William Lee Bracket Clock
Clock
Copyright: Russell Buskirk
Name/Title
William Lee Bracket ClockEntry/Object ID
80.1.1Description
William Lee (American, 1746-1803), retailer and clockmaker Bracket clock Assembled in Charleston with English case and works ca. 1770 Ebonized mahogany case with gilt and silvered brass and steel, glass William Lee (American, 1746-1803), retailer and clockmaker Bracket clock Assembled in Charleston with English case and works, ca. 1770 Ebonized mahogany case with gilt and silvered brass and steel, glass H. 17 3/4 x W. 10 x D. 7 1/4 inches Historic Charleston Foundation, Charleston, SC, 80.1.1 Conservation sponsored by Mark Maresca & Associates Architects, Inc. and The Brass & Silver Workshop Bracket clocks were rare even in their own time, and few of these clocks engraved with a Charleston watchmaker's name are known. Lockwood's apprentice and brother-in-law, William Lee, signed the center medallion above the chapter ring of this bracket clock. Both the brass medallion and the ring were originally silvered but the treatment has since been lost. Within an ebonized case, the eight-day clock, which needed winding only once a week, has an alarm set with Arabic numbers and a carrying handle atop so that it could be transported throughout the house. The case's glazed sides allow you to peer at the elaborate mechanisms within and reveal glimpses of the intricately engraved back plate. Personal timepieces were widely valued in Charleston because governing one's own time and the schedules of others was an essential practice for a mercantile community that operated largely on enslaved labor. BSC William Lee Bracket Clock, c. 1760. Queen Anne Style Ebonized Mahogany Bracket Clock with Pull Repeat, the Case Having a Domed Top with a Brass Bail Handle Above a Molded Cornice, an Arched Door Below Enclosing a Brass Dial with Maker's Name, Chapter Ring and Scroll Spandrells Between Glazed Sides and a Molded Base. Eight Day Clock with Alarm.Collection
Historic Charleston Foundation CollectionAcquisition
Accession
80.1.Source or Donor
Sotheby's New YorkAcquisition Method
PurchaseCredit Line
Descended in the Drayton-Taylor family; Misses Edelson,Made/Created
Artist
Lee, WilliamDate made
1750 - 1770Lexicon
Nomenclature 4.0
Nomenclature Primary Object Term
ClockNomenclature Class
Timekeeping T&ENomenclature Category
Category 05: Tools & Equipment for Science & TechnologyOther Name
Bracket ClockDimensions
Height
16-1/2 inDimension Notes
[height]16.5" __[length] __[width] __[depth] __[diameter] __[size] __[other]Location
Location
Room
204Building
Nathaniel Russell HouseCategory
PermanentDate
February 7, 2023Location
Room
303Building
Nathaniel Russell HouseMoved By
BJODate
November 1, 2012Notes
Reason: Construction in house Until: / /Location
Room
204Building
Nathaniel Russell HouseCategory
PermanentMoved By
SJDate
July 28, 2004Provenance
Notes
Last Owner: Estate of Landsell K. Christie; sold at Sotheby Parke Bennet, Inc., May 19,Exhibitions
10
16