The Noble Jerome Patent 30-hr and Related Movements
I was given access to Snowden Taylor’s working file with updates to Table III from his groundbreaking research on Noble Jerome patent 30-hr and related movements (NAWCC Bulletin, Whole No. 221, Vol. XXIV, No. 6, Part II, December 1982). I have transcribed the information to the best of my ability into an Excel file (see below). In a few instances, where his entries were illegible or ambiguous, I have attempted to infer the most likely entry. Any entries with a question mark represent Snowden’s actual entry. I regard those as an indication that information was missing (from a label, for example) or that he did not view the movement personally and could not see the feature or take the necessary measurement. A major drawback to my transcribed version is that I chose not to incorporate photos of the movements. In part, that was because I would have had to scan movement images from his 1982 Bulletin article, which would have resulted in a copy of a copy (the original quality of which was not always great). To some extent, having the 1982 Bulletin article in hand while using the Excel file can overcome this drawback. However, Snowden made many changes to type numbers (either renumbering or adding new movement types) over the years, which means that there is not necessarily a one-to-one alignment between the two versions. I am hopeful that use of this table will prove more helpful than frustrating. If errors are found, please let me know.
I regard the Excel file as a living document. My ultimate goal is to incorporate high resolution photos of movements illustrating the shop details that Snowden relied on to define his movement types. Therefore, I’m asking for your assistance. If you have high resolution photos of movements (front & back) that you’d be willing to share with me, I’d greatly appreciate it. As a first step, I’d like to incorporate examples of each of the major movement types into the next revision. As time allows and examples pile up, my hope is to flesh out the entire table with as many examples as possible.
Taylor-Noble Jerome Brass Movements-v26.1
Indispensable Resources
The following are what I consider indispensable resources for those interested in Chauncey Jerome’s involvement in the clock industry, as well as the development of the clock industry in 19th century USA:
Bailey, Chris. From Rags to Riches to Rags: The Story of Chauncey Jerome, NAWCC Bulletin Supplement #15, Spring 1986.
Roberts, Ken and Taylor, Snowden. Eli Terry and the Connecticut Shelf Clock, 2nd edition, Ken Roberts Publishing Co., 1994.
Roberts, Ken. The Contributions of Joseph Ives to Connecticut Clock Technology, 1810-1862, 2nd edition, Ken Roberts Publishing Co., 1988.
Jerome, Chauncey. History of the American Clock Business for the Past Sixty Years and Life of Chauncey Jerome, published by F. C. Dayton, Jr., 1860. (reprints by American Clock & Watch Museum, 1983)
Taylor, Snowden. The Noble Jerome Patent 30-Hr. Brass Weight Movement and related movements, NAWCC Bulletin, Whole No. 221, Vol. XXIV, No. 6, Part II, December 1982.
Taylor, Snowden. Wood Works Movements, NAWCC Bulletin, Whole No. 208, Vol. XXII, No. 5, Part I, October 1980.
Rogers, Bryan and Taylor, Snowden. Eight Day Wood Movement Shelf Clocks – Their Cases, Their Movements, Their Makers, NAWCC Bulletin Supplement #19, Spring 1993.
Davis, Lee H. The Greek Revival Influence on American Clock Case Design and Empire Clock Case Development, NAWCC Bulletin Supplement #18, Spring 1991.
Taylor, Snowden. Eight-Day Brass Weight Movements of the Noble Jerome Patent Era, NAWCC Bulletin, Whole No. 270, Vol. 33, No. 1, pages 3-29, February 1991.
Brown, Christopher R. Good for a Time, The Christopher R. Brown Research Archive of Early American Wooden Works Shelf Clocks, edited by Russell Oechsle, Oechsle-Brown Publications, 2011.
Other Resources
I have also found helpful information on the following websites:
NAWCC message board: mb.nawcc.org
A Microsoft Excel-based version of Snowden Taylor’s wood works movement identification scheme is available on the Cog Counters website.
If your interests in horology are broader than just American clockmaking from the 19th century, then you may want to take a look at the following website: A History of Horology, Clockmaking, and Watches.
The following link for a glossary of horological terms was provided on behalf of Kim, a student teacher who discovered the site, and was sent to me by Joyce, her teacher: https://www.elevators.com/motors-gears-more-glossary-of-horological-terms/