Collection: The Clockmakers’ Museum

Collection-level records:

• Collection overview (Cornucopia)

  Clock Collection

  The Clockmakers’ Collection was begun in 1814 and is the world’s oldest collection specifically of clocks and watches. It comprises about 1,000 objects, from the 15th century to the present day, including pocket watches and their movements (especially of the 17th-19th centuries), precision watches, domestic and scientific weight and spring clocks (especially of the 17th century), clock movements, marine time keepers (especially from the 18th and 19th century), pocket sundials, clock and watchmakers’ tools and a wide range of small horological items. Much of the collection was made by members of the Company or by foreign makers who influenced its work. It has been on permanent public display in Guildhall Library since 1874, in an area where many of the clockmakers worked. The Collection is shown in a single room, containing at any one time some 600 English and European watches, 30 clocks and 15 marine timekeepers, together with a number of rare horological portraits. The majority of items in the Collection range from c.1600 to c.1850. Perhaps the most important group within the Collection is the marine timekeepers, illustrating the importance of horology in the science of navigation. Examples are a marine timekeeper of 1724 by Henry Sully, a silver deck watch by Thomas Earnshaw (used by Captain George Vancouver in the discovery by Europeans of the Island now bearing his name) and the celebrated 5th marine timekeeper made by John Harrison and completed in 1770.

  Subjects

  Clocks; Watches; Horology

  Portrait Collection

  The Clockmakers’ Company Collections include 39 oil portraits, engraved portraits, wax portraits and early photographs, showing 18th and 19th century London clockmakers and significant 19th century members of the Company.

  Subjects

  Portraits; Horology

  Printed Books and Manuscripts

  The Clockmakers’ Company Library was founded in 1813. It consisted at first of the ancient manuscripts of the Company but soon grew to include many printed books, often presented by their authors, or annotated by famous clock and watchmakers. It is now celebrated for its holding of rare clockmakers workbooks and related documents (such as Victor Kullberg’s Records and many 18th century holograph manuscripts by John Harrison). There are over 900 printed books, mostly English though with some published on the Continent, and over 175 groups of manuscripts. Many early 19th century acquisitions were annotated by their authors or notable members of the Company. The manuscripts cover the Company’s own history, but in addition they include a group of important manuscripts relating to the work of John Harrison (1693-1776). There are also business records of significant London clockmakers, with account books, order books and ledgers. In 1925, by agreement with the Corporation of London, the Clockmakers’ Library was placed in the City’s Guildhall Library so that it could be made freely available for consultation by the public and it remains there together with the Company’s Museum Collection.

  Subjects

  Clockmakers; Horology

  Source: Cornucopia

  Date: Not known, but before 2015

  Licence: CC BY-NC