Antique Clocks: Black Mantel Clocks

Video Transcript

"Black mantel clocks might be one of the most plentiful and usually affordable type of antique clock that's out there. They originated with French marble clocks. This is actually stone, this is a French clock, it's quite heavy, these were expensive at the time. And even though they called them marble clocks, the black portion of these clocks is actually a form of slate, it's Belgium slate that was blackened in a chemical process to look black. The Americans liked the style and thought that they would copy them, but as with other things, try to figure out a way to make them more affordable for people to buy. So they began making them out of wood, the cases were wooden. We've seen our friend here before, without the dial, but this allows us to see a good example otherwise, of an American black mantel clock. But keep in mind, most, again made out of wood, which has an advantage, because the sound, the gong would get out of the case, sound richer than a stone case. And they can either paint them with a hard black enamel, or cover them with a material called adamantine. If you buy a SethThomas black mantel clock, often the label on the back says adamantine, which was their process, their product for a type of celluloid veneer that would be put on these black mantel clocks to make them look either like marble, or like rare exotic woods. These were also made out of iron, where you would have a similar case, heavy like marble but made out of iron, that would be done with a very glossy, black shiny paint, trying to simulate marble as originated with the French marble clocks of the same period."