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Another kind of early clock that began showing up in people's houses, personally owned clocks
is what's called the bracket clock. We have an example here. They're called bracket clocks
because originally they would have had a matching shelf underneath made out of the same wood
with the same general appearance. That shelf would be mounted on the wall and that shelf,
known as a bracket would then support the clock on top of it. A lot of bracket clocks
now including this one never had a bracket, or the brackets have been separated from them
and lost. My guess in this case this never had a bracket because they could also could
be put on tables, credenzas, large mantels and be used in that way. Only originally perhaps
where they bracket clocks with a real bracket. This one dates from about 1810. It's by Morris
Tobias as you see there on the face although I've done the profile having the hand in the
place that obscures the name a little bit but we often see ands set at ten after ten
or ten minutes of two, just to display the name on the dial better and has nothing to
do with kind of other historical event although people claim that sometimes. But bracket clocks
not only are pretty on the front, but they're often quite pretty in the back as well. The
makers of the clock expected you to look in the back and see the high quality of the movement,
how well they were made, how well they work. People liked particularly who weren't that
familiar with machines in general, they liked looking at a machine and seeing it work. This
is our nice bell hammer that would ring the bell on the hours, lets see, are we close
to the hour? I thought maybe we could ring it but I forgot to wind this one so we'll
have a demonstration of ringing another time. But even earlier bracket clocks often have
much more engraving on the back and often with the makers name there, They weren't shy
about that. Often the front wasn't quite as ornamental particularly in puritan times when
they frowned on excess ornamentation but they felt it was important to demonstrate the quality
in their craftsmanship if they did a lot of fancy engraving on the back with them clock
makers name there so you knew which famous maker had made your beautiful bracket clock.