Shelf Clock Used in Abraham Lincoln's Springfield, Illinois Home, 1830
THF59998 / Shelf Clock Used in Abraham Lincoln's Springfield, Illinois Home, 1830
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Artifact Overview
This clock is part of a group of furniture used by the Lincoln family in Springfield, Illinois. The clock was made no later than 1830 - the Lincolns likely purchased it second-hand, presumably after their 1842 marriage. When Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860, this clock and other furnishings were sold to a neighbor, whose family retained them until 1930, when they came to the Museum.
Artifact Details
Artifact
Shelf clock
Date Made
1830
Creators
Place of Creation
Location
Not on exhibit to the public.
Object ID
30.878.13
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Material
Brass (Alloy)
Iron (Metal)
Mahogany
Steel (Alloy)
Wood (Plant material)
Technique
Gilding (Technique)
Dimensions
Height: 36.25 in
Width: 16.75 in (at top)
Length: 5.25 in (at top)
Inscriptions
Printed on label inside bottom portion of clock:
PATENT BRASS / EIGHT-DAY / CLOCKS / MANUFACTURED BY / JOHN BIRGE / BRISTOL, Conn. / AND SOLD / Wholesale and retail. / Warranted & Well Used. / The pendulum [illegible] must be raised to make the clock go faster and / to produce the [illegible] often.
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Related Content
SetThe Lincolns in Springfield
- 14 Artifacts
Abraham and Mary Lincoln purchased a small home in Springfield, Illinois in 1844, shortly after their marriage. In 1856, with a growing family and income, they enlarged the house, seen here. After the 1860 election, they sold most of their furnishings and rented the house. This print, published in 1865 is likely a memorial - it shows a bearded Lincoln, though he did not have one in 1858.
articleAt Home with the Lincolns
The Henry Ford owns a number of furnishings from Abraham and Mary Lincoln’s home in Springfield, Illinois, where they lived before Lincoln was elected president. Learn what these choices say about the Lincolns on our blog.