Sessions Grand Assortment #3 gingerbread clock
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 1915
This Sessions Grand Assortment #3 is an American gingerbread or kitchen clock dating to circa 1915 according to source historical notes. The steam-pressed oak case stands 22 inches tall and 10 inches wide, embellished with a pressed fan crest and foliate scrollwork around a central glazed door.
A circular six-inch dial features Roman numerals and two winding squares above a lower glass tablet decorated with a polychrome four-colour floral and butterfly motif. The source reports that the timepiece contains an eight-day time-and-strike movement that strikes the hours and half-hours on a coiled wire gong.
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
- Mantel clock
- Model
- Grand #3
- Dimensions
- 22 inches tall, 10 inches wide with a 6 inch dial
- Case Material
- Steam-pressed oak
- Place recorded
- United States
- Striking Mechanism
- Hour and half hour on a coiled gong
- Glass Tablet Design
- Four colours
- Maker / attribution
- Sessions Clock Company
Design
- Visible features
- • Steeply arched cresting featuring steam-pressed fan motif flanked by foliate scrolls • Carved or heat-pressed scrolling patterns across the side pilasters and plinth base • Six-inch dial with Roman numerals, spade hands, and dual winding arbors • Polychrome lower tablet decorated in multiple colours with floral elements and a butterfly • Embossed pendulum bob visible through the decorated glass pane
- Identity and Model Series
- The clock is identified by the source as a Sessions Clock Company "Grand #3", forming part of a trio in the "Grand Assortment" series. According to historical notes cited by the source, the clock sold for $4.00 in 1915 and could originally be configured with an alarm and/or cathedral bell. A label on the case back is described as intact, accompanied by a handwritten inscription in pen: "Benson Clock, Main St. Hudson Que, purchased at their auction on sale in late 1940s".
- Case Construction and Glazing
- The case is constructed of steam-pressed oak, decorated by a heat-bond process. The source records dimensions of 22 inches in height, 10 inches in width, and a 6-inch dial. Direct visual inspection shows a steeply arched cresting featuring a steam-pressed fan motif flanked by foliate scrolls, with additional scrolling patterns along the side pilasters and plinth base. The glazed door encloses a lower tablet decorated in four colours depicting floral elements and a butterfly; the source notes this differs from the monotone designs shown in original promotional material and suggests it looks hand colorized.
- Dial and Source Reported Movement
- The six-inch dial features Roman numerals, spade hands, and dual winding arbors. An embossed pendulum bob is visible through the lower glass pane. The movement is not visible in the exterior photo; the source reports it as a time and strike movement that strikes the hour and half hour on a coiled gong. The source also notes surface rust on the movement but reports nothing fundamentally wrong with its operation.
- Internal Casework and Technical Limitations
- The interior floor of the case contains three factory-drilled holes. Drawing on a reference stating that clocks were "packed six in a case", the source speculates that the units were bolted together for transit. Because verification relies on an exterior photograph and collector notes, internal movement stampings, factory label text beyond the cited inscription, and precise gear train details are not documented in this source.
Identification
- Reference
- Grand #3
- 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: Internal movement is not visible in the provided image; mechanical details are source-reported
- Research required: Case back label and inscriptions are obscured from view