Conical Clock

#100, Photographed by Mary Elizabeth Kulesa, 2021: In Situ

Name/Title

Conical Clock

Entry/Object ID

100

Acquisition

Source (if not Accessioned)

Mrs. George W. Childs, Philadelphia

Notes

Date: 1912 Source: Purchased at the 1867 Parisian Exposition by G. W. Childs.

Made/Created

Artist

Albert Ernest Carrier-Belleuse

Date made

circa 1867

Place

Country

France

Continent

Europe

Dimensions

Dimension Notes

H, L, W: 60x30 x27 in; H, L, W: 152.4x76.2x68.58 cm

Height

60 in

Width

27 in

Length

30 in

Height

152.4 cm

Width

68.58 cm

Length

76.2 cm

Material

Silver, brass, marble

Interpretative Labels

Label Type

Curator Pick of the Month

Label

It’s time to start fresh and prepare for a new year! In recognition of the times gone by and the times to come, this month’s curators pick is the famous Eugene Farcot Conical Clock with sculpture by Albert Ernest Carrier-Belleuse. Drexel’s clock arrived at the university in 1912. It was a donation from Mrs. George W. Childs in memory of her husband, George W. Childs, a close friend and business partner of A. J. Drexel. Childs purchased the clock at the Parisian Exposition in 1867 for $6,000, making it one of the most expensive clocks in the entire world. One of only three conical clocks in the United States; it is one of Drexel’s most notable pieces of art. Conical clocks have a pendulum that operates in a circular motion as opposed to side to side, and they are surprisingly accurate.