This attractive Queen Anne tall case clock was produced by the important Philadelphia clockmaker Thomas Stretch [1697-1765]. The son of prominent clockmaker Peter Stretch, Thomas and his brother William both trained as clockmakers, becoming Philadelphia’s leading makers of the mid-eighteenth century. Clocks produced by Thomas are scarce and few survive in such fine condition as this important example.
The hood is mounted with a stepped sarcophagus-form pediment set with a scrolled splat and turned wood urn-and-spire finials. A broad flared molding transitions from this cornice to a flat tympanum above a glazed tombstone shaped dial door. The door is fitted with engaged columns with blocked capitals and bases. The sides of the hood have tombstone-form glazed windows and are fitted with split columns at the rear. The door opens to composite brass dial with gilt brass Rococo spandrels.
These spandrels frame a boss in the lunette that is fitted with an indicator hand and marked “Strike / Silent”. The boss is also engraved in flowing calligraphy with the maker’s name and locale “Thos. Stretch / Philadelphia.” The dial has a raised chapter ring with an inner ring of Roman numerals to demark the hour and an outer ring of Arabic numerals to demark the minutes. A seconds bit with a raised register is above the center arbor and a calendar aperture is located below. The center arbor and seconds bit are each fitted with steel hands. The brass, eight-day movement, which has recently been serviced, is in good running order. The movement is fitted with an original flat brass pendulum rod with a brass capped lead bob and a pair of jacketed lead weights. The works rest on a wooden “saddle board” and are original to the clock.
The hood transitions into the waist section with a flared throat molding. The tombstone-form pendulum door has a decorative brass keyhole escutcheon. A flared molding transitions to the rectangular base panel above a molded skirt and ogee bracket feet.
Dimensions: Overall height including center finial 101 7/8”; Width 20 1/4" Depth 10 1/2".