The history of a remarkable timepiece and most
attractive piece of furniture - the Grandfather Clock
"I say, I say, I say. My grandfather clock doesn't work
very well."
"Why doesn't your grandfather clock work very well?"
"Because it strikes every hour!"
The Origin Of Grandfather Clocks by :
Scott Miller
Remember those big, wooden clocks with long pendulums and which gives out
eerie sounds? Antique clocks can evoke feelings of nostalgia for times gone by.
Hearing the clock going ding-dong could either bring a person back to the past
or to a time in the future.
Clocks, no matter what kind they are, have always been an important aspect of
man’s life. The invention of the clock has made life easier for humans, who used
to tell time by the way the sun’s rays were positioned in the sky. Our ancestors
could tell it is noon when the sun is set at a certain height or level in the
sky. While this system worked, it made the telling of time impossible during
night time or at times when it is raining.
Mechanical clocks which sounded a bell at every hour were invented in the 1300s.
However, these clocks were so primitive they did not have minute hands or faces
which could easily tell the time the way the clocks do nowadays. The discovery
of the coiled spring in the 1400s made possible for the existence of smaller
clocks and even watches. It was in the 1600s when the pendulum clock was
invented by Christiaan Huygens. However, the pendulum clock was still considered
inaccurate.
Such was the British Parliament’s yearning for a clock that could accurately
tell the time, that a cash reward awaited anyone who could create a clock that
could be used even for navigation. Finally, the accurate clock was invented and
humans were once again able to navigate and work, knowing that their clocks were
telling them the right time.
One of the clocks that have become famous is the grandfather clock. This clock
is known for being a work of art in itself, enclosed in a tower case and has a
long pendulum. Remember that in the olden days, the longer the pendulum of the
clock was, the more accurate the time. Grandfather clocks usually measured high
at a minimum of six feet tall, and the tower made of hardwood and glass.
The Grandfather clock actually referred to the floor clock kept in the George
Hotel in England, owned by the two brothers. The death of one of the brothers
resulted to time malfunction of the floor clock. When the clock started to fail
when the second brother died, the clock was never repaired. This was the same
clock which inspired the song “My Grandfather’s Clock”, composed by Henry Clay
Work in 1875 and written after he stayed in the George Hotel and learned of the
story of the two brothers.
Most Grandfather clocks are striking clocks. Striking clocks, like the Big Ben
clock in London, are clocks that make a gong sound at every hour.
About The Author
The author is a regular contributor to
Grandfather Clock Center where more information
about grandfather clocks and parts is freely available.
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