A Federal Inlaid Mahogany Dwarf Clock

According to the recent scholarship of Gary Sullivan, Brock Jobe and Jack OBrien found in their landmark publication, Harbor & Home, Furniture of Southeastern Massachusetts, 1710-1850, the production of dwarf clocks in the Hingham-Area far surpassed that of tall clocks between the years of 1815-1825. There were three craftsmen that had the greatest out put of dwarf clocks; Joshua Wilder, his likely apprentice Reuben Tower and Abiel White. Wilder (fig. 2) was known to have made more than double the amount of clocks that Tower turned out and White was contracted to make the majority of the cases for both clockmakers. For related Joshua Wilder examples please see Harbor & Home, pg. 314, plate 103.3. A related dial can be found in the same publication on pg. 322, plate 104.2.