Tower Clocks
The tower clock - or, to literally put it another way, the "clock tower" - is a popular feature of many towns and institutions. They are designed to allow public access to the time and were important in the days before everyone could afford a watch. Today they are mainly of historic and artistic interest.The tower clock could either be designed as an integral part of a building (for example a cathedral) or be free standing in their own right. They usually had more than one face to allow the time to be seen from various directions.
History
Clock towers began to spread through Europe from around the 14th century. The first known clock tower in America was the Boston tower of 1668.Early tower clocks were extremely expensive to build. As such they were a status symbol and an indication of stability. A town that could afford to buy or build such a public clock was saying to the world "we're doing well and we're here to stay". Similarly, the possession of a clock tower by an institution or even an individual was a statement of self-confidence (and possibly also of conspicuous consumption!).
The oldest known tower clock manufacturer is believed to be JB Joyce and Co of Whitchurch, England who were established in 1690.
By the middle of the 19th century mass production led to the cost of these clocks falling considerably. In the US, two of the largest clock tower manufacturers were Seth Thomas and E. Howard.
Towards the end of the 19th century street clocks - cheaper still - became increasingly popular.
Some famous tower clocks include:
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