Clockman

I suppose that some of you wonder why my name is listed as clockmanjr. This is a reference to my father, who has made his living repairing clocks and even at times making them. That is not to say that he builds the movements, though I suspect he could given the parts. Rather, he would craft the wooden portion of clocks of all sizes, from steeple clocks like the one pictured above, to tall case clocks (known colloquially as grandfather's clocks).

This clock is one of a very similar pair, its near twin belonging to my sister. The chief difference between them is the decorative glass in the lower part of the door. Owing to my fondness for American Civil War history, my father selected this piece of glass featuring thematic elements from that event. The clock itself is done in an antique style, though I couldn't name the period it would represent. It has a simple time-and-strike movement, and lacks many of the features of more modern movement technology.

Clocks have long been designed as decorative pieces of furniture, as well as timepieces. They were and remain to be a sign of affluence, particularly the larger varieties such as grandfather clocks. Perhaps because of my lifetime of exposure to them (my uncle sells clocks for a living, and my father repairs them at his store), I have a fondness for clocks of this variety. There is something about a weight or spring driven machine measuring out time that a digital clock simply can't capture. The idea that so functional a device can be a means of beatifying a room and lending it grandeur is also appealing to me.

This clock is recently arrived from Pennsylvania with my sister. It was not with me previously, as it required a slight modification which my father recently completed. The clock is a particular favorite of mine because my father made it for me, and it will always find a place wherever I call home.