Early Victorian Mahogany Astronomical Regulator by Charles Frodsham
ProbableCredible evidence exists but classification is not fully established.
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
Mid-19th Century
Maker / issuer
Charles FrodshamThis mid-19th-century astronomical regulator clock is housed in a figured mahogany case with a raised hood, bevelled mouldings, and a glazed trunk door displaying a pendulum assembly.
The silvered regulator dial features subsidiary dials for seconds and hours alongside an outer minute track, signed for Charles Frodsham, Clock Maker to the Queen, at 84 The Strand, London, numbered 909. Sourced specialist inspection notes indicate jewelled deadbeat pallets, a jewelled escapement, and pallet bearings.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Technical characteristics
- Type
- Astronomical regulator
- Dimensions
- 75 in. (190.5 cm.) high, 15 1/2 in. (39.4 cm.) wide, 10 1/2 in. (26.7 cm.) deep
- Dial Signature
- CHARLES FRODSHAM, No. 84 THE STRAND, LONDON. / Clock Maker to the Queen / 909
- Place recorded
- United Kingdom
- Maker / attribution
- Charles Frodsham
- Escapement Inspection Notes
- Jewelled deadbeat pallets, jewelled escapement, and pallet bearings
Design
- Visible features
- • Silvered astronomical regulator dial with upper subsidiary seconds dial, lower subsidiary 12-hour dial, and central minute hand. • Full-length glazed trunk door revealing a pendulum assembly with a cylindrical jar. • Flame mahogany case featuring a stepped hood, panelled rectangular base, and plinth.
- Case Form and Construction
- The clock is housed in an early Victorian mahogany case measuring 75 inches (190.5 cm) high, 15 1/2 inches (39.4 cm) wide, and 10 1/2 inches (26.7 cm) deep. The catalogue describes the structure as having a raised hood on a conforming base with bevelled edges and a rectangular base. Visual inspection of the lot shows a flame mahogany case featuring a stepped hood, a panelled rectangular base and plinth, and a full-length glazed trunk door revealing a pendulum assembly with a cylindrical jar.
- Dial Configuration and Maker Signature
- Visual observation records a silvered astronomical regulator dial configured with an upper subsidiary seconds dial, a lower subsidiary 12-hour dial, and a central minute hand. The dial is signed ' CHARLES FRODSHAM, No. 84 THE STRAND, LONDON. / Clock Maker to the Queen / 909', noting Charles Frodsham's London Strand address, royal appointment title, and number 909.
- Reported Movement and Escapement Details
- Movement interiors are not visible in the catalogue photograph. Mechanical escapement details depend entirely on the auction house condition report notes provided following an inspection with restorer John Metcalfe. Metcalfe's documented remarks record 'jewelled deadbeat pallettes, jewelled escapement and palette bearings.' Physical accessories included with the clock comprise two keys and one winding key. The auction house notes that it does not guarantee the working order of clock movements.
- Condition Anomalies and Inspection Limits
- The auction condition report characterizes the lot as being in good decorative condition, with expected light nicks, marks, and faint scratches consistent with age and use, alongside small dings to extreme edges and one stable crack near where the case meets the base. Regarding the mechanical suspension, the report notes that the screw connecting the pendulum rod to the pendulum tube is stripped. Internal gear train condition and operational performance are not further specified in the text.
Identification
- Serial number
- 909
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: Movement interior is not visible in the photograph; technical escapement details rely on the auction house condition report.
- Research required: The condition report notes a stripped screw connecting the pendulum rod to the pendulum tube and a stable crack near where the case meets the base.