Charles Fasoldt, Albany, New York, USA, 1874. This clock
was a model made by Fasoldt in 1874 to demonstrate his detached gravity
escapement and remontoire dial actuator used in the tower clocks his firm
produced. The model as well as a full sized tower clock that mirrored the
model was exhibited in the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition of 1876 and
was awarded a gold medal. The escapement was used in his other domestic
clocks that had the pendulum above the movement and the dial remontoire in
the ten tower clocks he built. Of the four I know of one was
installed in the Pennsylvania Reading Railroad, Albany Bank, and two
still in their original installations at the University of Northern Iowa
(since moved in 2020 from the base of the Campanile tower to the
University president's office - it's good
to be president) and the Union Church (now the Ebenezer Baptist Church) in
Newburg, New York.
Fasoldt is considered one of the finest and innovative American clock and
watch makers. He had a fairly limited production of about 350
watches, 20 domestic regulators, 10 tower clocks and this model, making his
work quite collectible. The model described here being unique.
His regulator and shelf clocks are highly prized and of the finest
quality and his extremely rare tower clocks of which only 4 are known in
addition to this model are of great importance to historians and collectors.
The one at Newburgh, New York, being the only remaining example in its
original installation and still running, and was restored in 1996-98 by
members of the NAWCC. One he made for the 1876 centennial remains on display
at the Northern Iowa State University but is no longer
functioning. His clock movements
are even more beautiful than his watch movements. Charles Fasoldt was born
in 1818 and was a native of Dresden, Germany. He emigrated to the United
States in 1848, and from 1849 to 1861 he lived in Rome, N.Y. He moved to
Albany in 1861 and lived there for the rest of his life, dying in 1898 and passed
away at 9:00 PM on May 13, 1898.
The case containing the movement is original to to the clock. This is mounted to a purpose made case
to house the weights.
Rear elevation of the movement. Note the slot below the pendulum. The full
sized tower clock at the Centennial Exhibition also had this same slot cut
into the bottom of the clock case to allow the one second pendulum rod to
pass through. I wonder if the original design Fasoldt had for this model
used a one second rather than one-half second pendulum. In my opinion there
is no question the half-second pendulum is far more visually interesting
than would have been a one second pendulum rod moving through the slot.
Highlighted here is the 'teeter-totter' mechanism driven by the pendulum and
performs the locking function of the detached gravity escapement.
This video shows an overview of the Fasoldt model in relation to the
Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition of 1876
This video demonstrates Fasoldt's detached gravity escapement, the separate
lock and impulse devices as well as the dial drive remontoire.
The full sized tower clock was also on exhibit at the Centennial exhibition
along with this model. Later Fasoldt's grandson, Dudley donated the tower clock to
the University of Northern Iowa in 1927.
Front of gold medal awarded to Fasoldt for his model at the 1876
Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition.
Restoration of the model. When found it was not in running order, although
all of parts were there.
Provenance: Charles Fasoldt, maker, by decent Dudley Fasoldt, grandson;
Major Paul Chamberlain; Orville R. Hagens, John Miner, Sr by decent John
Miner, Jr., Steven Thompson (Sundial Farm), Donald Saff, 2016.
