Main dial: fan corners with whirligig border.
Main dial: gold squared anchor and gold flowers corners; breakarch cottage on left, church on right, ship rocking. Hemispheres: unusual corners.
Main dial: creamy, very elaborate morning glories; fan in breakarch with gold and blowsy large rose.
Main dial: complicated artwork circles, diamond centre; ovals in breakarch, sombre effect. False plate: cast iron.
Main dial: complicated artwork circles, diamond centre; ovals in breakarch, sombre effect. False plate: cast iron.
Main dial: gold wheatsheaf, heavy L-shaped corners. Hemispheres: maps.
Images of dials made by William Francis, a Birmingham dial maker active in the 1810s–1830s.
Main dial: breakarch automata, shagreen centre, name in gold, fan corners. Originally rocking ship in breakarch; clockmakers changed this to two figurines, one with short axe. False plate: cast iron.
Main dial: blue background, four Evangelists, well painted, gold band. Hemispheres: maps, North America on right, ecliptic above equator. False plate: cast iron.
Moon faces: pop-eyed, red cheeked. Moon scenes: ship at sea; church by waterside.
Main dial: off-white, bronze powder background four Apostles, gold band outside chapter ring. Hemispheres: North America on left. False plate: cast iron.
Main dial: small downhill castles corners, fantastic ruined house.
Main dial: four seasons, funny faces. Hemispheres: gold pagodas. False plate: cast iron.
Main dial: off-white, flared tulips on gold corners with unusual border. False plate: cast iron.
Image of a dial made by Josiah Hayes, a Birmingham dial maker active in the nineteenth century.
Main dial: gold flared Arabics on dark blue chapter ring; bluebell inn in breakarch, mountain in background; man with four seasons in corners, long clay pipe. False plate: cast iron.
Images of dials made by Hipkiss & Harold, Birmingham dial makers active in 1780s–1800s.
Main dial: off-white, flame tulips in gesso-framed corners. Hemispheres: maps, Africa on left. False plate: cast iron.
Main dial: off-white, flared tulips, gesso-framed corners, carnation in centre.
Main dial: off-white, green fan corners, pink centre, framed in yellow ochre, long-tailed bird, Wilson-style, with foliage in background. False plate: cast iron.
Main dial: pheasants with backgrounds corners, stylized baskets of flowers dial centre. False plate: cast iron, marked "Hobson".
Main dial: pheasants with backgrounds in corners, cottage in centre. False plate: cast iron, marked "Hobson".
Main dial: corners well painted. Hemispheres: scenes in humps.
Main dial: stylised wheat ears in corners with decorated band; grotto and fortress in breakarch with rocking ship. False plate: cast iron.
Moon faces: round-eyed, jolly looking. Moon scenes: ship at sea; large cottage on bluff.
Main dial: off-white, very elegant gesso, high oval in top, goddess holding palm leaf. False plate: cast iron.
Main dial: modified fan corners, green, gold, red, brown shells with seaweed, some gold in breakarch. False plate: cast iron.
Main dial: gold flowers in corners, octagon in breakarch, fish egg in it, flowers either side water, bird above centre.
Main dial: small morning glory and roses corners. Moon scene: large ship at sea.
Main dial: slight blue-grey tone, moss and full roses corners impinge on chapter ring; girl with funny dog in high oval breakarch. False plate: cast iron.
Main dial: blue-grey four-seasons ladies, gesso surround. Hemispheres: detailed maps with outside numbers. Named false plate.
Moon faces: very serious. Moon scenes: small ship at sea; tower by lakeside. False plate: iron.
Main dial: off-white, fan corners with gold. Very bright small birds in centre. False plate: cast iron.
Main dial: rose top, moss rose and vetch, no gesso, bold painting, all script, decorated date aperture. False plate: cast iron.
Main dial: fully-painted centre, scene at an inn or house; cornucopia with fruit and flowers in corners.
Moon faces: round-eyed, red noses, pleasant expression. Moon scenes: ship at sea; lakeside cottage, red roof.
Main dial: sweet pea and primula gesso-framed corners, pale blue-grey background paint.
Main dial: blue-grey diamond centre, scrolling spandrel-type gesso corners. Hemispheres: North America on left, ecliptic below equator. False plate: cast iron.
Main dial: off-white; elaborate corners in oval; Greek key design; gold rope edge. False plate: cast iron.
Main dial: off-white; elaborate corners in oval; Greek key design; gold rope edge. False plate: cast iron.
Main dial: four parts of Great Britain corners; Britannia in seascape dial centre, fully painted with oval pictures, Nelson and Collingwood; breakarch scene "General Le Fevre attacking Cossacks". False plate: cast iron.
Moon faces: very round protuberant eyes, serious expression. Moon scenes: dog (springer spaniel); cottage by lakeside, tree in middle of scene.
Main dial: elaborate corners, gold shield with pink edging, blue anchor, green laurel leaves, green fan like rest of corner, woman weeping in breakarch. False plate: cast iron.
Main dial: four continents, gold bands, unusual dial. Same painter as Edward Glaze. Hemispheres: Father Time and a nun or saint.
Moon faces: pleasant expression, red noses, red cheeks. Moon scenes: ship; cottage with odd roof.
Main dial: off-white, greenish scrumble background and roses corners; centre shepherd on rock, gold band arch and man selling cow. False plate: cast iron, named.
Moon faces: reasonably pleasant expression. Moon scenes: cottage at lakeside with tree; ship.
Main dial: cream background; gold shells on black corners with gold band. Unusual to have black as dries slowly.
Main dial: off-white, anemone bottom, tulips top; gold framing windmill with revolving base in breakarch. False plate: cast iron, Fire Sharp.
Main dial: curious corners, green with bug and oval striped.
Images of dials made by W. H. Price, a Birmingham dial maker active around 1800.
Main dial: blue-grey; carnations and strawberry corners, gesso framed; three birds centre.
Images of dials made by N. Porter, a Birmingham dial maker active around 1810.
Images of dials made by George Walker or Walker & Company, Birmingham dial makers active around 1810.
Main dial: wheels and diamonds top corners; top scene sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham. False plate: W & Hall.
Main dial: odd corners, lots of lines, copper insert in centre breakarch. False plate: cast iron.
Main dial: weird decoration; flying diamonds and wheel in breakarch, not liked.
Main dial: four seasons corners; hunting scene breakarch. False plate: cast iron.
Main dial: large roses and tulips corners with gold corners. False plate: cast iron.
Main dial: honeysuckle and tulip corners, outside framing, two birds centre; old-fashioned type of decoration. False plate: cast iron.
Main dial: roses corners, double-framed, gold and crimson lake. False plate: cast iron.
Main dial: gilded gesso corners, oval type.
Main dial: semicircles in gold with pink rose garlands and dull green olive corners. False plate: cast iron.
Main dial: Finnemore-type roses corners, gold and yellow ochre, red motifs; bird centre with branch and grass.
Moon faces: heavy-lidded, red cheeks. Moon scenes: ship at sea, stiff waves; square Georgian house by river.
Main dial: gold basket with roses corners.
Main dial: stylised flowers in corners, basket of roses centre, with foliage going upwards. Hemispheres: North America on left, ecliptic below equator. False plate: cast iron.
Main dial: geometric corners, fine lines, two birds in centre; two tulips in breakarch, decorated small oval with stone in centre. False plate: cast iron.
Main dial: pink roses and rosebuds corners with some gold; church in breakarch. False plate: cast iron.
Main dial: off-white, geometric flower and two daffodils in bitty corners; cottage dial centre.
Moon faces: round-eyed, pleasant, pink cheeks and noses. Moon scenes: ship at sea; country house by river. Hemispheres: North America on left, ecliptic below equator. False plate: not given.
Moon faces: very squinty-eyed, pale faces. Moon scenes: small ship; cottage in countryside.
Main dial: off-white magnolia; bitty corners with circle and urn in centre; corn sheaf in circle, flowers either side. False plate: cast iron.
Main dial: shells in L-shaped pink corner frame.
Main dial: fat pink roses in geometric corners. Hemispheres: good maps, North America on left, ecliptic below equator. False plate: cast iron.
Moon faces: slightly pensive, pleasant, red cheeks, red noses. Moon scenes: ship at sea, rigid waves; Georgian house by lakeside.
Main dial: heavy pink roses in circle; deep rose and blue filling in corners; gold leaf branches at side of date aperture.
Main dial: curious Walker-type corners with diamond shapes, grapes and leaves band, imitation topaz centres; well-painted Adam and Eve breakarch; only Eve's arm moving, no serpent. False plate: cast iron.
Main dial: four-seasons corners, cutout in breakarch with gold peacock; two joined swans rocking on water; Georgian house in distance. False plate: cast iron.
Main dial: blue/grey geometric corners with some gold, fat bird.
Main dial: cream base, pink cornucopias with gold fruit corners. Hemispheres: maps. False plate: cast iron.
Main dial: ranunculus and anemone corners, rose framing.
Main dial: pink roses, corners with gold; funny bird in basket and flowers breakarch with auriculas.
Main dial: simple yellow, red single flower with gold dots around and rosebuds either side.
Main dial: bitty corners. Hemispheres: maps.
Moon faces: very red cheeks. Moon scenes: fishing boat with a sail; lake scene, cottage with tower.
Main dial: borders using bronze paint; polyanthus and moss roses corners; two baskets of flowers centre florals. Hemispheres: floral.
Moon faces: typical and well-painted. Moon scenes: blue roof to Georgian square house; ship, fully rigged.
Main dial: gold leaf chapter ring, four continents corners; Moses in breakarch. False plate: cast iron.
Moon faces: serious. Moon scenes: church with spire; quite good ship.
This series comprises images of clock dials made by known Birmingham makers.
The dials have been categorised by Frances Tennant into the following dial types:
12 o'clock moon, Arched with moon, Automata, Birds in arch, Brass arched, Brass arched moon, Brass square, Gesso in arch, High oval in arch, Low oval in arch, Moon dial, Other arch, Other dial type, Oval dial, Picture in arch, Round dial, Square dial.
Images of dials made by Osborne & Wilson, Birmingham dial makers active in 1772–77.
Main dial: off-white, heavy bold gesso corners and breakarch; decorated winding holes.
Main dial: creamy, unusual heavy gesso in imitation brass spandrels; rose and buds in breakarch with gesso side pieces; upside-down roses either side of decorated winding holes.
Images of dials made by Thomas Hadley Osborne, a Birmingham dial maker who started his own dial manufactory after the dissolution of the Wilson & Osborne partnership in 1777.
Main dial: diamond, gilded gesso in corners, scene gesso, framed farm scene in breakarch, curved date aperture, grommets in winding holes.
Moon faces: slightly pop-eyed, one with eyes very close together. Moon scenes: ship at anchor by rocky cove; curious volcano-like structure with tree.
Main dial: dotted oval and spandrel-type corners, fancy gesso breakarch grommets used in winding holes.