Expert: John Newman - 4/21/2010

Question
I need some information on  a Seth Thomas clock I have. It is a mantle clock, of the gingerbread, kitchen style. It has a lyre movement, marked 5 7/8, with all the normal Seth Thomas markings. I noticed that it has a fly wheel much larger than most movements of this type. With the door open, it has a peaked roof on the case. With the door closed, the door has some carved side pieces, about 1 1/4" wide and about 5" tall on the bottom, the top are about the same width, and attached to the top peak part. Attached to the very top of the door, it has ribbed wood, that is crossed at the peak, as though one piece is going through the other, not laid on top of each other. Each piece sticks out about an inch after they cross. Below that on the door, are a series of 4 straight lines angled towards the movement. Just below the peak, above the door trim, is an indented circle. The circles also appear at the top corners of the door trim and one each on the bottom. The clock itself is 19" high, not counting the 1 inch pieces that stick up and across the very top,the bottom measures 12 inches across the very bottom. It has a silver bell, that is used both by the hour strike and the alarm. The visible part of the alarm on the dial is silver as well as is the pendulum leader. It has a Seth Thomas silver with brass ST center. Everything appears original, no extra holes anywhere. Also, the door trim is ribbed wood. It has indented lines along the top and sides, approximately 11 lines.It only strikes on the hour,there is no trip in the movement for the half hour. I don't know if this was part of the city series or made special. It does have a small tag, probably from the seller, that says no. 108, Sept. 17/94 and a signature. It a[[ears to be either a seller or repair sticker, quite old. I have searched the internet and have had no luck finding anything similar to this style.Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated.Rich

Answer
Rich, that is an elaborate description.  It is really difficult for me to visualize everything you have described.  I have never seen whet we consider a lyre pendulum on an early American kitchen clock.  I looked through a few of my identification books and could not match the description or find a "lyre" pendulum.  Would it be possible for you to send to my shop email address below a clear photo of the complete front of the clock?  That way I could compare it with the catalog information.

John Newman
THE VILLAGE CLOCKSMITH
Old Prattvillage
Prattville, Alabama
klokdok@juno.com

(Due to the number of Allexperts questions and
the workload I have at my clock shop, I regret
that I cannot answer personal email questions on a timely basis
other than Allexperts follow ups.)

Richard, I have done some research on your clock which is a very nice one, and first let me apologize for mis-reading the description concerning the lyre movement.  I had read it to be a lyre pendulum, and you are definitely correct on the lyre movement description.  I think the Sept. 17/94, would be about right for the year 1894.  Again you are correct in thinking it is from the "City Series", and I have an identification of the clock listed as the "Detroit".  My reference book does not show the alarm and setting mechanism in the center of the dial.  This model came in 1-day and 8-day versions, and if I am not mistaken, the large distance between the winding holes would indicate that yours is an 8-day clock.  The alarm was a factory option which I think would be original.  Although I do not give appraisals or values on the Internet, the book (CLOCK IDENTIFICATION AND PRICE GUIDE, BOOK 1 by Erhardt and Rabeneck) in which I found the information, reference listed the value of $135, but the published date was 1979.  So the value has increased considerably.  If I find any additional information I will get back with you.

John Newman

John Newman