Lighthouse Clock
1825–30
Medium
White pine, mahogany veneer, enamel, brass, and gilt and silver mounts
Dimensions
74.9 × 26 cm (29 1/2 × 10 1/4 in.)
Classification
furniture accessory
Department
Arts of the Americas
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
148047
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
In 1819 Simon Willard applied for and received a patent for the first American alarm clock. He intended for the clocks to be portable so that one could use them around the house or while traveling. Patented by Willard under the name “alarm timepiece,” clocks like this one are now referred to as lighthouse clocks for their marked similarity to the Eddystone lighthouse in the English Channel off Plymouth, England. This particular clock descended in the family of Simon Willard’s brother Aaron.