  About the Artwork
  
  
  A handwritten note found inside the clock explains that it was originally made for Elias Brown, a wealthy merchant in Preston, Connecticut. As was commonly practiced, the name of the clockmaker is inscribed on the dial. However, a more unusual feature of this clock is the presence of an additional name, Abisha Woodward, on the face. Woodward was a wood­ worker who lived in Preston until 1788 and is thought to be responsible for making the clock’s case. The cabinetmaker achieved a delightful balance between sophisticated and provincial elements in the design and execution of this clock.
  
  
  Title
  Tall Case Clock
  
  
  Artwork Date
  between 1775 and 1788
  
  Artist
  Thomas Harland
  
  
  
  Life Dates
  1735-1807
  
  
  
  
  Nationality
  
  
  
  Please note:
  Definitions for nationality may vary significantly, depending on chronology and world events.
  Some definitions include:
  Belonging to a people having a common origin based on a geography and/or descent and/or tradition and/or culture and/or religion and/or language, or sharing membership in a legally defined nation.
  
  
  
  American
  
  
  
  Culture
  
  
  
  Please note:
  Cultures may be defined by the language, customs, religious beliefs, social norms, and material traits of a group.
  
  
  
  
  ----------
  
  
  Medium
  Mahogany, pine, ivory, glass and brass (alloy)
  
  
  Dimensions
  Overall: 87 × 20 3/4 × 11 inches (221 × 52.7 × 27.9 cm)
  
  
  Classification
  Timepieces
  
  
  Department
  American Art before 1950
  
  
  Credit
  Gift of Mrs. Alger Shelden, Mrs. Susan Kjellberg, Mrs. Lyman White, Alexander Muir Duffield and Mrs. Oliver Pendar in memory of Helen Pitts Parker
  
  
  
  Accession Number
  
  
  
  This unique number is assigned to an individual artwork as part of the cataloguing process at the time of entry into the permanent collection.
  Most frequently, accession numbers begin with the year in which the artwork entered the museum’s holdings.
  For example, 2008.3 refers to the year of acquisition and notes that it was the 3rd of that year. The DIA has a few additional systems—no longer assigned—that identify specific donors or museum patronage groups.
  
  
  
  59.149
  
  
  Copyright
  ----------
