Our Dutch tall case clock has returned from conservation and is on view again in Kress Gallery. This clock was made by Anthonie van Oostrum around 1750, and after nearly three centuries of use our curatorial staff determined it was showing noticeable signs of age. Its musical mechanisms were seizing, and both its moon phase and hour-strike mechanisms were worn to the point of not working properly.
Clock-face mechanism
Horologist Lili von Baeyer examined the clock’s workings and was able to fix previously misaligned parts, including the moon paddle (which advances the clock’s moon-phase dial, seen below) and the mechanisms that make the clock strike. She also examined the clock’s musical workings and determined them to be too fragile to run regularly.
To preserve the clock’s music and make it accessible to the public, we made digital recordings of all 12 songs, which can be heard on an iPad near the clock. The new iPad interactive also allows visitors to see in action the mechanisms that power the clock and make it strike the hour, and the rows of hammers that strike chimes to play each song. Next time you are visiting the galleries, make sure to drop by Art for Church and Home and make a stop at the clock!
At top: Clock parts disassembled for cleaning
At right: Anthonie van Oostrum (Dutch, active about 1740-1768), Tall Case Clock, ca. 1745/51, burl walnut veneer case with marquetry details, gilt bronze mounts, and glass; painted metal face. Allentown Art Museum: Gift of Miss Elizabeth Wistar, 1986. (1986.049.000)
Below: Clock face closeup showing moon-phase dial
