with their lives. The longer you wait to follow through with your leads, the higher chances of your prospects losing interest and even forgetting you all together.

When planning your next trade show or special event, take these facts into account in order to reap the largest possible return on your trade show investment.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/antiques-articles/why-trade-show-follow-up-is-absolutely-essential-5302017.html

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Using best magicians and custom designed presentations centered around your product. The magic hitman will make your next trade show marketing and special event an unprecedented success. For more details please visit us.

Author: jeorgekings

A polymer metal sheet is constructed out of throwaway so this means getting together or maybe modeling anything. Inside 1828 all the compound urea, which happens to be an ingredient in the pee on the mammals had been made artificially in addition to vinyl has been organized the first time. With 1843 acrylic plaque created by sugar seemed to be produced. All these bed linens came into utilize in twentieth century. It’s always used for cellular lining and even laminating wineglass binders during the 1930′s. The application of acrylic bed sheets might be accelerated during the Second World War. It was actually utilised as the round invulnerable double glazing inside the conflict aeroplanes. It was valuable given it may very well be installed in that design designs of conflict aircraft as being the oil layer can be less heavy nevertheless in contrast very secure.

Acrylic Sheet

The polymer-bonded metal sheet is very familiar with engrave pictures, mainly because advertisement bed linens, applications, parts of musical instrument, table lamp, design, planes, automobile furnishing, in addition to health care devices. It truly is very used in the joy of fine art. Efficiency material for electric gadgets, hint snowboards and various content articles meant for knowledge and additionally emotional market place are made of oil linen. This unique linen is advantageous because it’s see-through and also very good weather conditions reluctance. This particular piece is certainly lightweight and even risk-free available like it is non-toxic. It is actually put into use largely because it is simple to be able to course of action. Which is non-toxic as well as irrespective of double glazed it can be recommended substance to get green house.

Acrylic Sheets

These kind of covers minimize the high temperature damage belonging to the greenhouse. They even produce the green house in the position to stand it every the weather. This unique published is also work with while lgt diffusers around luminescent lighting fixtures. Oil bed-sheet is a bit more durable when compared with wineglass. More and more people choose to utilize this sheet instead of wine glass. It page can also be alot more flexible type as compared to all other resources.

Perspex Acrylic Sheet

We will get possibly even colorful polymer-bonded bed sheets. There can be straightforward together with frosted documents. This unique piece is furthermore easy to clean. The most standby and call time bed-sheet consistantly improves field connected with technique as it’s pretty light and portable. For you to duration a substantial design it’s the best choice. A polymer list stops uv rays via negatively affecting a person’s shots together with the think about appears to be like light for the days.It is additionally limit the glare out of brightness. The easy cleaning made the actual metal sheet preferred. You fix it very easily using a textile or even report large towel. So your call time piece is actually diverse to its sturdiness, adaptability, easiness to discover, non toxic, environmental welcoming as well as for the nation’s easiness to wash in no time.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/antiques-articles/fat-layer-your-light-manner-of-working-on-items-5307160.html

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Jeorge Kings is famous internet marketer.His new website gives more information about Acrylic Sheet

Author: Affordable SEO Company

For anyone having a desire for collecting together with a passion for historical past including military historical past a set that matches the two passions is actually not that readily available. Lots of people gather kinds of motor vehicles or even soldiers or publications concerning military services historical past. There is however next to nothing just like basically holding an item of heritage. For many people buying aged armed forces cars as well as clothing will probably be too costly in order to even get one good illustration, with ideal collectable items including medals or perhaps epaulettes as an example prices are still higher as well as the dimensions of a collection will be very little. Dog Tag neck laces however less difficult more widespread and more affordable for close to a hundred years they are issued out to each soldier in the US Military also to many others all over the world. It absolutely was in reality the actual Prussians, through the Franco Prussian war on 1870-1871, which initially used dog tag necklaces plus a form of I. D. pertaining to troops have also been employed throughout the American Civil fight a few years later, nevertheless to begin with we were holding items of paper pinned to the soldiers tunics.

Dog Tags ended up being of course granted to each and every person in this defense force of the nation and then stored utilizing them throughout their time like a soldier: which means there are still lots of dog tag neck laces all around not to mention being normally lightweight aluminum they will stay in good shape. The dog tag necklace being by the solider since they had been at war as well as carrying their particular characteristics makes them an extremely unique artifact to get. Even though dog tags have become vogue items which are modeled, authentic items have got a different heritage valuation and each is assigned to a certain soldier therefore whilst unique likewise needs a amount of respect.

Dog Tags simply from the US Army vary greatly in the early ones used throughout the first world combat to the advancements from the World war ii and therefore the archetypal design employed through the Vietnam war and featured in every film with that war since. Dog Tags are employed by a huge selection of countries around the globe though in a few form and they’ve been found in Britain, Canada and France provided in the US so when mentioned are already found in Germany longer still returning to ahead of the unification with the German states. Prussia is just one today defunct nation that employed dog tags therefore to have what could be viewed a whole gallery would most likely come with possibly a large number of distinct dog tag pendants.

Collections are often mounted in displays or on velvet covered backing material; they’re a collection that you could well want on display and being metal they won’t get bleached by light or easily damaged meaning they may be ideal for mounting and keeping on a wall. Collecting dog tags may take you around the world looking for pieces and exchanging with collectors abroad is typical so always buy duplicates of designs you’ve when possible.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/antiques-articles/dog-tags-a-great-collection-piece-for-anyone-having-a-good-fascination-in-armed-service-history-5309352.html

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DUZZLE ART (www.duzzleart.com) displays various art performed by Doug Powell, an artise from Oviedo Florida. You can not only see the beautiful art pieces but purchase them including: autism puzzle piece, dog tags necklaces, other puzzle pieces gold and silver jewelry and famous puzzle art prints. http://www.duzzleart.com/