The well-defined art of yesteryear made The Gravely Furniture Company a prime purchasing opportunity. The contemporary art that had been popular from the 1960’s on were becoming passé for many. While numerous fads were popular with teens during this era their parents were waxing nostalgic. population had doubled since the company opened its doors. It was during the 1960’s that The Gravely Furniture Company focused exclusively on their Ridgeway clocks.īy the 1980’s the U.S. While the country saw growth in wages and life expectancy over the next four decades The Gravely Furniture Company put men and women to work defining a quality that became the Hallmark of the Ridgeway grandfather clock. The company that started making these renowned clocks was The Gravely Furniture Company. World War I had been over for several years and America was working to hit their stride once more. The start of this clockmaking business dates back to 1920’s America when the annual salary was $1,236 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit 100. The Ridgeway grandfather clock story is one many decades in the making. One is much better off purchasing an older example which tended, like yours, to have better proportions and be extremely reasonable to purchase on the auction market today. Since the turn of the 21st century their value has fallen precipitously, although new models are still made by certain companies selling for $3000-$4000 retail. They originally sold retail in the low four figures. The major makers during this era were Urgos, Hermle and Kieninger. Such clocks were made during the era from the 1960’s into the 1990’s by the tens of thousands, primarily in West Germany. The case is very fine as is the dial and movement. I make the assumption it is fully functional. There is a chime/silent lever at the three position on the dial.Ĭondition: The clock appears to be in very fine condition. There is a metal pendulum rod with a round brass covered bob. Three polished brass canister weights are wound by manually pulling up the weight chains onto the three sprocket gears within the movement. Movement: NOT SHOWN - German made (Possibly by Urgos) solid brass plate movement with three chain driven weights powering the movement for eight days, striking on the hours and chiming on the quarter hours, most likely with a set of eight movement hammers striking a similar number of metal rods. The base of the dial indicates the dial and movement were made in Germany. ![]() A revolving moon dial is seen in the lunette with a lunar calendar of 29 ½ days above and two engraved hemispheres below. There are embossed winged angel spandrels in the dial corners with a foliate pattern in the gilt brass dial center with a stylized rosette in the precise center. The wood has a pressed oval with Ridgeway marked in the center and the Gravely Furniture Company of Ridgeway, Virginia”ĭial: An arched brass alloy dial with silvered Roman hour chapter ring, closed minute track, filigree brass dial center with ‘Ridgeway’ name under twelve, ‘West Germany’ under the six position and machine stamped Chippendale style hands. There is a brass plaque on the façade of the case with an engraved presentation, “To my Wife on Mother’s Day, Edward, May 11, 1980”. The sides of the case have open brass grillwork in the hood, glazed panels in the waist and stained oak in the sides of the base. There is a concave molding leading down to the stepped broad flat base sitting flat to the floor. The full-length door is flanked by full length flat segmented pilasters with a corbel at the uppermost level. The bottom of the door is a rectangular panel with concentric stepped raised applied panels at the center. ![]() The upper section of the glazed door overlies the dial while the largest section is the glass waist through which one can see the arc of the pendulum as it swings, and the descent of the three brass canister weights. This stained Virginia oak Hall clock has a dome-shaped, stepped and convex “break-arch” pediment with an arched cornice just above the arched glazed tripartite dial door. circa 1980.Ĭase: Size not provided but approximately 75-80" in height. Stained oak, three weight, eight-day time, strike and quarterly chiming, Presentation Hall clock (aka the modern grandfather clock), imported West German movement (possibly made by ‘Urgos’), made by the Ridgeway (Gravely) Furniture Company, Ridgeway, Va. Thank you for sending in your family heirloom grandfather clock to for an appraisal.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |